Hard disk defragmentation used to be a real rite of passage for PC users, but how important is this operation in the modern SSD world?
When the operating system saves a file to disk, it is not recorded as a single block of data, but is broken into pieces and stored separately. These pieces are on a fresh hard drive They are often relatively close together – then we can talk about fragmentation.
As the operating system continues to save files, their size continues to grow, and as the hard drive fills up, individual fragments are often stored in more distant locations as the drive gradually shrinks. There will be contiguous, unused parts.
As a result, it may take longer for the operating system to reassemble the various pieces of the file for use. Defragmenting your hard disk optimizes space usage Keeps different pieces of file closer togetherSo the operating system doesn’t have to work hard to find and reassemble them.
Given the many different factors in which to defragment your hard drive, there are a few guidelines to follow. For example, SSDs should not be defragmented because, unlike a traditional hard drive, which is made up of moving components, the module in question is made up of continuous components, and its lifetime is measured by how many reads the drive has. and can read before it fails.
Because SSDs perform so much better than traditional hard drives, the benefit of defragmentation is minimal—plus, the process of defragmenting SSDs shortens their lifespan by reusing files using additional read and write operations. does it.
For traditional hard drives, the frequency of manual defragmentation depends on what you’re using your PC or Mac for. Leaving your computer on permanently eliminates the need to defragment it manually due to built-in optimization tools in macOS and Windows.
Conversely, if you regularly shut down your computer after each use to prevent utilities from running automatically, you may want to run the defragmenter utility once a month to keep your HDD fresh and fast. Huh.
