Hello, and welcome…
Rick’s Daily Tech Tips Update for Friday, July 22, 2022
Topics covered in this issue…
• Q&A: Which app do you recommend for defragging an SSD?
• Speed up your computer by adding more RAM
• Q&A: Does Google fine people for sending spam with Gmail?
• The Terminator: The ‘line’ where day meets night
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Today’s quick tech tip….
Q&A: Which app do you recommend for defragging an SSD?
Question from Bill: I recently bought my first computer that has an SSD instead of a hard drive.
Can I use the same Windows Defrag tool I’ve always defragmented my hard drives with to defrag the SSD, or is there a better app out there that you recommend?
Rick’s answer: This is an easy one, Bill. The short answer is I don’t recommend using ANY tool to defragment your PC’s SSD because it doesn’t need to be defragged in the first place.
What’s more, defragging an SSD can actually shorten the drive’s useful life.
The reason you don’t need to defrag an SSD in the first place is because your PC can read fragmented files from the SSD’s solid state memory cells just as quickly as it can read unfragmented files.
In other words, unlike with spinning hard drives, there is no delay involved with reading the bits and pieces of a fragmented file from an SSD.
Data is read from the drive at the same (blistering) speed, regardless of how badly fragmented a file might be.
Now, let’s talk about why defragmenting an SSD can actually shorten the drive’s useful life…
The memory cells that make up solid state drives can only handle a finite number of write cycles before the cells start to degrade, and every time new data is written to a cell that uses up one of those finite write cycles.
That means every time you defrag an SSD you’d end up using multiple write cycles during every defrag task since data would be moved around the drive from one block of cells to another until all the files are as fully defragmented as possible.
Since defragging wouldn’t speed up your SSD’s read access times anyway, you’d simply be using up precious write cycles for nothing every time you use a defrag tool.
I hope this helps, Bill. Good luck with your new computer (and enjoy the enhanced speed of its super-fast SSD).
The latest from Rick’s Daily Tips Tech Blog…
• Speed up your computer by adding more RAM
If you have a computer that’s struggling due to a lack of RAM, an upgrade could well be in order.
• Q&A: Does Google fine people for sending spam with Gmail?
A reader is confused and concerned about a threatening email that appears to have been sent from Google. This post explains what’s really going on.
• Click here to see today’s ‘Picture of the Day’.
Every morning I post a new photo that I find inspiring, intriguing, or just plain beautiful to look at. Jumpstart your day by checking it out.
Pro blogging tip…
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Rick’s Daily Pick…
Blink Video Doorbell / Security System (#ad)
These days it’s more important than ever to protect your family from common security threats. This complete video doorbell and indoor/outdoor cameras package can help you do just that.
Today’s post from ‘My Daily Smile’…
The Terminator: The ‘line’ where day meets night
We truly live in on an amazing planet.
Tech news that caught my eye…
• AT&T expands 5G network as it gains wireless, fiber subscribers
• Yes, crypto Twitter, the FBI is reading your tweets
• Taking robots from the lab to the real world
• Zoom brings end-to-end encryption to its cloud phone service
• FBI recovers ransomware payments paid out by hospitals
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Thanks so much, and have an amazing day.
Your tech buddy,
Rick Rouse
https://www.RicksDailyTips.com