You can think of degragmenting a hard drive as getting your data "organized" on your hard drive. It doesn't affect your files or data in any way. Just makes it easier for your computer to find the files you request it to, meaning faster access times, etc.

If you're running Windows 7/8/10, just type in "defrag" in the start menu and follow the directions.

Follow this for Windows 7/8/10: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...ting-hard-disk

if you're running Windows XP, follow this: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/305781


if defragmenting and uninstalling cruft doesn't help, there are still some more methods to try.