Those fragmented, individual pieces of data are referred to generally asfragments.
What Are File Fragments?
Fragments are simply pieces of files that aren’t placed next to each other on the drive.
Michael Schwarzenberger / Pixabay
Michael Schwarzenberger / Pixabay
Why Does Fragmentation Take Place?
Fragments happen when thefile systemallows gaps to develop between the different pieces of a file.
Previously deleted files are also another reason the file system fragments data when written.
The rest must be positioned somewhere else,hopefully,nearby, but not always.
This method of storing data is completely normal and likely won’t ever change.
Defragmentation to the Rescue!
This is usually just referred to asdefragging.
The defragging process isn’t something you do manually.
A dedicated defragging tool is what you need.
One such defragger isDisk Defragmenter, which is included free in the Windows operating system.
Defragging is pretty straightforward and all of those tools have similar interfaces.
For the most part, you simply choose the drive you want to defrag and selectDefragmentorDefrag.
Should I Defrag My Solid State Hard Drive?
No, you really should not defrag asolid-state hard drive(SSD).
For the most part, defragging an SSD is a wholesale waste of time.
Not only that, doing so will shorten the overall lifespan of the drive.
A solid-state drive is a hard drive that has no moving parts.
SSDs are basically overgrown versions of the storage used onflash drivesand digital cameras.
Another reason it’s unnecessary is that youshouldn’tdefrag them!
Doing so will cause them to fail more quickly than they would otherwise.
This means the SSD would endure constant writing, over and over again, as the defrag process progresses.
More writing = more wear and tear = earlier death.
So, without a doubt,don’t defrag your SSD.
Not only is it unhelpful, but it’s also ultimately damaging.
Just to be clear:dodefrag your regular, old-fashioned, “spinning” hard drives.
This is true for all fragmented files in any folder.
This is because, unlike Windows, Linux is built to deal with fragmentation automatically.
you might read more about this in How-To-Geek’s article:Why Linux Doesn’t Need Defragmenting.
