2.2.4

Defragmentation Software

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Defragmentation Software

Defragmentation software is a common type of utility software.

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Fragmentation

  • When files are written to secondary storage, they are not always written in one continuous block. They may be split up.
  • If a single file is stored in different places on a storage device, we say that the file is fragmented.
  • Fragmented files take longer to load.
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Defragmentation

  • Defragmentation software reorganises the data on the storage device so that data from the same file is stored in adjacent blocks.
  • Defragmentation software will increase the performance of the computer.
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Solid state drives

  • Solid state drives (SSDs) provide random access to data.
  • This means that fragmented data does not take any longer to load.
  • SSDs should never be defragmented because this will push the device towards its read/write cycle limit, which shortens its lifetime.

Jump to other topics

1Components of a Computer

2Software & Software Development

3Exchanging Data

4Data Types, Data Structures & Algorithms

5Legal, Moral, Cultural & Ethical Issues

6Elements of Computational Thinking

6.1Thinking Abstractly

6.2Thinking Ahead

6.3Thinking Procedurally

6.4Thinking Logically

6.5Thinking Concurrently

7Problem Solving & Programming

8Algorithms

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