Setting up an SSD drive in Windows 7. Setting up an SSD drive in Windows to optimize performance

Hello!

After SSD installation disk and transferring a copy of Windows to it from your old hard drive- The OS needs to be configured (optimized) accordingly. By the way, if you installed Windows “from scratch” on an SSD disk, then many services and parameters will be configured automatically during installation (it is for this reason that many recommend installing “clean” Windows when installing an SSD).

Optimizing Windows for SSD will not only increase the service life of the disk itself, but also slightly increase the speed Windows operation. By the way, regarding optimization, the tips and recommendations from this article are relevant for Windows: 7, 8 and 10. And so, perhaps, let’s begin...

1) Is ACHI SATA mode enabled?

how to enter BIOS -

You can check in which mode the controller operates quite simply - look BIOS settings. If the disk operates in ATA, then you need to switch its operating mode to ACHI. There are really two nuances:

The first is that Windows OS will refuse to boot, because... it does not have the necessary drivers for this. You need to either install these drivers first, or simply reinstall Windows (which is preferable and easier in my opinion);

The second caveat is that your BIOS may simply not have the ACHI mode (although, of course, these are already somewhat outdated PCs). In this case, most likely, you will have to update the BIOS (at least check the official website of the developers to see if the new BIOS has such an option).

Rice. 1. AHCI operating mode (DELL laptop BIOS)

By the way, it would also be a good idea to go to device Manager(can be found in the panel Windows management) and expand the tab with IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers. If there is a controller with “SATA ACHI” in its name, then everything is in order.

AHCI operating mode is required to support normal operation TRIM SSD disk.

REFERENCE

TRIM is an ATA interface command required so that Windows can send data to the drive about which blocks are no longer needed and can be overwritten. The fact is that the principle of deleting files and formatting in HDD and SSD drives is different. When using TRIM, the speed of the SSD drive increases and uniform wear of the drive's memory cells is ensured. Windows 7, 8, 10 OS support TRIM (if you use Windows XP, I recommend updating the OS, or buying a disk with hardware TRIM).

2) Is TRIM support enabled in Windows?

To check whether TRIM support is enabled in Windows, just run the command line as an administrator. Next, enter the command and press Enter (see Fig. 3) .

If DisableDeleteNotify = 0 (as in Fig. 3), then TRIM is enabled and nothing else needs to be entered.

If DisableDeleteNotify = 1, then TRIM is disabled and you need to enable it with the command: fsutil behavior set DisableDeleteNotify 0. And then check again with the command: fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify.

Optimizing Windows (relevant for 7, 8, 10) for SSD drive

1) Disable file indexing

Moreover, when this function is disabled, the number of writes to the disk decreases, which means its lifespan increases. To disable indexing, go to the properties of the SSD disk (you can open Explorer and go to the “This PC” tab) and uncheck the box next to “Allow indexing of files on this disk...” (see Fig. 4).

2) Disabling the search service

This service creates a separate index of files, which speeds up the search for certain folders and files. An SSD drive is fast enough, and besides, many users practically do not use this feature - which means it is better to turn it off.

First open the following address: Control Panel/System and Security/Administration/Computer Management

3) Disable hibernation

When using an SSD drive, this function somewhat loses its meaning. Firstly, the Windows system already starts quite quickly with an SSD, which means there is no point in saving its state. Secondly, unnecessary write-rewrite cycles on an SSD disk can affect its service life.

Disabling hibernation is quite simple - you need to launch the command prompt as an administrator and enter the command powercfg -h off.

4) Disable auto-disk defragmentation

Defragmentation is a useful operation for HDD drives, helping to slightly increase operating speed. But this operation does not have any benefit for SSD drives, since they are designed somewhat differently. The access speed to all cells in which information is stored on the SSD disk is the same! This means that no matter where the “pieces” of files lie, there will be no difference in access speed!

In addition, moving “pieces” of a file from one place to another increases the number of write/rewrite cycles, which shortens the life of the SSD drive.

If you have Windows 8, 10*- then you don’t need to disable defragmentation. The built-in Storage Optimizer will automatically determine

If you have Windows 7, you need to go to the disk defragmentation utility and disable its autorun.

5) Disable Prefetch and SuperFetch

Prefetch is a technology thanks to which the PC speeds up the launch of frequently used programs. It does this by loading them into memory in advance. By the way, a special file with the same name is created on the disk.

