Defragging my PRS 505

sayhello · 04-18-2009, 11:58 PM

So, has anyone else run a defrag on their 505? I found recently that after loading books, it was taking an inordinate amount of time for the 505 to "return" from USB connect mode, and opening new books, and changing font size, both took *forever*.

It may just be my imagination, but it really does appear that defragging the 505 has helped with the performance. I keep a lot of little documents on the eReader, and periodically go through and delete some; and frequently delete and re-add an updated version, etc. (I have friends who write fanfic, and I load it onto my 505 as Word documents).

Anywho, just wondered if anyone else had tried it, and what kind of results they got. I tried searching, and didn't really see much discussion of this...

Sayhello

Renaldo · 04-19-2009, 08:47 AM

I've defragged my SD card, and did notice some improvement. Nothing miraculous or to write home about, but maybe a couple of minutes quicker. I haven't defragged the reader, but I don't keep much on it.

ccadi · 04-19-2009, 02:44 PM

Interesting. I had never thought about doing this. It seems very slightly better now it's been done. Thanks for bringing it up.

reeder · 04-19-2009, 10:33 PM

how do you defrag this device? thanks

sayhello · 04-19-2009, 11:59 PM

I have Vista, so that's all I can speak to, although I imagine XP would be similar.

I hooked the Reader up to my computer, went to it as a drive in Windows Explorer, and then right-clicked on it. Under Properties, I selected the "Tools" tab, which has an option to 'Defrag Now'. When it comes up, make sure you hit "Select Volume" and de-select all other disks but the reader. Then select 'Defrag Now'.

It didn't take it very long to defrag.

Sayhello

werpu · 04-26-2009, 08:14 AM

Dont defrag a flash disk like it is in the sony ebook reader.
I want to give a short explanation what fragmentation is and why it is pointless and even dangerous in such devices.
Fragmentation simply means that data is spread in blocks all over the storage. Now this is a huge isse for a harddisk which has a mechanical head spinning over the disk having to read and write the data. Every head move is time lost to the data reading. But in electronical devices with flash disks you dont have any mechanical part so defragmentation does not help at all, what you gather is a psychological placebo effect. It is even worse, defragmentation means serious write cycles you add to the disk, and flash disks only have a limited number of write cycles until single memory cells fail. So putting a heavy write load onto the disk might damage it in the long run...

iain_benson · 04-27-2009, 02:27 AM

Also, I believe a lot of flash disks these days have some sort of write-randomization method so that writing to the same block address twice doesn't write to the same physical location, in order to spread the load across the disk, so even when logically unfragmented, the data is still physically fragmented anyway!

roger64 · 04-27-2009, 02:58 AM

With Linux and a normal hard disk, a safe way to do it (every two years or so) is to copy all your data on some external drive. Then, with the help of some Live CD, delete the content of your partition and copy it back from your external drive.

Of course, with a data-only flash disk, the live CD is not even necessary.

I think this could help...every two years.

werpu · 04-27-2009, 03:39 AM

Yes I did not mention the copy method (which does not work in Windows of course due to inherent filelocking) and other nastyness, because I was not sure i it affects the sony reader if you delete all files from the internal storage. Besides that as I said defragmentation in a flash disk is basically pointless, because you wont gain any significant results, and outright dangerous, although the copy method stresses out the disk way less than a classical defragmentation tool!

04-18-2009, 11:58 PM	#1
sayhello Addict Posts: 208 Karma: 373 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: Sony PRS-505 (Blue!), PRS-650 (Black), iPad, iPod Touch	Defragging my PRS 505 So, has anyone else run a defrag on their 505? I found recently that after loading books, it was taking an inordinate amount of time for the 505 to "return" from USB connect mode, and opening new books, and changing font size, both took forever. It may just be my imagination, but it really does appear that defragging the 505 has helped with the performance. I keep a lot of little documents on the eReader, and periodically go through and delete some; and frequently delete and re-add an updated version, etc. (I have friends who write fanfic, and I load it onto my 505 as Word documents). Anywho, just wondered if anyone else had tried it, and what kind of results they got. I tried searching, and didn't really see much discussion of this... Sayhello

