How to make an ssd the main drive. How to configure Windows to work with an SSD drive

Unlike traditional hard drives, SSDs do not have any mechanical parts to access data, so switching boot disk on SSD reduces read time. The physical installation of an SSD disk is no different from installing a regular HDD, but to optimize work with an SSD, you must configure your operating system and computer firmware.

Replacing old equipment

When replacing an HDD with an SSD, you can either transfer the existing OS from the old drive by cloning it or install new copy OS. Disk cloning requires assigning a partition at least as large as the source, and SSD drives are usually smaller than hard drives, so you need to create backup copy and delete unnecessary files from the source.

On your computer, connect the SSD to the SATA slot, leaving your HDD connected. Also, replace the HDD with an SSD, and then connect the HDD to your computer as an external drive. The USB drive converts the drive's SATA connector to USB format so you can use it as removable storage. Boot from external drive, select “Temporary Boot Options” or similar selection in the BIOS splash screen, and then select external hard USB disk in boot options.

Cloning the boot partition

Before cloning your hard drive, defragment it using a disk defragmentation and optimization tool. Select the partition, then click the Analyze and Optimize button and defragment the disk if necessary. Next, you need to shrink the partition to fit the new drive using the Disk Management utility; Press the “Windows” key, type “diskmgmt.msc” (without quotes) and press the “Enter” key to open it. Right-click on the partition, select “Shrink Volume” and then, in the “Enter the Amount of Space to Shrink in MB” field, enter the number of megabytes to remove everything unnecessary from this partition so that it is suitable for an SSD. Transfer files to the new SSD using a disk cloning program such as Clonezilla, EaseUS Todo Backup or Acronis. Each of these programs works differently, but they all include an option that directly allows you to transfer files from the old drive to the new one. Select this option from the main menu and then select your source and destination drives when prompted.

OS installation and fine tuning

When you don't have many applications installed on your HDD, installing a fresh version of the OS is a little easier than cloning since it doesn't require any additional software. Installing an OS on an SSD is no different from installing it on a hard drive, but when using an SSD drive as a boot drive, some minor settings are required. Enable the Enhanced Host Controller Interface for the SSD by opening Regedit and selecting the following directory:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services

Click the “msahci” button, then click the “Start” button twice and make sure that the DWORD type parameter is set to 0. Confirm the same Start DWORD parameter in the pciide directory. Restart your computer and go into the BIOS, then select “Storage” or similar in the BIOS. In your SSD storage options, select “AHCI” so that Windows recognizes the drive as an SSD. Before exiting the BIOS, open the boot options menu and follow the on-screen instructions in - Boot order from devices to SSD installation first.

Optimizing your system

After Windows boot on the SSD, open Defragment and optimize your disks, and then select Your SSD from the menu. The applet displays the SSD next to the drive letter because Windows recognizes it as an AHCI device. Windows doesn't know whether to defragment it or not, which shortens the life of the disk by making unnecessary writes and erasing bytes. Instead, Windows automatically turns on the Trim feature to optimize SSD performance. Trims are special commands that the OS sends to your SSD to compensate for the difference in how the SSD and HDD process data. SSD data is processed instantly, except for a few seconds or minutes, the HDD needs time to move its mechanical head to search for blocks of data that become fragmented as the disk spins. The disadvantage of using it as a boot SSD is that after writing and deleting data, 10,000 to 100,000 times, the flash memory degrades and no longer stores data. To extend the life of your SSD drive, store documents, media and other files on a HDD with large storage capacity.

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Regular hard drives ( HDD) - the slowest component modern computer. Solid State Drives ( SSD) significantly exceed them in read-write speed, and after cheaper translation operating system (OS) on an SSD is not that expensive.
To do this, an interface is required on the motherboard SATA(on almost all boards no older than 4 years), better than older versions SATA II or SATA III. The transition makes sense if you have Windows 7 or, in as a last resort,XP.
To begin with, let me remind you once again a sacred rule for every computer owner: data must be stored separately from the operating system, on another physical or virtual disk. Except multiple increases in data security You will save on the capacity of the required SSD drive and get the opportunity to quickly backup disk with OS.
From the current offers - summer 2012 - pay attention to the new, inexpensive and high-speed model OCZ Vertex 4. Its speed characteristics will not be fully revealed if you do not have SATA III, and you are not planning a replacement motherboard, then you can save money by purchasing OCZ Agility 4.
What needs to be done? Sixteen simple steps.

I hope I have convinced you that the increase in system boot speed and subtle increase speed of general daily work not worth such effort.

It remains to advise you to take a closer look at what is written in order to configure the system specifically for the program that you want to speed up. I had it Adobe Photoshop CS5, in the settings of which I specified the paths to the temporary files of the RAW converter and Scratch disks for storing temporary files. For some reason, the Internet connection speed has not increased (smile).

Upd: In addition, I would like to recommend the SSD Mini Tweaker program for x32 and x64 versions, but I would not recommend thoughtlessly using all possible checkboxes, for example, disabling defragmentation of all disks. Above I described how to do this only for SSD. I found it later and used it for convenient control of the work done, which does not underestimate its usefulness.
Good luck always!