Since SSD drives are quite fast, it is advisable to disable this function; it will not give any increase in speed.

SuperFetch is a similar feature, the only difference being that the PC predicts which programs you are likely to run by loading them into memory in advance (it is also recommended to disable it).

When you open the registry editor, go to the following branch:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters

Next, you need to find two parameters in this registry subkey: EnablePrefetcher and EnableSuperfetch (see Fig. 8). The value of these parameters must be set to 0(as in Fig. 8). By default, the values ​​of these parameters are 3.

Rice. 8. Registry Editor

By the way, if you install Windows on an SSD from scratch, then these parameters will be configured automatically. True, this does not always happen: for example, failures may occur if you have 2 types of disks in your system: SSD and HDD.

Utility for automatically optimizing Windows for SSD drive

You can, of course, manually configure all of the above in the article, or you can use special utilities for fine-tuning Windows (such utilities are called tweakers, or Tweaker). One of these utilities, in my opinion, will be very useful for owners of an SSD drive - SSD Mini Tweaker.

SSD Mini Tweaker

An excellent utility for automatically configuring Windows to run on an SSD drive. The settings that this program changes allow you to increase the operating time of the SSD by an order of magnitude! In addition, some parameters will slightly increase the speed of Windows.

Advantages of SSD Mini Tweaker:

  • completely in Russian (including tips for each item);
  • works in all popular OS Windows 7, 8, 10 (32, 64 bits);
  • no installation required;
  • completely free.

PS

Many people also recommend transferring browser caches, swap files, temporary Windows folders, system backup (and so on) from an SSD drive to an HDD (or disable these features altogether). One small question: “why do you need an SSD then?” So that the system just starts in 10 seconds? In my understanding, an SSD drive is needed to speed up the operation of the system as a whole (the main goal), reduce noise and rattles, increase the battery life of the laptop, etc. And by making these settings, we can thereby negate all the advantages of an SSD drive...

That’s why, by optimization and disabling unnecessary functions, I only mean something that really won’t speed up the system in any way, but can affect the “lifetime” of the SSD drive. That's all, good luck everyone.

The advent of solid-state hard drives, or SSD for short, can certainly be considered a breakthrough in the development of technologies for creating devices for recording and storing digital information. The first SSDs to hit the market, with the exception of high speed access to arbitrary blocks of information, were in many ways inferior to traditional HDDs. Not only could their volumes, without exaggeration, be called more than modest, they also had low fault tolerance and cost a lot of money.

What's wrong with SSDs?

The high speed, quietness and low power consumption of solid-state drives have served as good drivers for their development. Modern SSD drives are lightweight, very fast and quite reliable from a mechanical point of view, devices used in tablets, ultrabooks and other compact devices. The price of SSDs has also dropped significantly. But still, they cannot be called perfect. All SSDs have a significant drawback - a limited number of rewrite cycles.

The flash memory of most SSDs is of the MLC type and allows data to be written approximately from 3 to 10 thousand times, while conventional USB exhausts its resource in 1000 or less rewrite cycles. There are also SSDs, for example, with SLC memory type, which can withstand several hundred thousand rewrite cycles. There are many nuances, so it is not surprising that it is precisely this feature of SSD drives that raises a lot of questions among ordinary users regarding their operation, and most importantly, extending their service life. Is SSD optimization necessary in Windows 7/10 or is this just another myth created by the manufacturers and developers of commercial software themselves?

Basic training

Yes, you can leave everything as is on a PC with an SSD, and you might be right, but if you really care about your drive and want it to last as long as possible, it's worth considering customizing it. Let's start with whether you bought a computer with an integrated SSD or just the drive itself, which you want to replace the HDD with, transferring Windows from it. In the first case, you can limit yourself to setting up the system. If you install the SSD yourself, be sure to check whether the AHCI connection mode for the SATA controller is enabled in the BIOS.

There are two points here: after enabling AHCI and migrating Windows to SSD system may not boot because it does not have the appropriate drivers. Therefore, either install the drivers ahead of time, or run reinstalling Windows from scratch. Second. The BIOS of older PCs may not have AHCI mode. In this case, the BIOS will have to be updated. Now regarding the firmware of the SSD controller. Owners of solid-state drives often ask whether the drive will work faster if you install latest version firmware. Yes, it will, but if you decide to update it and in general, if the need arises, it is better to contact the service center for help.

