Over time, constant file creation, deletion, and editing lead to high levels of fragmentation. This forces the mechanical "arm" of an HDD to move more frequently and the platters to spin longer to find all the pieces of a single file.
Reducing excessive mechanical movement can help maintain a hard drive over its lifespan. HDDs vs. SSDs: The Critical Difference disk defrag
Defragging consolidates free space, allowing new programs to be installed in large open areas rather than scattered fragments. Over time, constant file creation, deletion, and editing
Modern versions of Windows (Windows 10 and 11) run a background tool called "Optimize Drives" on a schedule, but you can still run it manually . constant file creation
Choose the drive you want to analyze or defragment.