SSD hard drive: extend lifespan - how it works

Windows works well with SSD hard drives. Nevertheless, you can further extend their lifespan by making a few settings. Some of the following settings have already been made under the newer versions of Windows.

Disable superfetch and prefetch

The two services Superfetch and Prefetch sort and save data on your hard disk, so that Windows and frequently used programs load faster. This does not make sense with SSD hard drives. Under Windows 7 and 8, the functions are switched off by default for SSD hard drives, with Vista and XP you have to do it yourself:

• SSD: Disable superfetch
• SSD: Deactivate prefetch

Switch off defragmentation of the SSD hard disk

In contrast to HDD hard drives, SSD hard drives do not have to be defragmented. By ordering and converting the data on the hard drive, the SSD is only unnecessarily worn out.

1. Press the "Windows" and "E" keys at the same time so that the "Computer" opens in Explorer.
2. Right-click on the SSD hard drive and select the "Properties".
3. Under the "Tools" tab, click "Defragment Now". Select "Configure Schedule" in the top right.
4. Click on the "Select disk" button and remove the check mark in front of the SSD. Then close all windows with "OK".

Disable Windows Search

The Windows Search service constantly creates a list of all files on your computer. This means that they can be found quickly using the search in Explorer. For SSD hard drives, this list does not speed up the search process, so that the SSD is only unnecessarily worn out.

1. Press the "Windows" and "R" keys simultaneously so that the "Execute" command opens.
2. Enter "services.msc" there and confirm with "OK".
3. Scroll down the list of services and look for "Windows Search".
4. Double click on the entry and change the start type to "Disabled".
5. If you confirm with "OK", the service will no longer be started.

Activate Windows Trim command

With HDD hard drives, deleted files remain invisible on the hard drive. These are only overwritten when the storage space is really needed. However, SSD hard drives need as much free space as possible to live efficiently and for a long time.

1. Press the "Windows" and "R" keys simultaneously so that the "Execute" command opens.
2. Enter "cmd" there and confirm with "OK".
3. Enter the command "fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify" and confirm with the Enter key.
4. If the answer is "0", the function is already activated. If you get a "1", enter the command "fsutil behavior Set DisableDeleteNotify 0" and confirm with "Enter".

Deactivate the timestamp function and DOS file name

The timestamp function saves every creation, modification and opening of a file. Since this data is not actually needed, this unnecessary read and write process should be ended. Windows also saves a DOS-compatible file name for each file. However, since no modern program is based on DOS anymore, the function can also be switched off.

1. Press the "Windows" and "R" keys simultaneously so that the "Execute" command opens.
2. Enter "cmd" there and confirm with "OK".
3. Type in the command "fsutil behavior set disablelastaccess 1" and confirm with the Enter key.
4. Then enter the command "fsutil behavior set disable8dot3 1" and confirm again with "Enter".

Deactivate hibernation and thus extend the life of the SSD hard drive

If your PC wakes up from hibernation, an enormous amount of data must first be written to the hard disk. The hyberfil.sys file is usually several GB in size and thus shortens the life of the SSD. Therefore switch off hibernation and in the future it is better to shutdown your computer directly:

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1. Press the "Windows" and "R" keys simultaneously so that the "Execute" command opens.
2. Enter "cmd" there and confirm with "OK".
3. Type in the command "powercfg -H off" and confirm with the Enter key.
4. Hibernation is deactivated and the hyberfil.sys file is deleted. This way, you also create a lot of free space.

We will show you how to format an SSD correctly in the next practical tip.