Does your hard drive need defragmenting, but you don't have time for the full pass? Is a specific program taking too long to start, and you'd like to speed it up? While most defragmenters offer the option of partial or localized optimization on a folder, WinContig focuses specifically on that kind of task.
I was having problems with my copy of Kerbal Space Program, which I wanted to replay. The game is formidable, but I immediately noticed that it took a long time to load. Its own wiki admits this, and the delay arises from the large number of files it must process. As if that weren't enough, fragmentation on a traditional hard drive doesn't help games the size of KSP. We've said before that solid-state drives tackle fragmentation at the root, but I'm sure there are many users out there with a hybrid setup, keeping the SSD for the operating system and installing the rest of the software on a hard drive. Defragmenting is tedious, though necessary. And if the goal is to escape the bind before a full optimization, the answer lies in programs like WinContig.
WinContig: Defragmenting Files or Folders
We first talked about WinContig thirteen years ago, and although its essence remains intact, it's good to know the program is still in development. If this is your first encounter with WinContig, all you need to know is that the folders and files to defragment are added by clicking the “Add” button in the upper-left corner of the interface. Within the options menu we also find two defragmentation strategies (“quick” or “intelligent”), and a parameter that enables defragmentation of data on an SSD (I personally don't recommend it, but anyone who wants to experiment can do so).
At the same time, WinContig offers an error check on the drive and disk cleanup, but both steps are optional. The three tabs at the bottom of the interface present general information, details about fragmented files, and any errors that have appeared along the way. WinContig is portable and completely free, comes with support for 32 and 64 bits, and those who aren't comfortable with English can change the interface language to Spanish. Google Chrome may say the file is not safe, but VirusTotal finds it 100% trustworthy.