System settings. Disabling defragmentation

Defragmentation is a useful thing for HDDs, but it can harm SSD drives, so Windows usually automatically disables it. However, it's worth checking to see if it's actually disabled. Run with the command dfrgui Disk Optimization Utility and click Change Settings.

Make sure the “Run on a schedule” checkbox is unchecked. If it is there, be sure to remove it.

Enabling TRIM

The TRIM mechanism optimizes the SSD drive by clearing memory cells of unnecessary data when removing them from the disk. Using TRIM ensures uniform wear of the disk cells and increases its speed. To check if TRIM is active on your system, run as administrator command line team fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify.

If the value of the returned parameter DisableDeleteNotify will be 0, it means everything is in order and the trim function is enabled, if 1 it means it is disabled and should be enabled with the command fsutil behavior set DisableDeleteNotify 0.

This SSD setup is only applicable to Windows 7/10, while Vista and XP do not support it. Option two: either install more new system, or look for an SSD with hardware TRIM. Please also note that some older models of solid-state drives do not support TRIM at all, however, the likelihood that they are still sold in digital stores is very small.

During the process, a significant amount of data can be written to the hiberfil.sys file on the system disk, comparable to the volume random access memory. To extend the service life of the SSD, we need to reduce the number of write cycles, so it is advisable to disable hibernation. The downside to this SSD setup is that you will no longer be able to save open files and programs when the computer is turned off. To disable hibernation, run the command running with administrator privileges powercfg -h off.

Restart your computer and make sure that the hidden system file hiberfil.sys is removed from the C drive.

Disable file search and indexing

What else can be done to properly configure an SSD drive for Windows 7/10? The answer is to disable indexing of the disk contents, because the SSD is already fast enough. Open the disk properties and uncheck “Allow file contents to be indexed...”.

But here's the thing. If in addition to an SSD you have a HDD, then you are unlikely to want to disable indexing on it. What will come of this? By default, the index file is located on drive C and data from drive D will still be written to the solid-state drive.

If you do not want to disable indexing on the user volume, you will need to move the indexing file from the system SSD to the user HDD. Open with command control /name Microsoft.IndexingOptions indexing options.

Now click “Advanced” and specify your index location, having first created a folder on the user disk.

If your PC only has an SSD, you can completely disable indexing and search by opening the service management snap-in with the services.msc command and stopping the Windows Search service.

Disabling system protection

Controversial point. By disabling the creation of system shadow copies, on the one hand, you will reduce the number of write cycles, on the other hand, you will increase the risk of getting a non-working system in the event of some unexpected failure. The use of retractables is one of the most effective and simple ways return Windows to a working state, for this reason we would not recommend disabling this function, especially since points are created infrequently and do not take up much space.

It does not recommend disabling system protection for your Intel SSDs; Microsoft shares the same opinion. However, it's up to you to decide. If you are using other means Reserve copy, For example, Acronis True Image, system protection can be disabled. To do this, go to system properties, on the “System Protection” tab, select the SSD drive and click “Configure”. Next, in the recovery options, activate the “Disable system protection” radio button, move the slider to zero and click the “Delete” button.

Should I disable the page file or not?

An even more controversial solution is to disable the page file. Some people advise moving it to the HDD, others completely disabling it, but it’s not that simple. The paging file is necessary to optimize the performance of the system and programs that require significant RAM resources. Disabling paging can indeed reduce disk load, but the resulting effect will be very small. In addition, this shutdown can significantly reduce the performance of the computer.

There is also no particular point in transferring the swap file to a hard HDD, since it is many times slower than an SSD, and the system’s constant access to it will slow down its operation. Disabling, or better yet, reducing the paging file is only permissible in one case - if your computer has more than 10 GB of RAM, and you do not use resource-intensive applications. And so, of course, it’s better to leave everything by default. You can perform all manipulations with the paging file in the performance parameters window, called up in the “Run” window with the command systempropertiesperformance(hereinafter Advanced – Change).

Prefetch and Superfetch

In theory, it’s also better to leave everything here as default. The function does not affect the durability of solid-state drives in any way, since it does not produce any records. Moreover, when Windows installation on SSD, the system automatically disables it. Want to make sure it's disabled? Go to Registry Editor at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/Session Manager/Memory Management/PrefetchParameters and look at the parameter value EnableSuperfetch. It should be set to 0. You can also disable it through the service management snap-in.

