Format the SSD correctly - so it'll work
SSD hard drives are the best turbo boost for your computer. We'll show you how to properly format SSDs.
Prepare SSDs for formatting
SSD hard drives want to be formatted correctly. Windows 7 and Windows 8 can do this without any problems when they are installed. Here are some tips if you want to use other operating systems such as MacOS or Linux and have encountered problems.
- It is best to use a Windows 7 or Windows 8 secondary computer or ask a friend. The process only takes about 10 minutes.
- Connect the SSD to a free internal slot or use an external frame.
- Now open the disk management by pressing the "Windows key + R" and executing the "diskmgmt.msc" command.
- Now set up the hard drive as you need it, including all partitions and their letters.
- You can now install the hard drive in your actual computer and install the operating system of your choice.
Activate TRIM for your SSD
SSDs work differently than known hard drives. You need the TRIM command to properly remove garbage such as deleted files. We show you how to activate TRIM in Windows 7 and 8.
- Now open the disk management by pressing the "Windows key + R" and executing the "cmd" command.
- In the Command Line window, enter the following command "fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify". If the result is 0, TRIM is already activated.
- If the result is 1, enter this command: "fsutil behavior Set DisableDeleteNotify 0". If you want to deactivate TRIM, replace the "0" with a "1".
Disable defragmentation for SSD hard drives
You should keep access to SSD hard drives as low as possible. What was a good tip for conventional hard drives is no longer necessary for SSD, so you can turn off defragmentation.
- Enter "Defragmentation" in the start menu or on the start screen and open the option "Defragment" (Windows 7) or "Defragment and optimize drives" (Windows 8).
- Select the SSD hard drive from the list.
- Deactivate the option "Scheduled defragmentation" (Windows 7) or "Scheduled optimization" (Windows 8). Windows 8 normally deactivates this automatically, but a control cannot hurt.
- If you use defragmentation tools, deactivate the defragmentation of the SSD hard drive in these too.
Is your SSD hard drive not recognized at all? We also have a useful practical tip for you!