HDD file or allocation??

[larryccf]

I'm returning to computers after a lengthy hiatus so this question might be ignorant, but i'm just illiterate in how HDDs store data

issue is, i'm re-organizing eight 4TB HDDs that i have video files on. I've been using Handbrake to compress them, and found i can generally reduce a file's size by @50%. After compressing all the files on 2 HDDs, before i start to add files to those HDDs with the freed up space, i'm wondering if i should A) defrag that HDD, or B) copy each file to a fresh HDD and then go back and just wipe that HDD to prep it for new files

 

[trents]

Is your concern getting more free space on the drive by defragging or is your main concern performance and file integrity? I would certainly run chkdisk on them.

 

[EarthDog]

They are empty? If so secure erase them, initialize and format to bring to factory spec. If data on them, just defrag. I'd only run chkdsk if you were having issues or concerned about the health of the drives...which wasn't mentioned but wh knows.

 

[larryccf]

MY conern is the performance and integrity - i've never understood how a HDD stores files and allocates space for those files. For example, let's say out of 100 files, varying in size originally from 5.9GB to 58Gb, and after compression, those files are now anywhere from 922MB to 31.2GB.

It would seem to make it harder for the HDD to record or file new files to a couple of hundred blank spots between the original files that are now shrunk in size

 

[EarthDog]

Which is why you would defrag. To put everything in contiguous space.

 

[larryccf]

Which is why you would defrag. To put everything in contiguous space.

thanks