Defragment Nexus 5 Internal Storage?

[mrsmumbles]

I'm superstitious about the health of the internal storage after writing files to it, deleting files, etc.

On Windows, the hard disk gets fragmented and has to be regularly defragged. Is it similar with Android? Is there anyway to refresh the internal memory without wiping it entirely? Thanks.

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[draconianchaos]

I remember hearing that defragging flash memory is bad for it. The reason to defrag an hdd is due to the read write head to compartmentalize and localize data in order to access it quicker. Flash has no moving parts and the quick Google search I did seemed to intimate that writing to flash memory degrades it ever so slightly and as defragging performs a great amount of write operations this would lead to quicker degradation of the storage.

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[mrsmumbles]

Oh thanks, I didn't know this (obviously). So, degrades slightly, what would that mean in terms of repeated adding and deleting files? How long can I expect the phone to stay snappy and spry? Thanks. And should I just avoid writing, deleting, and rewriting files, over and over?

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[ptonantryloc]

1. The storage in the phone is solid state: there's no point to defragging it (the access time is independent of location)
2. Pointlessly defragging will just degrade the memory for no gain.
3. The storage will last far longer than you'll own the phone. Just use it and forget about the innards.

 

[mrsmumbles]

1. The storage in the phone is solid state: there's no point to defragging it (the access time is independent of location)
2. Pointlessly defragging will just degrade the memory for no gain.
3. The storage will last far longer than you'll own the phone. Just use it and forget about the innards.

Thank you! That's what I hope to hear.

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[HoffmanMobile]

I'm superstitious about the health of the internal storage after writing files to it, deleting files, etc.

On Windows, the hard disk gets fragmented and has to be regularly defragged. Is it similar with Android? Is there anyway to refresh the internal memory without wiping it entirely? Thanks.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk 2

I believe this was addressed in android 4.3 with addition of TRIM.

Google Quietly Added Built-In TRIM Support In Android 4.3 – Should Fix Most Storage-Related Device Slowdowns

 

[mrsmumbles]

I believe this was addressed in android 4.3 with addition of TRIM.

Google Quietly Added Built-In TRIM Support In Android 4.3 – Should Fix Most Storage-Related Device Slowdowns

Thank you! This looks like a good read.

Sent from my Nexus 5 via Tapatalk 2
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[VoltaicShock]

Not sure if this will help but Android being Linux you shouldn't have to defrag

HTG Explains: Why Linux Doesn?t Need Defragmenting

I bought a SSD and the first thing I did was turn of Defrag in Windows.

 

[mrsmumbles]

Not sure if this will help but Android being Linux you shouldn't have to defrag

HTG Explains: Why Linux Doesn?t Need Defragmenting

I bought a SSD and the first thing I did was turn of Defrag in Windows.

Thank you, good to know.

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[gidgiddonihah]

What made Android phones slow over time was the accumulation of junk that wasn't deleted properly. TRIM takes care of this and was recently added to Android. Defragging a computer means you are reordering files for a hard drive to access faster. As flash memory doesn't have a spinning platter and has basically zero seek times this is unnecessary. As you access flash based memory you are wearing it down over time - there is limited read/write cycles which is determined by several complex factors. Defragging spikes the write and read cycles which increases overall wear of the module. As its pointless it's probably not a good idea to defrag .

Good articles on TRIM:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-trim-firmware,2800.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/octane-sata-indilinx-benchmark-performance,3081-8.html

Good article on defragmentation on flash based storage:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2047513/fragging-wonderful-the-truth-about-defragging-your-ssd.html

Edit - apparently I was beat to the punch. Guess I reiterated quite well .

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[mrsmumbles]

What made Android phones slow over time was the accumulation of junk that wasn't deleted properly. TRIM takes care of this and was recently added to Android. Defragging a computer means you are reordering files for a hard drive to access faster. As flash memory doesn't have a spinning platter and has basically zero seek times this is unnecessary. As you access flash based memory you are wearing it down over time - there is limited read/write cycles which is determined by several complex factors. Defragging spikes the write and read cycles which increases overall wear of the module. As its pointless it's probably not a good idea to defrag .

Good articles on TRIM:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-trim-firmware,2800.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/octane-sata-indilinx-benchmark-performance,3081-8.html

Good article on defragmentation on flash based storage:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2047513/fragging-wonderful-the-truth-about-defragging-your-ssd.html

Edit - apparently I was beat to the punch. Guess I reiterated quite well .

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Thank you, and yes, you did! :thumbup::beer:

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[Shilohcane]

PSA: No, You Don't Need To Defragment Your Android Device And Yes, Android Defrag Apps Are Nothing But A Scam

"as suspected, defragmentation was indeed pointless on Android devices even if it weren't pointless, it would not be possible for an app to do so anyway"

 

[mrsmumbles]

PSA: No, You Don't Need To Defragment Your Android Device And Yes, Android Defrag Apps Are Nothing But A Scam

"as suspected, defragmentation was indeed pointless on Android devices even if it weren't pointless, it would not be possible for an app to do so anyway"

Thanks. I'm glad I asked here first before looking for a defragging app!

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[srkmagnus]

Seems like you have already found your answer. Thanks to everyone who replied with such helpful information.

The only time I have ever had an issue with device memory was with my HTC Hero...and it was my fault. lol Repartitioned the memory to create more internal storage and I suspect that led to it's eventual brick state.

 

[mrsmumbles]

Seems like you have already found your answer. Thanks to everyone who replied with such helpful information.

The only time I have ever had an issue with device memory was with my HTC Hero...and it was my fault. lol Repartitioned the memory to create more internal storage and I suspect that led to it's eventual brick state.

Did you write and rewrite to system memory constantly? Files, I mean.

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[srkmagnus]

Did you write and rewrite to system memory constantly? Files, I mean.

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No, it was the actual repartitioning of the internal memory. It was a mod/hack.

 

[mrsmumbles]

No, it was the actual repartitioning of the internal memory. It was a mod/hack.

OK. I won't be rooting and ROMing on this (at least not until it and I are older) but I'm already moving a lot of files around and that's why I worry. No sign of worse performance yet though, knock wood.

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[srkmagnus]

OK. I won't be rooting and ROMing on this (at least not until it and I are older) but I'm already moving a lot of files around and that's why I worry. No sign of worse performance yet though, knock wood.

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Yeah, you'll need not to worry. Though, still practice regular backups or syncing to make sure your files are saved elsewhere just in case something happens.

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[gidgiddonihah]

OK. I won't be rooting and ROMing on this (at least not until it and I are older) but I'm already moving a lot of files around and that's why I worry. No sign of worse performance yet though, knock wood.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk 2

The phone's memory (as long as there isn't a manufacturing defect) will last far longer than anything else on the device no matter how heavily you move things around. Quality flash memory should last at least 4 - 5 of seriously heavy usage. It's much more reliable and durable than its alternatives (though some would be to differ, they would be wrong as they have had bad luck - manufacturing defects would be the only cause of premature failure) I bet you will have moved on to at least one other device by that time.

I would be much more concerned over the battery's lifespan than your internal memory. And even that shouldn't be a concern for a while.

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[mrsmumbles]

Yeah, you'll need not to worry. Though, still practice regular backups or syncing to make sure your files are saved elsewhere just in case something happens.

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Words to live by, thanks.

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