Question Does Windows Disk Optimization reduce SSD life?

[Balic Blackthorn]

So, I was wondering; does the disk optimization Windows performs reduce the life of an SSD in any meaningful way? I know those technically have only so many rewrites they can do.

 

[Lutfij]

Which OS are we looking at here from Microsoft's catalogue? You mean Disk Defragmentation? If so, you shouldn't have it enabled, it degrades the SSD.

 

[turtletarget111]

There is a clear distinction between defragging a drive and optimizing it. Yes, using software to defrag an SSD can lower its lifespan. Defragging is specifically for hard drives, because they have physical platters that spin. However, Window's optimization tool will simply run what's called trimming, in which data that is marked as trash will be removed. Modern SSD's will do this automatically on their own, but the Windows Disk tool will do it as well through commands. Windows is smart enough to not allow defragging on an SSD and will carefully optimize the physical memory cells to remove old data. Leave everything on its default settings and you will be just fine.

 

[USAFRet]

So, I was wondering; does the disk optimization Windows performs reduce the life of an SSD in any meaningful way? I know those technically have only so many rewrites they can do.

Key words: "in any meaningful way"

No.

Recent Windows versions know the difference between HDD and SSD, and treats an SSD accordingly.
The 'Optimization' is mostly just a forced TRIM command. And will actually lengthen the lifespan of an SSD, to prevent individual cells from being written to too much.

Lastly, "only so many rewrites", while true, is a HUGE number. Very very rare are those users who have exceeded the warranty TBW on their SD.
Even rarer are those who have had a drive actually die, or go into read only state from running out of write cycles.

Leave it on the defaults, and don't stress.

 

[Bob.B]

So, I was wondering; does the disk optimization Windows performs reduce the life of an SSD in any meaningful way? I know those technically have only so many rewrites they can do.

If you open the optimize app it should show the disk as a ssd.

If it does then the app will use trim which is not a bunch of rewrites.

 

[fzabkar]

https://www.hanselman.com/blog/the-real-and-complete-story-does-windows-defragment-your-ssd

 

[USAFRet]

https://www.hanselman.com/blog/the-real-and-complete-story-does-windows-defragment-your-ssd

Yes it does 'defrag'.
But not nearly to the extent of an HDD.