As for Prefetch, the disk writes it produces are so insignificant that it can be ignored. However, you can turn it off, nothing bad will happen. To do this, in the same registry key, set the value of the parameter EnablePrefetcher 0.

The same can be said about disabling the additional Prefetch ReadyBoot feature, which logs the process of downloading applications. The volume of records it produces in the folder C:/Windows/Prefetch/ReadyBoot is negligible, but if you want to disable them too, set the Start parameter in the key to 0 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/WMI/Autologger/ReadyBoot.

Programs for optimizing SSD disks

Almost everything that was shown in the examples above can be done using special utilities. How to configure an SSD under Windows 7/10 using third-party programs? Very simple. Most of them have an intuitive interface, presented with a set of options that can be turned on or off. There are many SSD optimizers, but we will focus only on the most popular ones.

SSD Mini Tweaker

The most convenient portable program for optimizing solid-state drives. The utility supports work with the functions of defragmentation, hibernation and system protection, Trim, Superfetch and Prefetcher, management of the paging file and Layout.ini, indexing, file system cache and some other settings.

The SSD Mini Tweaker interface is represented by a window with a list of functions available for management. After applying the new settings, you may need to restart your PC.

A shareware utility for optimizing and tuning the performance of an SSD drive. There is no Russian language in Tweak-SSD, but there is a convenient step-by-step wizard that offers optimal settings. Features of this program include disabling file indexing, Program Compatibility Assistant, hibernation, paging file, defragmentation, recording the last access time of a file, working with TRIM, increasing the file system cache, removing the NTFS memory limit, and moving the kernel into memory instead of unloading parts of modules to disk.

SSD Fresh Plus

Another SSD optimizer. Unlike analogues, it supports working with S.M.A.R.T. data. With Abelssoft SSD Fresh Plus you can disable defragmentation, the use of short names for folders and files, timestamps, Windows log,Prefetching services.

In total, the utility supports nine different settings that optimize the operation of the SSD. Additional program features include viewing detailed information about the disk. Distributed in paid and free editions.

Conclusion

That's probably all. There are also other recommendations for optimizing SSDs, but for the most part they are either dubious or harmful. In particular, it is not recommended to disable record caching for the SSD disk and USN file journal NTFS systems. You should also not transfer programs and Temp temporary folders, browser caches, etc. from the SSD, because then what is the point in buying an SSD drive? We need programs to run faster, but transferring them to the HDD will only slow down the system.

And finally, here's some good advice for you. Don't bother too much with SSD optimization. It will take you at least a dozen years to reach the lifespan of even a budget 128GB solid-state drive, unless you write and delete terabytes of data every day. And during this time, not only the disk model, but also the computer itself will become hopelessly outdated.

» How to configure SSD for boost Windows performance 7?

How to configure SSD to improve Windows 7 performance?

Setting up an SSD under Windows 7

Introduction

Solid-state drives, as manufacturers claim, work noticeably faster hard drives based on mechanics. Of course, their cost is much more expensive. Although performance indicators SSD drives tall, many users claim that they can be raised. All that is required is appropriate optimization and configuration of the SSD under Windows 7. The most effective ways This article will cover:

  • Enabling AHCI and TRIM
  • Disabling system protection
  • Disabling the page file
  • Disabling hibernation
  • Disable caching Windows entries 7
  • Disabling Super fetch and search Windows 7
  • Power Options Settings

Enabling AHCI and TRIM

Before you start executing optimization, you need to make sure that the SATA controller can operate in AHCI mode and the TRIM function in Windows 7 is activated.

During system startup, press the DELETE key and see that AHCI mode is activated in the BIOS for your SATA controller. This mode is required to support TRIMa on SSD. You can also verify this by performing the following steps in the system:

  • In the start menu "Start" select "Control Panel"
  • Select “System” and switch to classic view (small and large icon mode)
  • Go to "Device Manager"
  • Look for an item with a list of ATA / ATAPI and IDE controllers
  • If such an item is present, your system is already loaded with AHCI mode enabled

If the operating system was installed in IDE mode, then you need to switch to AHCI mode in the BIOS, provided that the motherboard supports this functionality.

