defrag portable storage device?

[kcpopps]

Should I defrag my Nixvue Vista? Just emptied a bunch of old files and wonder if there is any harm could be done by running a defrag program on it. It's FAT 32 files system if that makes any difference

Should I or shouldn't I?
I have a shoot tomoroow and just a bit afraid to do it until someone says it is OK.
Thanks!

[lostdoggy]

So if I say ok does it mean you'll do it???

Just kidding. It wouldn't make any sense to defrag a technically empty drive. The point of defrag is to place file in a more orderly fashion. But, since you have already emptied it, there would be no files to rearrange. I say technically emptied because by deleting the file you just alterred the FAT not the actual file itself. The file is really still there but not accessible by normal means. If the drive wasn't emptied it still wouldn't really matter that much if you defragged or not. The files you are planning to dump into the drive are photo I presume. The other point of defragging a drive is so that when its time for the computer to needs to access the files it will be in closed proximity of it each other on the drive so that it doesn't have to hunt for it.

[tim]

Just delete everything from the drive, that should be enough, if you want you could format it. Defrag is only for drives with lots of data on it.

[kcpopps]

Thanks - your answers make sense. I guess I would have realized the same if I'd just stopped to think about it....but I had a ton of stuff on my mind at the time....

[gastroboy]

just reformat it is you want to freshen it up. always help to do it. I always reformat my external storage before I go on hols.