Backing up and defragging

[Jackals]

I back up my stuff onto an external HDD. My system needs defragging, and it
struck me to wonder if defragging would have any affect on Restoring the
backup if I need to, since the backup would have been made prior to defrag.

My guess is that it wouldn't hurt, just because both are normal and
necessary functions, and it wouldn't seem to make any sense if it did--but I
thought I'd ask anyway. Thanks.
Jack

[Rock]

Jackals wrote:
> I back up my stuff onto an external HDD. My system needs defragging, and it
> struck me to wonder if defragging would have any affect on Restoring the
> backup if I need to, since the backup would have been made prior to defrag.
>
> My guess is that it wouldn't hurt, just because both are normal and
> necessary functions, and it wouldn't seem to make any sense if it did--but I
> thought I'd ask anyway. Thanks.
> Jack

No that won't have any affect, but it's best to defrag before you
restore so the restored data is not written to a fragmented disk,
causing more fragmentation.

[MAP]

"Jackals" wrote:

> I back up my stuff onto an external HDD. My system needs defragging, and it
> struck me to wonder if defragging would have any affect on Restoring the
> backup if I need to, since the backup would have been made prior to defrag.
>
> My guess is that it wouldn't hurt, just because both are normal and
> necessary functions, and it wouldn't seem to make any sense if it did--but I
> thought I'd ask anyway. Thanks.
> Jack
>
>
>

I've never had to use it so I can't say first hand but the backup program I
use
"True Image" says that it will take longer to "restore" if the Image was
created on a fragmented HD

[Jackals]

That is great help, thanks. I think I will go with defragging, then
overwrite the complete current backup with that. Then they will start over
as mirror images.
Jack


"MAP" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> "Jackals" wrote:
>
> > I back up my stuff onto an external HDD. My system needs defragging, and
it
> > struck me to wonder if defragging would have any affect on Restoring the
> > backup if I need to, since the backup would have been made prior to
defrag.
> >
> > My guess is that it wouldn't hurt, just because both are normal and
> > necessary functions, and it wouldn't seem to make any sense if it
did--but I
> > thought I'd ask anyway. Thanks.
> > Jack
> >
> >
> >
>
> I've never had to use it so I can't say first hand but the backup program
I
> use
> "True Image" says that it will take longer to "restore" if the Image was
> created on a fragmented HD

[Alex Nichol]

MAP wrote:

>I've never had to use it so I can't say first hand but the backup program I
>use
>"True Image" says that it will take longer to "restore" if the Image was
>created on a fragmented HD


Created *on* a fragmented disk, so the image itself is fragmented, and
hence slower to access during restore. If you are restoring a genuine
image, so it is replacing everything it should not matter the state the
HD then is in. Depending on the exact imaging program you used, it
might though regenerate the fragmentation the HD was in when you make
the image, so doing it from a freshly defragged disk is a worthwhile
precaution


--
Alex Nichol MS MVP (Windows Technologies)
Bournemouth, U.K. (remove the D8 bit)