File system fragmentation

<p>In <a href="/facts/Computing/Kghtm9fX">computing</a>, file system fragmentation, sometimes called file system aging, is the tendency of a <a href="/facts/File_system/FdPm90uc">file system</a> to lay out the contents of <a href="/facts/Computer_file/FjFH3Ufm">files</a> non-continuously to allow in-place modification of their contents. It is a special case of <a href="/facts/Fragmentation_(computer)/SflHry2p">data fragmentation</a>. File system fragmentation negatively impacts <a href="/facts/Seek_time/leXXc5qd">seek time</a> in spinning storage media, which is known to hinder <a href="/facts/Throughput_(disk_drive)/leXXc5qd">throughput</a>. Fragmentation can be remedied by re-organizing files and free space back into contiguous areas, a process called <a href="/facts/Defragmentation/qIsMFU2d">defragmentation</a>.
</p><p><a href="/facts/Solid-state_drive/aMHBy8gU">Solid-state drives</a> do not physically seek, so their non-sequential data access is hundreds of times faster than moving drives, making fragmentation less of an issue. It is recommended to not manually defragment solid-state storage, because this can prematurely wear drives via unnecessary write–erase operations.
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File system fragmentation open-in-new

File system fragmentation