defragmented

Defragmented describes a computer hard drive that has been reorganized so files are stored in contiguous blocks rather than scattered across the disk.

Fragmentation occurs naturally as files are created, deleted, and modified; defragmenting improves access speed by reducing the distance the read head must travel.

The term sometimes extends metaphorically to mental states: After a week at the cabin, I felt defragmented.

With solid-state drives now standard, defragmentation has become largely obsolete—a relic of spinning-disk technology.