SSD Setup Tips

Start with:
- Disable automatic defrag (this means you'll have to manually defrag any connected platter-based hard drives - use Task Scheduler)
- Disable Superfetch service
- Disable Prefetch (through the registry)

Details here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2727880/en-us?sd=rss&spid=14019
Article is for Win7, but I'd expect it to apply to the other Windows client OS's

Copy of this topic in Hardware Forum: https://www.sysnative.com/forums/showthread.php/4277-SSD-Setup-Tips

 

[usasma]

Here's a link to the page as it was on 06Feb2014: Windows 7 & SSD: defragmentation, SuperFetch, prefetch
I suspect that it was removed as the advice in it was no longer relevant.
I'd strongly suggest searching for more recent suggestions about SSD's - as they have come a long, long way since I originally posted back in 2012.

FYI - I've used 2 SSD's on my system and have installed numerous SSD's at work.
I no longer do anything special when installing/setting them up and have had no problems with them.

Good luck!

 

[Jed]

Thanks USASMA for the update.

 

[Digerati]

I agree. W7, W8 and W10 and all modern motherboards/chipsets know how to work with SSD out of the box with their default settings. Connect the cables and go.

 

[satrow]

You do still need to check that TRIM is working and active, especially on W7.

I did an install of W7x64 SP1 Pro to an SSD recently, AHCI mode, stock MS drivers, Intel chipset with no 'extras', ran the WEI (7.8) etc. and all looked fine. I checked the HD Sentinel stats a couple of days ago and it showed TRIM as enabled but inactive - I checked through settings then ran fsutil behavior set disabledeletenotify 0, after which HDS reported everything as working.

I just checked the Defrag settings, SSD fragmentation at 37%, HDD at 0% - clicked on Analyse and after 10-15 seconds, it showed 7% on the SSD, presumably showing that TRIM had run since the previous analysis. Note that the SSD does not show in the list of drives available for Scheduled Defrag.

Hard Disk Sentinel Frequently Asked Questions

 

[Digerati]

You do still need to check that TRIM is working and active, especially on W7.

Well, for me, I've even had good luck with W7 setting up SSDs properly. But I guess we should note that W7 is over 6 years old and SSDs were only beginning to be common.

As for SSD fragmentation, Windows use of the word fragmentation is confusing because even with W7, it may appear defragging is enabled but it is not. I note with W8, they call it "Optimize".

 

[satrow]

W7 SP1 is a little newer than that Bill, yet my recent experience shows that it still doesn't always set up SSDs properly; as mentioned in the KB in the OP, it still stands that you should check.

 

[Digerati]

That's true, it came out in 2011 but I am not aware of any SSD support improvement in SP1.

it still stands that you should check.

For sure.