Over a long period of using your computer the files on your hard disk become fragmented which may reduce system performance because it takes longer to read and write files on a fragmented file system. Usually you would run a defragment tool to defragment the hard disk – it can also show you if you really need to defragment the hard disk, but no in-depth details are given. But if you want you can use the O&O SpeedCheck tool to find out how much faster your hard disk can become if your defragment your hard disk.
With O&O SpeedCheck you can simulate your Windows system in a fragmented and defragmented state. No data is written in the simulation, it simply reads test data from the hard disk. After completion of the simulation you will be shown a comparison of the two test times, and the possible increase in speed available to you. You can see just how much your PC could be accelerated by regular and thorough defragmentation.
The standalone program does not require any installation and runs from wherever it is located – on local hard disk or on a portable USB key. Once run it simulates reading a set of files that are fragmented followed by reading the same set of files in a defragmented state. It does not touch any real files during this process. It does not even write anything to the hard disk. It simply loads the files from memory, simulating how your system reads files in each state (defragmented and fragmented states). O&O SpeedCheck runs each reading cycle five times so you get an average to prevent any low scores due to time taken in spinning for the first read.
In the end you are shown a percentage of how faster your hard disk can respond if you defragment your hard disk. You are prompted to use the commercial O&O Defrag software to defragment your hard disk. But you may also use any other free alternatives to defragment your hard disk. If the predicted performance increase is not that much, then you can skip the defragmentation for a later time.
You can download the free Volume Concierge from http://www.oo-software.com/en/products/speedcheck.