  • Check that TRIM support is activated
  • Check TRIM to ensure that mode commands are sent by the Windows 7 operating system to the SSD.
  • In the Start application launch menu, type [cmd] on your keyboard to search for the built-in command line
  • Right-click on it and select “Run as administrator”
  • On the command line you should write [ fsutil behavior query Disable Delete Notify ]

If the Disable Delete Notify parameter is 0, the TRIM function is activated. If the value is 1, it is disabled.

When entering a command, do not use parentheses.

The SATA – TRIM protocol command will tell the OS which blocks of previously recorded data on the SSD will never be needed in the future due to file deletion or disk formatting.

Disabling system protection

The “System Protection” function should be disabled to limit the number of write operations on SSD drives, as well as to return the freed-up space back to the solid-state drive.

Disable disk indexing

Description of the deactivation process:

A pop-up window may appear indicating an error in applying attributes to the files, which is normal. Selecting the “Ignore all” option, continue with your steps.

The meaning of disabling disk indexing is as follows:

  1. Disk indexing was developed for mechanical devices to provide quick access to information. Considering that the response time of an SSD drive is approximately 0.1 ms, there is no need to enable this technology.
  2. By eliminating unnecessary read-write operations on the SSD, the effect is minimal. But keep in mind that taking steps to limit the number of write cycles on the SSD will help increase lifespan solid state drive.

Disabling the page file

  • Right-click on the “My Computer” icon
  • Select the “Properties” item
  • Select the “Advanced” tab
  • In the “Performance” item, click on the “Options” button
  • Select the “Advanced” tab and click on the “Change for virtual memory” button
  • Remove the checkbox “Automatically select paging file size”
  • Agree to accept the changes, confirming to reboot the system, and the next step is to disable paging for your SSD drive.

A paging file is a Windows functionality that is designed to help the computer's physical memory if its capacity is insufficient, allowing some information to be moved from the RAM to the hard drive to free up the available RAM. Disabling the PageFile function will free up the space reserved for swapping on your hard drive.

Disabling hibernation

Disabling hibernation mode will free up 2 Gb (possibly more, depending on the amount of installed RAM) of SSD disk space. This functionality will not provide significant benefits due to fast loading.

Description of the deactivation process:

  • In the Start search menu, type [cmd] to search Windows utilities 7
  • Right-click on the cmd program and run it as administrator
  • At the command line type [powercfg -h off]

Hibernation promotes rapid recovery work in the system after inactivity. When using it, the information contained in the random access memory device is written to disk and then read when waking up.

Disable Windows Record Caching

Description of the deactivation process:

  • Right-click on the “My Computer” icon and select “Properties”
  • Select Device Manager
  • Select "Disk devices"
  • Right-click on the SSD, selecting "Properties"
  • On the “Policy” tab, remove the “checkbox” from the “Allow caching of records on this device” item.

The record caching functionality in Windows 7 can access high-speed RAM and accumulate commands that then need to be executed on the SSD drive. SSD drives are faster than mechanical hard drives, so there is no speed gain when using cache.

Disabling Superfetch and Windows Search

Description of the deactivation process:

  • Press Windows key + R to enter the application launch dialog.
  • Type and press the Enter button.
  • Scroll down to the “Superfetch” item, right-click on it and select “Properties”
  • From the Startup Type drop-down menu, select Disabled and click OK.
  • Scroll the “scrollbar” to the “Windows Search” item, right-click on it, selecting “Properties”
  • Click on the “Stop” button, then on “Startup Type” and select “Disabled”.

Windows Search creates an index of some folders, files, and additional items on your devices. It is located in the Program Data Microsoft Search folder on the TRIMa:/ drive and takes up approximately 10% of the content of the indexed information. When searching for a file, parts of the indexes are loaded into memory. This will ensure a fairly fast search. This functionality will not make much difference and can also negatively affect the performance of the SSD drive.

Disabling Clear Page File At Shutdown and Large System Cache

Description of the deactivation process:

  • Type in the Start menu
  • Select the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SYSTEM Current Control Set Control Session Manager Memory Management
  • Right-click on “Clear Page File At Shutdown” and “Large System Cache”
  • After selecting "Change", change the value from 1 to 0, and then restart the system.

