Which term refers to the practice of organizing fragmented files to improve access time?

The practice of organizing fragmented files to improve access time is known as defragmentation. Over time, as files are created, deleted, and modified, data can become scattered across the disk, leading to fragmentation. This fragmentation results in the read/write heads of storage devices having to move more frequently and over greater distances to access data, thereby slowing down access times.

Defragmentation works by rearranging the fragmented data into contiguous sections, which helps the storage device read files more efficiently. This process can significantly speed up system performance, reducing the time it takes to access and open files. Overall, defragmentation enhances the overall efficiency of a computer's file system.

While optimization may refer to general enhancements to a system's performance, and segmentation typically relates to dividing data into manageable parts for processing or storage, these terms do not specifically address the process of reorganizing fragmented files to enhance access speeds as defragmentation does. Compaction usually involves reducing the size of files without losing data, rather than focusing on the arrangement of the data on the disk.