Do I Need to Periodically Defragment a SSD?

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  1. Posts : 41
    Windows 10 Pro
       #1

    Do I Need to Periodically Defragment a SSD?


    Hello everyone. Me again
    I have another question:

    I recently replaced my primary HD (gave up the ghost) and decided to go with a SSD this time (and let me tell ya, my comp boots up sooo much faster now).

    Anyway, I use a program called, "BoostSpeed" that optimizes the SSD. I also use Win10's defrag app. Moreover, I'm constantly downloading/copying/deleting/moving & creating files -> so the drive gets a good work out, I think.

    Do I really need to use programs like BoostSpeed and Win10 defrag? How frequently should I run these apps?

    I think what contributed to my HD crashing was constantly running programs like Defraggler & CCleaner's "Wipe Free Space."

    After jumping in and paying a hefty sum on a 1 TB SSD, I want to extend the life of it for as long as possible!

    Thank you.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 668
    Win 10 pro
       #2

    No,

    moreover you should not defrag SSD if you want to extend its life, there is no fragmented ssd it works in a different way.
    don't know "BoostSpeed" but for performance verify TRIM is enabled, that shoul be enough.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 15,441
    Windows10
       #3

    No - ssds are not defragged only trimmed. This is done automatically by Windowx 10 on aweekly basis.

    Re. Life of ssd - modern ssd last much much much longer than eaerly ssds. Ignore any bs you read how to extend write life, and just enjoy using it.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 4,752
    Windows 11 Pro 64 Bit 22H2
       #4

    If you go to the Windows 10 Defrager you will see it now says Optimize a drive. You only need to Optimize (Defrag) an SSD drive once and never again. You should not use any 3rd party programs like BoostSpeed.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 7,254
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
       #5

    If you have any third party defraggers, it's probably best to uninstall them so you don't accidentally run them or they schedule it themselves.
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 983
    Windows 7/64 Professional
       #6

    Exactly what ssd do you have?

    Jack
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 15,441
    Windows10
       #7

    Layback Bear said:
    Exactly what ssd do you have?

    Jack
    How is this relevant?
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #8

    roy111 said:
    No,

    moreover you should not defrag SSD if you want to extend its life, there is no fragmented ssd it works in a different way.
    It is false information that there is no fragmented SSD. SSDs do get fragmented. It's just that fragmentation on an SSD has no noticeable affect on it's performance.

    spunk said:
    If you go to the Windows 10 Defrager you will see it now says Optimize a drive. You only need to Optimize (Defrag) an SSD drive once and never again. You should not use any 3rd party programs like BoostSpeed.
    What is this "Optimize (Defrag) an SSD drive once and never again?" The user can run Optimization (which is TRIM, not defragging) as much as they want to manually. It won't really improve performance any, but it won't hurt anything either because Windows is going to run TRIM automatically anyway, and before storage cells that hold deleted data in them can accept new data they must be reset first, and that is what the TRIM function does - resets storage cells with deleted data.

    RadCazz said:
    Anyway, I use a program called, "BoostSpeed" that optimizes the SSD. I also use Win10's defrag app. Moreover, I'm constantly downloading/copying/deleting/moving & creating files -> so the drive gets a good work out, I think.

    Do I really need to use programs like BoostSpeed and Win10 defrag? How frequently should I run these apps?
    So far, @cereberus has come the closest. Uninstall any programs that offer to Optimize the SSD. All that should be done is the TRIM function run periodically, which Windows does in the background anyway. And, yes, Windows also defrags the SSD periodically as well - but it does it not nearly as often and for a completely different reason than why it is done on a HDD. Windows defrags an SSD once a month or so to reset the database that is keeping track of the file fragments within the file system so that the filesystem itself doesn't crash because that database has a limited size and can only keep track of a finite number of fragments - but it is absolutely NOTHING that the user must do manually.

    For some reason I can't post a link to the article without getting the entire article.....

    Let's try this one:
    The real and complete story - Does Windows defragment your SSD? - Scott Hanselman
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 15,441
    Windows10
       #9

    NavyLCDR said:
    It is false information that there is no fragmented SSD. SSDs do get fragmented. It's just that fragmentation on an SSD has no noticeable affect on it's performance.



    What is this "Optimize (Defrag) an SSD drive once and never again?" The user can run Optimization (which is TRIM, not defragging) as much as they want to manually. It won't really improve performance any, but it won't hurt anything either because Windows is going to run TRIM automatically anyway, and before storage cells that hold deleted data in them can accept new data they must be reset first, and that is what the TRIM function does - resets storage cells with deleted data.



    So far, @cereberus has come the closest. Uninstall any programs that offer to Optimize the SSD. All that should be done is the TRIM function run periodically, which Windows does in the background anyway. And, yes, Windows also defrags the SSD periodically as well - but it does it not nearly as often and for a completely different reason than why it is done on a HDD. Windows defrags an SSD once a month or so to reset the database that is keeping track of the file fragments within the file system so that the filesystem itself doesn't crash because that database has a limited size and can only keep track of a finite number of fragments - but it is absolutely NOTHING that the user must do manually.

    For some reason I can't post a link to the article without getting the entire article.....
    That old Scott Hansleman chestnut post is rather disengenous - you would actually have to do a phemonenal amount of writing and severely defrag the filesystem to really need to do defragging. Mortal users never get anyway near the limit - hell people turn off defragging altogether and never get issues.

    However your point is totally valid - even if windows does it, it is automatic and user needs to do nothing.

    In total summary - do nothing, Windows does it all for you.

    Same goes for paging - I see so many garbage posts on other forums telling user to set size manually, and move it from ssd to an hdd to minimise write cycles.

    It is garbage because with system compression, much less paging is done, also ssd as I said earlier are much more resilient. A modern ssd will outlast an hdd in terms of disk errors. Failure of the interface controller electronics is a more likely cause of death and odds of that is same for ssd as hdd.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #10

    What @cereberus posted 100%. I just can't give it a like until I spread some more around!
      My Computer


 

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