This OS functionality is designed to clear the page file. This leads to an increase in the number of read-write operations. Since the page file was previously disabled, there is no longer any reason to use cleanup since there is nothing left to clean up.

The Large System Cache parameter indicates whether the operating system supports a standard cache size or an increased one, and is also responsible for the frequency of processing cached data. Enabling Large System Cache mode will reduce the amount of physical memory available to applications and services.

Setting up energy options:

  • Open your “Control Panel”
  • Select "System and Security"
  • Select Power Options
  • Check the “High performance” checkbox and apply it with the OK key
  • Select "Power Plan Settings" for your "High Performance" plan
  • Click on Change advanced power settings
  • In the “Hard Drive” item, set the hard drive disconnection drop-down menu to “Never”
  • Click OK to save the setting.

Conclusion

Setting up an SSD under Windows 7 can affect system performance, both positively and negatively. Let's assume that there is no need to enable record caching when using the Intel X25M/G2, since, as is usually the case, there is no increase in performance in this case. So is it even worth performing the actions discussed in the article?

One important factor in SSD optimization is the increase in storage capacity.

This will give an undeniable advantage if the Windows 7 operating system is installed on the SSD. It becomes possible to install more software, games and other software. If you disable system protection, disk indexing, paging file, and hibernation mode, there will be a slight increase in performance, but the free capacity of the solid-state drive will increase significantly.

The most discussed issue among SSD drive users is disabling, moving or saving the page file. There is no clear opinion here and there are many supporters of various options. If you plan to disable the paging file, you need to check the amount of memory used by Windows 7. Make sure that the amount of installed memory is half the maximum used. In this case, the page file can be disabled without losing PC performance. Alternatively, its size can be reduced or moved altogether.

Disabling unnecessary operations when reading and writing data to an SSD drive effectively affects the service life of the device. Considering the cost of SSDs, this is an important advantage.

As a result, the user himself decides whether he needs to configure an SSD for Windows 7 or not. This OS from Microsoft already works very well with SSDs, but with the help of additional optimization steps, there is the possibility of a small gain in increased performance compared to working with the “default” settings.

Today we will talk about setting up new hard drives, so-called SSD drives. After reading the entire article, you will be able to configure your SSD drive under Windows 7.


Before we start setting up the system, let's understand the difference between HDD and SSD. An SSD is a solid-state drive that uses memory chips to store information, and an HDD is a drive on hard magnetic disks that rotate inside the hard drive at enormous speed.


The main advantage of SSD is the absence of mechanical moving parts, which increases the reliability of this device. There are also differences in the speed of operation, the heating of device parts, and the absence of extraneous noise. However, not everything is so good, because an SSD drive has its drawbacks. The main disadvantage of this device is the limitation of write/rewrite cycles. Regular MLC SSD drives are capable of writing data about 10 thousand times. At more expensive prices, SLC memory drives write data approximately 100 thousand times. In order to reduce the number of accesses to the SSD drive, it is necessary to correctly configure the operating system, thereby extending its life.


So, let's look at what needs to be done to configure the microcircuit drive under Windows 7.


1st point. Here we will transfer the page file to another hard drive. Go to the computer properties again: My Computer – Properties – Advanced system settings – category “Performance” – Settings. We do the same as shown in the screenshot below, or you can set a larger volume.




2nd point. You need to disable hibernation. Why is this being done? Every time the system switches to this mode, a huge amount of information is written to your drive (hard drive). Personally, I always recommend disabling this feature. Plus, by disabling hibernation we will free up space on the system local disk, which is equal to the amount of your RAM. Hibernation by default is necessary for fast system boot, but if an SSD drive is installed, then Windows will start in 5-10 seconds. Therefore, we disable hibernation. To do this, we need to get into the command line. Open Start and type cmd at the very bottom of the search window.




Now enter powercfg.exe /hibernate off in the command line and press Enter. When you restart your computer, you will see that there is free space on the C:\ drive.


3rd point. In this step, we will transfer the folder where temporary files are stored to a plain hard drive. To do this, right-click on the Computer icon - Properties - Advanced system settings - Advanced.




Here we find the Environment Settings button and change the path TEMP and TMP to another folder on the hard drive HDD drive. Personally, I created it on my D:\ drive.




4th point. You also need to disable System Protection. Again, open the computer properties – System protection – “System protection” tab – Configure – Disable system protection.




