NAME¶

defrag.exfat - Defragment or assess fragmentation on an exFAT filesystem

SYNOPSIS¶

defrag.exfat [-f | -a] device

defrag.exfat -h | --help

defrag.exfat -v | --version

DESCRIPTION¶

defrag.exfat is a utility to defragment files on an exFAT-formatted device or assess its current fragmentation status.

Defragmentation reorganizes scattered file clusters into contiguous blocks, which may improve I/O performance — especially on mechanical storage devices.

By default, when no option is specified, the tool will prompt the user with a warning recommending to run fsck.exfat first to ensure filesystem consistency.

This safety prompt can be bypassed using the -f option.

The -a option enables assessment mode, which analyzes fragmentation without modifying the filesystem.

The target device must be unmounted before running this command.

OPTIONS¶

-f, --force

Perform defragmentation without prompting the fsck warning. Use with caution.

-a, --assessment

Assess the fragmentation status of the exFAT volume without making any changes.

-v, --version

Display version information and exit.

-h, --help

Show usage information and exit.

EXAMPLES¶

Defragment an unmounted exFAT device (with safety warning):

$ defrag.exfat /dev/sda1

Defragment without prompting (force mode):

$ defrag.exfat -f /dev/sda1

Assess fragmentation status (read-only):

$ defrag.exfat -a /dev/sda1

Show version:

$ defrag.exfat -v

Show help:

$ defrag.exfat -h

NOTES¶

It is strongly recommended to run fsck.exfat on the device before defragmenting to ensure filesystem integrity.

Always backup critical data before defragmenting.