Defrag or not

[ICIT2LOL]

I recently installed this Seagate ST500LM000 Laptop Thin SSHD into a laptop and am wondering if I should shut off the defrag as it is apparently part SSD.

Anyone got any answers for this please??

 

[TVeblen]

Not sure. You would not want to defrag the SSD, of course, but you might want to defrag the HDD. I would definitely turn off automatic defragging.

What does the drive look like in Disk Management? Is the SSD portion shown as a separate disk or partition?

If not, then it might be best to not defrag at all.
Good question though

 

[Layback Bear]

I have had the same question sense those types of drives came out and never did find the answer.

What does it look like in Disk Management?
By Golden:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/274797-disk-management-post-screen-capture-image.html

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Ok I will have a look later and post the screen shot as I have to get it set up with her wifi adaptor later. Bit of a conundrum eh?

 

[Layback Bear]

Disk Management might show us how Windows 7 see the ssd part of the hard drive. Maybe it has turned off the difrag on the ssd part.

You could also look in the Windows 7 defrag programs and see if the ssd part of the hard drive is listed separately.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Ok mate have to go out shortly but will do when I get back.

 

[Layback Bear]

No hurry. The forum we be here when you get back.
We will leave the light on.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hope I haven't keep you up too late and hope the pic comes through as I had to take a photo.

PS meant to add looks like any other drive really.

 

[Layback Bear]

Sure does look the same.
Look in Windows defrag and see if it isolates the ssd from the rest of the hard drive.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Don't know Jack this is all I see. I have just set the defrag for 1am in a months time depending on what I can find out on the meantime about this issue.

 

[Layback Bear]

Well it seem that Windows 7 doesn't separate the ssd part from the hard drive part.

I have done about 3 full pages of Google on this subject and I can't find anything I think is worth posting.

I'm at a loss. Maybe some one will come along with something.
I wouldn't defrag it until I was sure.

I was going to buy one of those types of hard drives a year or so ago but I couldn't then find the answer to the question you now have.

I was hoping your pictures would tell us more.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Yes Jack I set the first defrag for a months time at 1am when I don't think the owner will have it on so it gives me a little time to dig into it.

I did try contacting Seagate so from the horses mouth as it were but they require serial numbers for any queries and I didn't get chance to pull the drive out before she left with machine. So I might try the local forum out here and see if there are any folks that know about this problem.

I did find this but although quite a good article I cannot at first quick read through find anything about defragging. Having said that I am hazarding a guess at the NAND flash is really a caching feature and not involved in the actual boot etc but I do stand to be corrected.
Seagate SSHD Thin Review (Gen3 500GB, ST500LM000) | StorageReview.com - Storage Reviews

PS I did forget to mention when I set the install up I did it to a 120GB Samsung SSD and then cloned that to the Seagate and in all honesty the boot and changing from program to program I found hardly any difference in the speed of the hybrid to the SSD.

 

[Layback Bear]

I wonder why it's so difficult to get a straight answer. Defrag or don't defrag.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Don't know mate there are a few reviews like that one and much the same info but nothing mentions defragging. I am hoping my old forum will come up with something.

 

[Golden]

This suggest not to defragment it:
Seagate Solid State Hybrid Drive FAQs | HP® Support

 

[Layback Bear]

Good find Golden.
I couldn't find it on a Seagate site but you found it on a H.P. site.

Now we know.
Thank you.

 

[Indianatone]

Hey John, just noticed this thread. I have 3 of the 2TB SSHD drives and it says best not to defrag them as the drive is monitoring what is read and written to load most used into the flash ram. I think if you defrag the drive you will reset the smart cache of quickly loading files from the cache. You may want to do it once in a while but certainly not have it scheduled. When I look at the drive the flash is not seen in Windows, DOS or anywhere so the drive controls the cache contents at a system level. The drive always seems to say it does not need to be defragged.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Thanks Colin I shall disable the defrag that article is good. The only thing I still didn't see is whether the defrag actually damages the flash side of the drive. But all the same why risk it

Tony as you say the flash is not seen in Windows like an SSD is and I suppose even your suggestion that a once in a blue moon defrag might be an option. I am really surprised at the lack of info as such on this -you would have thought Seagate would have been a little more forthcoming on this issue for those who are interested.

But in any case anyone thinking of one of these drives they are certainly very quick and especially as they spin at 5400

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Well I just found this excellent article plus the link that Coin found and if you read the paragraph at the bottom on page 11 it does state that any applications some offer does involve some degradation in the SSD part the same as defragging could so that has made my mind up not to enable it. The article is for a Momentus but the same principles apply.

All in a good read anyway. Seagate Momentus-XT Solid State Hybrid Drive | Review,Seagate Momentus-XT,Hybrid,SSD,ST95005620AS,Solid State Hybrid Drive,Seagate Momentus-XT ST95005620AS 500GB Solid State Hybrid Drive Benchmark Performance SSD-Hybrid Review

I have just ordered a 1TB one of these drives for my partners machine so at least I know what to do with them in future.

Thanks to everyone for the effort I do really appreciate it.
John

 

[Indianatone]

Yeah John the 3 I have are 2 TB 3.5 inch and they spin at 7200 RPM. They are fast. I use mine for storage.
Details:
UserBenchmark: Seagate Desktop SSHD 2TB ST2000DX001