Basic usage

Before beginning to use any function or tool of WinContig, you may want to get familiar with the user interface of WinContig. This helps in the navigation of the application.

The default settings of WinContig allow you to analyze and defragment files and folders with just a click of a button. Anyway, several customization options are available to fit your needs.

Analyzing files

Before defragmenting the files, you can analyze the files to get an overview of how files are fragmented on the disk.

To perform the analysis of the files, follow these steps:


  1. Run WinContig.
  2. Add the files and folders that you want to analyze to the items list by selecting File > Add item or by opening a profile.
  3. Select Action > Analyze to start analyzing all listed items.


    If you prefer to analyze only some items and not all at once, select the items that you want to process, click the right mouse button on one of the selected items and choose Analyze selected items from the shortcut menu.
  4. Depending on the amount of the files, the analysis may take some time. During the analyzing process, WinContig displays a progress bar to provide feedback about the progression of the analysis. If you want to stop the analyzing process, select Action > Stop.
  5. Once the analysis is complete, select the Fragmented files tab to view the fragmented files found during the analyzing process. The files that were not processed due to an error are listed in the Errors tab.
  6. You can save the analysis results in a text document by selecting File > Save analysis report.

For more detailed information about the fragmentation of a file, select it in the items list or in the Fragmented files tab, and then select File > Fragment information. WinContig will display the Fragments dialog.

Analyzing disks

Before defragmenting the files, it is highly recommended that you check the integrity of the data stored on your disks to ensure that no data will get corrupted during the processing of the files. To check the file system of a volume for logical and physical errors, select Action > Check for errors. WinContig will display the Check disk dialog.

Defragmenting files

To perform the defragmentation of the files, follow these steps:


  1. Run WinContig.
  2. Add the files and folders that you want to defragment to the items list by selecting File > Add item or by opening a profile.
  3. If you need to process only specific files, select Tools > Manage filter.


    WinContig will display the Filter dialog, which allows you to specify which files to process and which files to skip.
  4. Before starting the defragmentation process, you may want to place some files that you access the most in the fastest zone of the hard drive, and move some other files (for example, the least accessed files) to the slowest zone of the hard drive. To do this, select the items that you want to move, and then click on the Disk zone button on the toolbar.


    WinContig will display the Disk zone dialog that enables you to specify into which zone of the disk the selected items should be placed.

    Click the arrow to open a menu so that you can directly select a disk zone.


  5. Select Action > Defragment to start defragmenting all listed items.


    If you prefer to defragment only some items and not all at once, select the items that you want to process, click the right mouse button on one of the selected items, and choose Defragment selected items from the shortcut menu.
  6. By default, before performing the defragmentation process, WinContig will automatically check the integrity of the data stored on the disk (see Check disk dialog) and then will free up drive space by deleting the temporary files (see Disk clean-up dialog). You can customize this behavior in the settings of WinContig.
  7. Depending on the amount of the files and their level of fragmentation, the defragmentation may take some time. During the defragmentation process, WinContig displays a progress bar to provide feedback about the progression of the process. If you want to stop the defragmentation process, select Action > Stop.

  8. Once the defragmentation is complete, select the Errors tab to view the files, if any, that were not processed due to an error.

See also