Symantec NORTON SYSTEMWORKS 2004 RETAIL (10109303) for PC

Improving a computer’s performance

Before you optimize your disks

225 after major data structures so that they can grow without immediately becoming fragmented again.

Before you optimize your disks

Before you run Speed Disk, prepare your computer for optimization. This includes ensuring that your disk has no errors by running Norton Disk Doctor, deleting temporary files, completing any major software installations or removals, backing up your files, closing all programs, and setting the Speed Disk options that are appropriate for your computer.

If you are optimizing for the first time

See “Specify file placement during optimization” on page 236.

See “Customize

Speed Disk” on page 235.

A disk’s first optimization may take significantly longer than subsequent optimizations because Speed Disk must move the files and free space in a particular order. After a disk has been optimized, only new and expanded files need optimization.

If optimization is taking too much time, or using too many computer resources, you may want to adjust the

Speed Disk options.

The benefits of optimization, which include faster access and improved overall performance, make the initial optimization time worthwhile. Speed Disk takes advantage of improvements that were made in the first optimization to reduce subsequent optimization times.

If you are optimizing NTFS volumes

If you are optimizing NTFS volumes, you should select the Global option, “Scan for errors before optimizing.”

This causes Speed Disk to check the integrity of the volume before you proceed. If the selected disk is a FAT volume, a message informs you that Norton Disk Doctor should be run before the optimization.