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Turn Off Drive Optimization/Defragmentation

Anonymous
2020-03-03T08:27:07+00:00

I need to turn completely turn off drive optimization.  In "Optimize Drive" I did turn off scheduled optimization.  Even so, optimization/defragmentation WAS performed, anyway.  I have assumed this is due to "Automatic Maintenance", and a search showed me how to make a registry change, stopping this function.  I guess the problem is solved, except I'm not satisfied, as this also turns off some valuable, routine maintenance/update functions.  Is there a way to permanently stop only the optimize/defragment process?

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Settings

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  1. Anonymous
    2020-03-03T10:35:28+00:00

    I've been reading up more on the state of SSD's and defragging them in Windows 10, including those in RAID arrays. From what I can find, the defragmentation is a lot smarter than it used to be for mechanical hard drives. It automatically detects if it is a HDD or SSD and only performs necessary functions for maximum lifespan of your SSD (i.e. Not writing unnecessary blocks).

    The knee-jerk reaction to "never defrag an SSD" is actually quite the opposite now. Also, since you're using a Mirrored RAID 1 array, I think it only defrags one drive, since the second drive will then mirror the first.

    From what I can find, I genuinely think you won't run into any problems leaving the defrag option turned on. But I completely understand if you'd rather leave it turned off.

    As regards the automatic maintenance being turned off, definitely check for system updates and run a scan using windows defender (and any other third party anti virus if you have it) at least once a month. I have automatic updates on and I still run manual checks as some updates need a manual confirmation anyway.

    Apart from that, there's not much else you can do manually and you'd probably run into a problem first anyway (even if automatic maintenance was turned on) before needing run a memory test or other system checker.

    I would recommend you read up on some more recent info about Windows 10 defrag on SSD's. Windows 10 has been built with the knwoledge a lot of systems will be running on SSD's (mine does). There is still a lot of doubt and misinformation out there, but I think you'll find that the defragger is smarter than you've been led to believe.

    I hope this all helps!

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  1. Anonymous
    2020-03-03T08:55:07+00:00

    Hi Joseph, my name is Neil, I'm an independent expert adviser for Microsoft and a Windows 10 user like you.

    I understand your worry and I'll try to help you the best I can.

    Turning off scheduled optimization for the drive does stop the (usually) weekly defrag of the selected drive.

    Looking deeper into the Automatic Maintenance side of things, I can't seem to find anyway to turn off the drive optimization part of this. I would have thought that turning off the automatic optimization, would have stopped this in automatic maintenance, but you said yours definitely defragged after you had already turned this option off?

    The registry change you made sounds like you made a new key and DWORD value (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\Maintenance) which turns off the automatic maintenance completely.

    This will obviously stop all maintenance. I just wonder after turning off the scheduled optimization, if there was already a scheduled defrag in the automatic maintenance that needed to complete first? Maybe following this it would be turned off. The only way to test this theory would be to turn the Automatic maintenance back on and see if it still defrags though.

    Let me know if you need more help.

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  1. Anonymous
    2020-03-03T11:09:54+00:00

    You're most welcome. Let's hope that as SSD's becoming more popular, overtaking older mechanical drives, the software for caring for them catches up and is able to do these jobs automatically without the need to turn off or compromise other system services. It sounds like you're well ahead of the curve on the tech side of things, so as long as you do your updates and defender/virus scans, all should be smooth sailing for you. All the best! :)

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-03-03T10:14:28+00:00

    With Automatic Maintenance turned off, could you advise any updates I should periodically run, manually?  I do run Windows Update at the start of each session, and I believe turning off Automatic Maintenance does not stop the automatic Windows Update process, regardless.

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-03-03T10:00:18+00:00

    Thank you for your prompt input.  In fact, a couple of weeks after I had turned off scheduled optimization, just a few days ago, I noted the process had run/completed, anyway.  Yes, that was the path to turn off Automatic Maintenance, which I carefully changed per received instructions, always nervous about registry changes.  It worked, because I then confirmed I could not manually initiate the maintenance routine.  For your information, the reason for all this is my relatively new Windows 10 desktop computer, built with 2 SSD's, mirrored in RAID 1 configuration.  I have observed, researched, and carefully confirmed Windows cannot perform "re-trim" (proper maintenance) on this setup.  It only runs defragmentation, which is useless and damaging/degrading to SSD's.  The hardware RAID mfr. confirmed that TRIM cannot be performed.  In fact, they advise after some extended time, a couple of years, if the drives slow, to remove one, format it, replace it and allow the array to rebuild, then repeat/format the other drive as well.

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