However, we will not be able to recover from backup copy, in case a system failure occurs. However, we don’t need this, because the operating system is installed in 10-15 minutes.


5th point. Disable file indexing. Indexing is needed for quick disk search various files. However, the average user does not search for anything very often, especially since search on an SSD is fast. So you can turn off this function without hesitation. To disable indexing, go to My Computer, right-click on the C:\ drive, and select “Properties” at the very bottom. Now, in the “General” tab, you need to uncheck the “Allow the contents of files on this drive to be indexed in addition to file properties.”



6th point. Disabling Preftch and RedyBoot.


Prefetch allows your system to boot quickly by reading data ahead of your hard drive. This technology is useless for an SSD drive, because it already provides enormous data reading speed.


In order to disable Prefetch, go to the registry editor (Start Menu - Run - type regedit and press Enter). The registry editor will open: here you should find the following registry branch:


HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINES\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters


here we need to change the value of the Enable Prefetcher key to “0”.


RedyBoot is an addition to the Prefetch technology. To disable it we follow the path:


HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINES\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\ReadyBoot


Go to the Start parameter and change the value to “0”.


So we configured our operating system for an SSD drive, thereby extending its life! Of course, it will last a long time without any settings, but if you want to extend the life of the drive as much as possible, then follow all these steps. That's all, good luck!

In order for the SSD to work at its full potential, it must be configured. In addition, the correct settings will not only ensure fast and stable operation of the disk, but will also extend its service life. And today we will talk about how and what settings you need to make for the SSD.

We will consider SSD optimization in detail using the Windows 7 operating system as an example. Before moving on to the settings, let’s say a few words about what methods there are for this. Actually, you will have to choose here between automatic (using special utilities) and manual.

Method 1: Using SSD Mini Tweaker

Using the SSD Mini Tweaker utility, SSD optimization is almost completely automatic, with the exception of special actions. This setup method will not only save time, but also perform all the necessary actions more safely.

So, to optimize using SSD Mini Tweaker, you need to launch the program and check the boxes for the necessary actions. In order to understand what actions need to be performed, let's go through each point.

  • Enable TRIM
  • TRIM is an operating system command that allows you to clear disk cells of physically deleted data, thus significantly increasing its performance. Since this command is very important for SSDs, we must enable it.

  • Disable Superfetch
  • Superfetch is a service that allows you to speed up your system by collecting information about frequently used programs and pre-allocating the necessary modules in RAM. However, when using solid-state drives, there is no need for this service, since the data reading speed increases tenfold, which means the system can quickly read and launch the necessary module.

  • Disable Prefetcher
  • Prefetcher is another service that allows you to increase the speed of your operating system. The principle of its operation is similar to the previous service, so for SSDs it can be safely disabled.

  • Keep the system kernel in memory
  • If your computer has 4 or more gigabytes of RAM installed, then you can safely check the box next to this option. Moreover, by placing the kernel in RAM, you will extend the life of the drive and can increase the speed of the operating system.

  • Increase file system cache size
  • This option will reduce the number of disk accesses and, therefore, extend its service life. The most frequently used areas of the disk will be stored in RAM as a cache, which will reduce the number of calls directly to the file system. However, there is also a downside - this is an increase in the amount of memory used. Therefore, if your computer has less than 2 gigabytes of RAM installed, then it is better not to check this option.

  • Remove the limit from NTFS in terms of memory usage
  • Enabling this option will cause more read/write operations to be cached, which will require additional RAM. As a rule, this option can be enabled if it uses 2 or more gigabytes.

  • Disable defragmentation of system files at boot
  • Since SSD has a different data recording principle compared to magnetic drives, which makes the need for file defragmentation absolutely unnecessary, it can be disabled.

  • Disable creation of Layout.ini file
  • When the system is idle, a special file Layout.ini is created in the Prefetch folder, which stores a list of directories and files that are used when loading the operating system. This list is used by the defragmentation service. However, for an SSD this is absolutely not necessary, so we mark this option.

  • Disable name creation in MS-DOS format
  • This option will allow you to disable the creation of names in the “8.3” format (8 characters for the file name and 3 for the extension). By and large, this is necessary for the correct operation of 16-bit applications created to run on the MS-DOS operating system. If you do not use such software, then it is better to disable this option.

