Tip #4663 - Not Defragging Your Flash Drive
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Q:
I have accumulated several flash drives over the years and I was just
wondering if I should ever defragment them. I know we have to do it
for our hard drives, but are flash drives the same? Please explain!
A:
Wow,
what an excellent question! I know several of you use flash drives,
so this is one that's going to help a lot of you out. I'm going to
start today by saying you're absolutely right when you said we all
need to defrag our hard drives on a regular basis. That's a given.
But when you think about doing the same for flash drives, it turns
into a completely different situation. So, come along with me as we
delve into the world of flash drives and defrags!
The simple answer
to today's question is: you should never defrag a flash drive. Does
that surprise some of you? Well, let me explain! Let's first talk
a little about hard drives. The files you have stored on your hard
drive are usually saved in several little pieces, often in groups
of 512 bytes. Now, those chunks of data are usually never placed next
to each other or even remotely close to each other. Therefore, your
files are generally spread out all over your hard drive, which is
why defragging is so important.
The whole defrag
process is done through a read/write head that rearranges your files
and places them back together for you. That way, when you need to
access a certain file, everything is put back together and your computer
doesn't have to work as hard to find what you're looking for. Defragging
simply helps speed up your system when you need to open a certain
file. Yep, that's why it's so vital that you defrag on a regular basis
(at least once a month or so).
On the other hand,
flash drives do not have a read/write head, so if you were to defrag
one, you wouldn't get any extra performance benefits from it whatsoever.
Basically, without a read/write head, flash drives don't have to work
any harder to find your files. Your files can be laid out in any order
and your flash drive will still be just as fast when finding them
for you. Still not convinced? Then keep reading!
Another reason
why you should never defrag a flash drive is because flash memory
wears out over time. Basically, the more you write (saving files,
etc.) to your flash drive, the shorter its lifespan will be. And since
defragging is a huge write process, every time you do it, you're adding
thousands of extra writes to your device that just aren't necessary.
So, if you've been continuously defragging your flash drives, you
should stop. If you want your flash drive to last you a long while,
simply stop the defrags. You won't get any benefit from it and you'll
just end up with a broken down flash drive for no reason at all. Go
and defrag your hard drive instead!
~ Erin
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