Write and read operations feel like they are getting slower and slower: Now it is time to defragment the hard drive - or maybe not? Here is the short answer: With an SSD (Solid State Drive) hard drive (internal or external), you should quickly abandon that idea. We explain why defragmentation can be harmful to an SSD and what alternatives exist for optimizing the drive.
What Happens During Defragmentation?
With a traditional hard drive (Hard Disk Drive, or HDD), there are moving parts in the form of a circuit board and a read/write head. All data is stored sequentially in blocks on the spinning platter. Because files are also deleted over time, gaps appear on the platter. This is referred to as fragmentation (fragment = remnant).
While these gaps can be filled with new files, sometimes they are simply too small for certain data. When this is the case, the operating system splits the files across multiple blocks. The result: Reading without interruption is not possible, the read head must jump back and forth and realign itself repeatedly. This takes time.
During defragmentation, the file structure on the hard drive is completely reorganized - gaps are closed. Access to files can then be faster again.
No Benefit from Defragmenting an SSD
The main difference between an SSD and an HDD is that the SSD has NO moving parts. Instead, its functionality is identical to that of a USB drive or an SD memory card. A read head and magnetic platter simply do not exist. The storage cells of SSDs are read and written by the SSD controller - and always at the same high speed. Defragmenting an SSD is therefore neither necessary nor useful.
Defragmenting an SSD Is Potentially Harmful
SSDs have many advantages: They are faster, quieter, and less susceptible to mechanical defects than HDDs. If so many advantages seem too good to be true, you are right. A major disadvantage of SSDs is that only a limited number of write and read cycles are possible. Once the maximum number of write cycles has been exceeded, certain symptoms may indicate an SSD defect. The storage may also suddenly and completely stop working.
Tip: Free tools such as GSmartControl or CrystalDiskInfo can be used to read the health status of an SSD and analyze its lifespan/remaining lifespan. This helps prevent data loss.
To increase the lifespan of individual SSD storage cells, intelligent SSD controllers ensure that individual cells are used in equal proportions. If one storage cell were completely filled before the next one was written to, the damage would be inevitable. Because defragmentation (using system tools or special software) interferes with the controller's process, it can permanently damage an SSD.
The Alternative: Optimize Your SSD
If you still want to improve the performance of your SSD, you can analyze the drive and activate automatic optimization via the Windows system application (app) "Defragment and Optimize Drives". This has nothing to do with defragmentation. Instead, Windows optimizes SSD performance using the TRIM command.
The TRIM command is essentially the link between the Windows file structure and the SSD's management organization. The operating system uses it to tell the controller which files have been deleted. When "cleaning up" the flash storage, the controller therefore does not need to copy files. SSD speed increases as a result.
Windows does not offer defragmentation for SSDs for good reason. However, you should also avoid using external tools. Optimization in Windows 10 using the TRIM command - even automatically at regular intervals - is perfectly sufficient.
Professional Help for SSD Problems
If your SSD is already showing symptoms of a defect or data has been lost, contact our experts. We recover data from SSDs of all manufacturers - manufacturer-independent and at a fixed price.
Contact us at 0800-881 12 25 (free, available 24/7) for a free initial consultation.
Lars Müller