Fragmented files after loading numaps

My 775T has a built-in defragging program from what I've seen in the diagnostics screen. Yours may have as well. I wouldn't use a PC / MAC utility though on my unit.

Typically, solid state drives don't need defragging as there are no platters or armatures like a typical HDD.

Thanks for the info

I also use to defrag my Garmin and realized also that solid state drives don't need to be defragged..

Then why does my 760 defrag it self and why would some units come with a defrag program? Not trying to be smart, just asking the question.

Perhaps it's because the newer SSD's are larger? Who knows. With the big map updates, they may have seen a need for it.

But, I imagine it is a proprietary defrag program, and one that is probably specific to the Garmin OS.

Here is one Q & A I found
Question:
Do I need to defrag my SSD or other flash drive?

Answer:
No. Unlike a traditional hard disk drive a Solid-State Drive (SSD), jump drive, flash drive, and thumb drive have no moving parts. Which means even if you were to defragment the drive it wouldn't increase the performance of the drive. Defragging a drive is designed to arrange the data on the drive so the access arm can get to it quicker and read it in one section of the drive instead of having to move to multiple portions of the drive.

In addition to having no benefit to the drive, defragging a flash drive can significantly decrease the life span of the drive since each time information is written to the drive the flash memory is degraded.

However, Garmin may have seen some performance gains due to the large SS drive sizes i.e. 8 gigs.

Files are stored on hard disks in pieces; frequently in 512 byte chunks. Now, there's no requirement that these chunks be next to, or even near each other. That means that a file could have its contents spread out in totally random places on the hard disk. You normally never see this, because the file system takes care of locating all those chunks when you read or write a file.

On a traditional hard disk there's a physical read/write head that moves around on the media when data is being accessed. Much like the laser in a CD player (or the needle on a record player), the disk spins underneath it, while the head moves in and out to locate the proper "track" that contains the next chunk of the file that's being accessed.

"The more you write to a flash device the shorter its lifespan will be."
Moving that read/write head takes time.

So, if you can ensure that all the chunks of a file are next to each other or "contiguous", the head doesn't need to move as much, and reading the file is faster.

And that's what defragmenting, or "defragging", a hard disk is all about: rearranging where on the disk the file chunks are stored so that when the time comes to access a particular file, all the chunks are together and the read/write head doesn't need to move as much.

Flash drives have no read/write head.

In fact, flash drives have no moving parts at all. Everything that makes it look and act like a hard drive is actually done by mimicking the characteristics of a hard drive in the flash drive's circuitry.

Defragging a flash drive will get you no performance benefits. Since there's no head to move, there's no additional time cost in fetching one chunk of data from a flash drive over any other. It doesn't matter how the files are laid out, it's all just as fast.

So now that I've convinced you that there's no point in defragging a flash drive, why did I say that you should never do it?

Flash memory wears out.

Writing to flash memory causes it to degrade ever so slightly. (Reading does not.) The more you write to a flash device the shorter its lifespan will be.

Now, don't get me wrong, "normal" usage should be just fine. And the technology continues to improve almost daily. Not only is the underlying technology improving, but the techniques to mitigate the problem are improving as well. For example, most flash drives try to "spread out" write activity across the entire device, so that even if you're constantly re-writing the same data over and over again, the device will "move it around" so you're not wearing a single spot on the device faster than any other.

But still ... flash memory wears out.

If you're regularly defragging a flash drive, you're adding thousands upon thousands of write operations each time you do so. Whatever the expected lifespan of the device, you could easily be cutting it in half or worse.

Frside007 you put up a good argument about not defragging flash memory, but you do not answer why you might think Garmin does it. My 760 show a defragg count of 363 times in about 1½ years. Must be some reason for it.

I also believe that the long "loading maps" times that we sometimes see when we turn on the 760 are because of the unit doing those defrags you see.

I guess Garmin might have intentionally put a slow but sure "killer" apps in our device. If our internal Nuvi memory can't handle anymore writes, we'll buy a new GPS device.

(slightly off topic) I've heard that Windows 7 disable disk defragmenter on all SSD hard drives. I don't have SSD hard disk so I can't confirm.

You are correct and you can verify that by checking the defrag date & count via the hidden screen in the dash board. (Press & hold the speed for about 6 to 8 seconds, you will get another screen, press next until you get to the Nonvol Info, listed at the bottom is the Defrag info.)

How does one gain access to the 775t diagnostics screen / menus?

Another 775T user! I don't feel lonely anymore!

There are two different screens to view: Press the battery icon for a few seconds, and press the Speed icon and then the Speedo on the next screen.

The battery icon is the main diagnostics screen though.

Juggernaut identified one area on the 7x5 series where you find diagnostic screens. Another set of diagnostic screens can be found by pressing and holding the battery meter on the menu screen, or the just to the left of the time display if you are operating on external power.

The arguments posted were by people far smarter than me but since there appears to be no reason to defrag a solid state drive except that it shortens it's life span then garmin is making your unit die a s l o w death.
But never fear. Garmin will be happy to sell you a new unit and another lifetime map update subscription.

Boy, wouldn't that be one hell of a Class Action law suit.