USB Removable Drives

Computer Help and Discussions Hardware
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Hi guys B)

Just wondering if it's OK to "Defrag" a USB Removable Drive?

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Yes it is

it speeds itup

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Why it wouldn't be?

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?????

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Yes it is

it speeds itup

It may speed it up but i managed to ruin 2 drives in one week!

i recomend no but if you decide to do so do a backup before you defrag it (or just move all data off to a hdd then back on it then back on it, removes fragments (safer)

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If you mean a USB connected hard drive, I've repeatedly defragged 5 such (4 different brands) with no problem and it does speed them up [EDIT] marginally. USB transfer speed still seems to be the main limitation.

If you mean a USB flash drive, there’s no point. The files are distributed over the chip to even out wear. Access speed is limited by this feature not the physical distribution.

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If you mean a USB connected hard drive, I've repeated defragged 5 such (4 different brands) with no problem and it does speed them up.

If you mean a USB flash drive, there's no point. The files are distributed over the chip to even out wear. Access speed is limited by this feature not the physical distribution.

Hi Glenn B)

Yes I do mean a USB flash drive, thanks for the info :)

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Does this mean that when solid-state memory is the standard, that fragmented filesystems will be a thing of the past?

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It'll probably depend on how they engineer it. It's not likely to be the same technology as a 1GB USB stick.

This article explains some of the issues Flash memory drive defragmentation: Does it make sense?

... and it turns out there is a limited situation in which it may make sense (see the part about ReadyBoost).

EDIT: Correct that last statement ... It may explain why some people think it speeds things up but, since you can't control which files wind up in the fast part of a 2-speed chip, I don't see the benefit.

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Hi Glenn B)

As I said thanks for the info, and the link in your last post Flash memory drive defragmentation: Does it make sense?

I learned heaps about flash memory B)

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anyone try and defrag an mp3 player. thats always fun.

kinda like putting a cd in the microwave....

just sayin.