What Microsoft actually said
March Rogers, Microsoft's Partner Director of Design, said the tool, which defragments hard drives and trims SSDs, is on Microsoft's list for a modern update. The remark came in a social media exchange. Diego Baca, Microsoft's Vice President of Design, posted an update on Windows 11 improvements on October 15. A user replied asking when WinUI 3 would reach the tool, and suggested it would be better folded into the Settings app. Rogers answered the next day: "Hi Leandro – Optimize Drives is on our list!"
Here is what is and isn't established:
- Confirmed: a senior Microsoft design leader acknowledged the tool as a modernization candidate.
- Not confirmed: Rogers didn't say whether it will be a WinUI 3 tool or move to Settings, and there is no timeline.
- Not confirmed: whether any change will show up in a Windows Insider build, and which Windows version it would target.
WinUI 3 and Settings were the user's suggestions. They are not Microsoft's plans.
Why the tool looks dated
The utility is older than most of the people complaining about it. Wikipedia's list of Windows components traces the drive optimizer, dfrgui.exe, back to Windows 95 and Windows 2000. Windows Latest reports that the tool has barely changed since Windows 8, and Italian outlet Punto Informatico says the same about its look. That comparison comes from press coverage, not from Microsoft, so treat it as a fair description rather than a documented fact.
What the tool does, and how to use it today
Nothing here changes yet, so the current guidance still applies. Microsoft's support documentation covers Windows 11 and Windows 10.
- Select the taskbar Search box and type defrag.
- Choose Defragment and Optimize Drives.
- Select the drive you want.
- For a hard drive, choose Analyze to see whether it needs work, or Optimize to run it.
Microsoft's support page makes a point that the name obscures. Hard drives are defragmented, meaning files are reorganized so they sit together. SSDs are "trimmed", which tells the drive where it can safely do cleanup work when it's idle.
Scheduling
Microsoft says Windows optimizes drives once a week by default, so most people never need to open the tool. To change that:
- Open the tool as above.
- Under Scheduled optimization, select Change Settings.
- Set the schedule to Daily, Weekly or Monthly, or turn it off.
- Optionally, set it to run more often if optimization is missed three times.
What "optimize" means for each drive type
Microsoft's Optimize-Volume PowerShell documentation shows the defaults depend on the storage type:
| Volume type | Default operation |
|---|---|
| HDD, fixed VHD, Storage Space | Analyze and defrag |
| Tiered Storage Space | Tier optimization |
| SSD with TRIM support | Retrim |
| Thinly provisioned Storage Space, SAN virtual disk, dynamic or differencing VHD | Analyze, slab consolidation and retrim |
| SSD without TRIM support, removable FAT, unknown | No operation |
The word "Defragment" in the tool's name doesn't mean your SSD is being defragmented. This table documents the command-line cmdlet and says nothing about the planned interface work. Admins who script maintenance can still use the cmdlet directly.
Settings versus a standalone app
Windows Latest notes that Settings already has a Drive optimization link under System > Storage > Advanced storage settings. According to its author, that link simply opens the old window. That is why the Settings idea has appeal. Putting the controls in Settings would match the direction Microsoft has described for migrating legacy Control Panel items.
There is a counterargument. Typing "defrag" and getting a focused, fast tool is convenient. A standalone WinUI 3 app could keep that while fixing the look. Which route Microsoft takes is unknown, and the "on our list" wording gives no basis for guessing.
The wider context
The tool joins a long queue of Windows 11 cleanup work. Windows Latest reports Microsoft is rebuilding the Properties dialog with dark mode, and that AutoPlay is getting a WinUI 3 design in preview builds. The same report says Microsoft is testing a Settings-style Microsoft Store app codenamed Project Odeon. A spot on that list is not a schedule, and none of this implies a release date for Optimize Drives.
What to do now
- Nothing needs to change. The scheduled weekly optimization keeps running.
- Leave SSD maintenance to Windows unless you have a specific reason to intervene.
- Watch Insider release notes for any mention of Optimize Drives or Drive optimization in Settings. None has been announced.
This is a small story, but it fits a pattern. Microsoft is slowly working through the oldest corners of the operating system, and this tool has now been named as one of them.