Greetings, dear friends, acquaintances, readers, passers-by and other personalities. Today we will raise the topic of optimizing the system for working with SSD drives (I wrote about what an SSD is), namely, we will talk about how to properly configure it so that the interaction is most effective.

As many, I hope, remember, solid-state drives have a limited number of rewrite cycles, and therefore, after a certain number of them, the drive simply ends its service and retires. Globally, I personally believe that there are two ways: try to save the life of the disk by turning off unnecessary things and, on the contrary, use it to its fullest, but part with it relatively quickly. We will look at both of these paths. Which one is closer is up to you to choose.
Let's go.

How to increase the lifespan of an SSD. Windows setup.

Let's start with the first of these ways, namely, by trying to save the disk for as long as possible, minimizing as much as possible the amount of information written and rewritten to it. I’ll say right away that I personally don’t like this one, because I don’t understand why buy a high-speed drive if you don’t use it fully and take care of it in every possible way, reducing performance but increasing its lifespan. However, aside from the lyrics:

• Disabling or moving the swap file.
  One of the key points, according to many, is moving the swap file to a regular one. hard drive. This is done as follows: " Start - Settings - Control Panel - System - Advanced system settings - Advanced - Performance - Settings" (in the control panel to see the "System" category):
  
  There " Advanced - Edit":

  
  Then disable the swap file on the SSD disk and transfer it to a regular HDD. You can read about paging file sizes. If you have a large volume RAM, then you can disable the paging file altogether, which will significantly optimize the system.

• Disabling or postponing System Restore.
  System protection follows an almost similar path "" Start - Settings - Control Panel - System - System Protection- Configure ":
  
  Here, similarly to the paging file, either disable system protection altogether, or transfer it to a regular hard drive. See for yourself, but, personally, I turn it off.
• Disable hibernation.
  On laptops, most likely, this is not worth doing (and even there it is extremely rare to have an SSD), but on desktop computers I would probably recommend it. But it’s worth thinking about, because if you still need it... Then, of course, leave it. It is disabled as follows: Start - Run - cmd":
  
  If there is a problem executing the command, you should run the console as an administrator (right mouse button - " Run as administrator").
• Transferring TMP and TEMP folders.
  During operation, the system uses the above-mentioned directories for caching, temporary files and other differences. The contents of archives are usually written there when they are unpacked, some installer files, etc. It goes without saying that this gives rise to large number rewrite cycles, so it is recommended to transfer the folders, again, to the hard drive. This is done as follows. To begin, in “My Computer” go to the drive where we want to make the transfer and create two folders “TMP” and “TEMP” on it:

  Next we follow the path: " Start - Settings - Control Panel - System - Advanced system settings - Advanced - Environment variables", where we indicate full paths to new folders, instead of old ones (top button "Change"):

  
  After making changes, you must restart your computer. The same as after all the changes above, and indeed those described in this article. After the reboot, the contents of the folders at the old path can be deleted.

• Disabling Prefetch.
  There is an opinion on the Internet that it is necessary to disable the Prefetch function. According to Microsoft itself, Prefetch actually is the following:

  Every time you turn on Windows computer keeps track of how it is launched and the applications that are usually opened. This information is saved by Windows in the Prefetch folder as small files. The next time you turn on your computer, Windows accesses these files to speed up the startup process.

  The Prefetch folder is nested in the system Windows folder and is self-maintained, so there is no need to remove it or clear the contents. If you clear this folder, it will take longer to boot Windows and launch applications next time.

  Which, in theory, also gives rise to a large number of rewrite cycles. To disable follow the path " Start - Run - regedit - OK". In the registry editor that appears, go to the branch (folder)" HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters":

  

  Where on the right we double-click on the EnablePrefetcher line and assign this parameter the value 0. We do exactly the same thing with the parameter below, namely “EnableSuperfetch”.

• Disabling indexing, as well as scheduled defragmentation.
  I already talked about this in the article about optimization. work hard disks in general, i.e. I will repeat it in this material. Open my computer, right-click on the disk, open the “Properties” item from the drop-down menu, where we uncheck “ Allow the contents of files on this drive to be indexed in addition to file properties” and click on the “Apply” button: When a request appears to confirm changing attributes, you will need to select “To drive C:\ (or whatever letter you specified) and to all subfolders and files” and click the “OK” button. Next you will need to wait for the attributes to be applied. If a window suddenly appears notifying you that Administrator rights are needed, then click the “Continue” button. If a window appears about the impossibility of applying attributes, then click the “Skip All” button.

  
  It’s right there, but on the “Service” tab, click on the button “ Run defragmentation", after which the defragmentation setting will appear. Click on the button " Set up a schedule"and, in the next window, uncheck " Run as scheduled (recommended)".

• Transfer of program cache.
  Here is everything related to programs caching their own paging files. This mainly applies to browsers, Photoshop and everything that has caching. More details about the transfer will be in separate articles.
• Installing programs, games and other things on the HDD.
  I think this point needs no comment.

In a nutshell, something like this.

