Windows Server 2008 defrag - SSDs?

[Carson Dyle]

Is Windows Server 2008 R2 smart enough to not run defrag on SSDs? I just set up a W2k8 R2 server, with the system partition on SSD and I see the following in the task scheduler:

%windir%\system32\defrag.exe -c

Not sure what the -c tells it. Is it the same as /C ? Running defrag.exe from the command line shows:

C:\>defrag
Microsoft Disk Defragmenter
Copyright (c) 2007 Microsoft Corp.

The parameter is incorrect. (0x80070057)

Description:

        Locates and consolidates fragmented files on local volumes to
        improve system performance.

Syntax:

        defrag <volumes> | /C | /E <volumes>    [/H] [/M | [/U] [/V]]
        defrag <volumes> | /C | /E <volumes> /A [/H] [/M | [/U] [/V]]
        defrag <volumes> | /C | /E <volumes> /X [/H] [/M | [/U] [/V]]
        defrag <volume>                      /T [/H]       [/U] [/V]

Parameters:

        Value   Description

        /A      Perform analysis on the specified volumes.

        /C      Perform the operation on all volumes.

        /E      Perform the operation on all volumes except those specified.

        /H      Run the operation at normal priority (default is low).

        /M      Run the operation on each volume in parallel in the background.

        /T      Track an operation already in progress on the specified volume.

        /U      Print the progress of the operation on the screen.

        /V      Print verbose output containing the fragmentation statistics.

        /X      Perform free space consolidation on the specified volumes.

Examples:

        defrag C: /U /V
        defrag C: D: /M
        defrag C:\mountpoint /A /U
        defrag /C /H /V

 

[Chiefcrowe]

In everything I've read it says that defragging is not needed on SSD due to the nature of wearing of the cells. It would decrease drive life if you did that, so I think by default it turns that off.

 

[corkyg]

Server 2008 may not have been SSD aware when it was produced. It is possible that an update may have given it that capability. So, my question would be, is Server 2008 SSD aware?

So, I agree with ChiefCrowe - if you have SSD in the Server 2008, don't defrag - it is unnecessary.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Jeezus... we all know that. Don't defrag SSDs.

The question I'm asking is the same one that you two appear to ask. Is W2k8 smart enough to avoid doing so?

 

[stlcardinals]

Should be able to check by running dfrgui.exe