  • Disable Windows indexing system
  • The indexing system is designed to provide quick search for required files and folders. However, if you do not use standard search, you can disable it. In addition, if the operating system is installed on an SSD, this will reduce the number of disk accesses and free up additional space.

  • Disable hibernation mode
  • Hibernation mode is usually used to quickly start the system. In this case, the current state of the system is saved in a system file, which is usually equal in size to RAM. This allows you to boot the operating system in a matter of seconds. However, this mode is relevant if you are using a magnetic drive. In the case of an SSD, loading itself occurs in a matter of seconds, so this mode can be disabled. In addition, this will save several gigabytes of space and extend its service life.

  • Disable system protection feature
  • By disabling the system protection feature, you will not only save space, but also significantly extend the life of the disk. The fact is that system protection consists of creating checkpoints, the volume of which can be up to 15% of the total disk volume. This will also reduce the number of read/write operations. Therefore, it is better to disable this function for SSDs.

  • Disable defragmentation service
  • As mentioned above, solid-state drives do not need defragmentation due to the nature of data storage, so this service can be disabled.

  • Do not clear the page file
  • If you use a page file, you can “tell” the system that it does not need to be cleared every time you turn off the computer. This will reduce the number of operations with the SSD and extend its service life.

Now that we have checked all the necessary boxes, press the button "Apply changes" and restart the computer. This completes the SSD setup using the SSD Mini Tweaker application.

Method 2: Using SSD Tweaker

SSD Tweaker is another assistant in correct setting SSD. Unlike the first program, which is completely free, this one has both paid and free version. These versions differ, first of all, in the set of settings.

If you launch the utility for the first time, then by default you will be greeted with an English interface. Therefore, in the lower right corner we will select Russian. Unfortunately, some elements will still remain on English language, but still most of the text will be translated into Russian.

Now let's go back to the first tab “SSD Tweaker”. Here, in the center of the window, there is a button that will allow you to select the disk settings automatically.
However, there is one “but” here - some settings will be available in the paid version. At the end of the procedure, the program will prompt you to restart the computer.

If you are not satisfied automatic setting disk, then you can go to manual. To do this, users of the SSD Tweaker application have two tabs available And "Advanced settings". The latter contains those options that will be available after purchasing a license.

On the tab You can enable or disable the Prefetcher and Superfetch services. These services serve to speed up the operation of the operating system, but when using an SSD they lose their meaning, so it is better to disable them. Other parameters that were described in the first method of setting up the drive are also available here. Therefore, we will not dwell on them in detail. If you have any questions about the options, then by hovering the cursor over the desired line you can get a detailed hint.

Tab "Advanced settings" contains additional options that allow you to manage some services, as well as use some features operating systems Windows. Some of the settings (for example, such as "Enable Tablet PC Input Service" And "Enable Aero theme") have a greater impact on system performance and do not in any way affect the operation of solid-state drives.

Method 3: Manually setting up the SSD

In addition to using special utilities, you can configure the SSD yourself. However, in this case there is a risk of doing something wrong, especially if you have not yet advanced user. Therefore, before you take action, make a restore point.

For most settings we will use the standard registry editor. To open it, you need to press the keys "Win + R" and in the window "Run" enter the command "regedit".

  1. We enable the TRIM command.
  2. First of all, let's enable the TRIM command, which will ensure fast operation of the solid-state drive. To do this, in the registry editor, go to the following path:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\msahci

    Here we find the parameter "ErrorControl" and change its value to «0» . Next, in the parameter "Start" also set the value «0» . Now all that remains is to restart the computer.

    Important! Before making changes to the registry, you need to set the BIOS to AHCI controller mode instead of SATA.

    In order to check whether the changes have taken effect or not, you need to open the device manager and in the branch IDEATA see if it's worth it AHCI. If it does, it means the changes have taken effect.

  3. Disable data indexing.
  4. In order to disable data indexing, go to the properties of the system disk and uncheck the box "Allow the contents of files on this drive to be indexed in addition to file properties".

    If during the process of disabling data indexing the system reports an error, this is most likely related to the paging file. In this case, you need to reboot and repeat the action again.

  5. Turn off the swap file.
  6. If your computer has less than 4 gigabytes of RAM installed, then you can skip this item.

    In order to disable the paging file, you need to go to the system performance settings and in the additional parameters you need to uncheck and enable the mode "no swap file".

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