How to speed up everything on an SSD. Windows setup.

Do not do all of the above and load the SSD to the maximum by installing everything under the sun there, including the swap file, programs, etc.

Afterword.

I hope that this article was useful to someone and really came in handy. The above described for many, I think, is not new, and yet, some might be partially unknown.

As always, if you have something to say on the topic, then welcome to comment on this post.

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 MLC type and allows you to write data approximately 3 to 10 thousand times, while regular USB They exhaust their service life 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 it is included in BIOS mode AHCI connections for SATA controller.

There are two points here: after enabling AHCI and Windows migration On an SSD, the 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 useful 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 whether TRIM is active on your system, run the command in a command prompt running as administrator: 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, comparable to the amount of RAM, can be written to the hiberfil.sys file on the system disk. 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 hidden system file hiberfil.sys has been 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 use other backup tools, such as 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 disconnecting additional function Prefetch ReadyBoot, logged application loading process. 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 SSD disk optimization

Almost everything that was shown in the examples above can be done using special utilities. How to set up 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, cache file system 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 features programs 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.

For many users, replacing a hard drive with an SSD is the most effective PC upgrade. In terms of reading information, an SSD drive is many times faster, therefore, the performance of the computer significantly increases. But they have one drawback - the limitation on the number of rewrite cycles, characteristic of flash drives.

Configuring an SSD under Windows 7 is necessary because you want to minimize unnecessary write cycles to flash memory cells to increase the life of the SSD.

If you have Windows 10 installed, then it already automatically detects SSD drives and makes adjustments to their operation to achieve maximum performance. Therefore, on Windows 10, setting up an ssd is not so important and is performed at the operating system level.

During the defragmentation process, logically interconnected data blocks that are scattered throughout the media are arranged in a single sequence. SSD drives do not need to be defragmented. If for hard HDDs defragmentation can increase efficiency in reading speed and thereby speed up the PC, but in the case of an SSD this process can only do harm.

Disabling Perfetch and SuperFetch

The Perfetch folder is designed to speed up Windows boot and program launch. The folder contains information about frequently used programs on the computer and stores them in the initial (system) part of the hard drive.

The SuperFetch service monitors programs that you frequently use and loads them into random access memory (RAM) when you start your computer, so they start faster when accessed. Thus, when you run a program, the computer begins to read its files faster from RAM than from the hard drive.

But given the high read speed of solid-state drives, these functions are superfluous.

To disable them, go to the editor Windows registry with administrator rights.

In the “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE” directory, find the “SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/SessionManager/MemoryManagement/PrefetchParameters” key and change the “Enable Prefetcher” and “Enable Superfetch” values ​​to “0”.

Disabling ReadyBoot

ReadyBoost and work together with the SuperFetch service. While SuperFetch loads program files into random access memory (RAM), ReadyBoost uses the flash drive as a cache for the slow hard drive.

To disable ReadyBoost you need to do the following:

• Start;
• Control Panel;
• System and security;
• Administrative tools;
• Performance Monitor;
• On the left side, expand the Data Collector Groups section and select Startup Event Tracking Sessions;
• double click on “ReadyBoost”;
• Tracking sessions;
• Uncheck the box next to “Enabled”.

Disabling or moving the paging file to the HDD

The page file increases the size of your computer's cache. In the event that there is not enough physical RAM memory, the Windows operating system moves some of the data from the RAM and thus prevents software or system errors.

If the computer is equipped with a small SSD and a traditional HDD, then the page file can be placed on the SSD. If you have Windows x64 installed, the page file can be disabled.

TRIM function

In the operating room Windows system 7 It is important to check whether the TRIM function is enabled. Note that this function informs SSD drive, which area on the disk is no longer used and can be cleaned. If the feature is disabled, it may reduce the performance of the SSD.

To check:

• go to command line on behalf of the administrator;
• enter the command “fsutil behavior query disabledeletenotify”;
• if DisableDeleteNotify = 0 appears after execution, then the service is enabled.

Disabling sleep mode (hibernation)

The hibernation feature clearly reduces the time it takes for the Windows operating system to start from the hard drive. SSDs vs. hard drives The information reading time is much faster, which makes the startup process much shorter. Therefore, hibernation mode in computers with SSD does not bring tangible benefits and can be disabled.

When entering sleep mode, all data from RAM is saved to the hard drive in the hiberhil.sys file, which is quite a decent size. This is especially true for small SSDs; disabling sleep mode frees up valuable space on the SSD drive.

To disable, use the Win+R keys to launch a command prompt as administrator and type the command “powercfg -h off”.

AHCI mode

For full operation of the SSD drive, including using the TRIM function, you need to enable AHCI mode in the BIOS. If you simply change the mode, then after turning on the Windows boot process may be interrupted by an error (blue screen).

To fix:

• go to the Windows Registry Editor as an administrator;
• find the entry “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/System/CurrentControlSet/Services/Msahci” or “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/System/CurrentControlSet/Services/lastorV”;
• Click twice on “Start” and change the value to “0”;
• restart your computer;
• change the SATA controller mode to AHCI in the BIOS.