04-26-2009, 08:14 AM	#6
werpu Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 18 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: none	Fair Warning Dont defrag a flash disk like it is in the sony ebook reader. I want to give a short explanation what fragmentation is and why it is pointless and even dangerous in such devices. Fragmentation simply means that data is spread in blocks all over the storage. Now this is a huge isse for a harddisk which has a mechanical head spinning over the disk having to read and write the data. Every head move is time lost to the data reading. But in electronical devices with flash disks you dont have any mechanical part so defragmentation does not help at all, what you gather is a psychological placebo effect. It is even worse, defragmentation means serious write cycles you add to the disk, and flash disks only have a limited number of write cycles until single memory cells fail. So putting a heavy write load onto the disk might damage it in the long run...

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
My thoughts, PRS-300, PRS-600, PRS-505, PRS-700, Kindle 2	zacheryjensen	Sony Reader	78	12-05-2010 07:33 PM
Buy Sony PRS-500/PRS-505/PRS-600	doctoroop	Flea Market	0	01-05-2010 06:51 AM
My biased thoughts on the PRS-300, PRS-600, Kindle, and how I ended up with a 505	nvarsj	Sony Reader	8	10-29-2009 07:46 AM
PRS-505 Lost!! Buy 300, 600, Kindle or 505? have a lot LRF/LRX files	erikk	Which one should I buy?	13	10-01-2009 12:01 PM
PRS-700 and PRS-505 Review and Comparison from a PRS-500 owner	geekmeetsworld	Sony Reader	5	03-01-2009 03:34 PM

04-19-2009, 08:47 AM	#2
Renaldo Addict Posts: 294 Karma: 250590 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: The Great Pacific Northwest Device: Kindle 3G + WiFi	I've defragged my SD card, and did notice some improvement. Nothing miraculous or to write home about, but maybe a couple of minutes quicker. I haven't defragged the reader, but I don't keep much on it.

04-19-2009, 02:44 PM	#3
ccadi Alive'n'Reading Posts: 43 Karma: 70 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: uk Device: Kobo Libra H20, Kobo Libra 2, Paperwhite 5 SE	Interesting. I had never thought about doing this. It seems very slightly better now it's been done. Thanks for bringing it up.

04-19-2009, 10:33 PM	#4
reeder Member Posts: 24 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Sony Reader 505	how do you defrag this device? thanks

04-19-2009, 11:59 PM	#5
sayhello Addict Posts: 208 Karma: 373 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: Sony PRS-505 (Blue!), PRS-650 (Black), iPad, iPod Touch	I have Vista, so that's all I can speak to, although I imagine XP would be similar. I hooked the Reader up to my computer, went to it as a drive in Windows Explorer, and then right-clicked on it. Under Properties, I selected the "Tools" tab, which has an option to 'Defrag Now'. When it comes up, make sure you hit "Select Volume" and de-select all other disks but the reader. Then select 'Defrag Now'. It didn't take it very long to defrag. Sayhello

04-27-2009, 02:27 AM	#7
iain_benson Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 37 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: PRS-600	Also, I believe a lot of flash disks these days have some sort of write-randomization method so that writing to the same block address twice doesn't write to the same physical location, in order to spread the load across the disk, so even when logically unfragmented, the data is still physically fragmented anyway!

04-27-2009, 02:58 AM	#8
roger64 Wizard Posts: 2,608 Karma: 3000161 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Kindle PW3 (wifi)	With Linux and a normal hard disk, a safe way to do it (every two years or so) is to copy all your data on some external drive. Then, with the help of some Live CD, delete the content of your partition and copy it back from your external drive. Of course, with a data-only flash disk, the live CD is not even necessary. I think this could help...every two years.

04-27-2009, 03:39 AM	#9
werpu Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 18 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: none	Yes I did not mention the copy method (which does not work in Windows of course due to inherent filelocking) and other nastyness, because I was not sure i it affects the sony reader if you delete all files from the internal storage. Besides that as I said defragmentation in a flash disk is basically pointless, because you wont gain any significant results, and outright dangerous, although the copy method stresses out the disk way less than a classical defragmentation tool!

Advert

Advert