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No wonder Solid State Drives (SSDs) are awesome, they are faster, slimmer, quieter, and more energy-efficient than traditional hard drives. However, SSDs can provide you with a considerable speed boost just by purchasing and installing them, but if not properly maintained, a speedy SSD will gradually slow down. This article will give you complete knowledge of how to set up an SSD in Windows 10/11 and how to maximize its effectiveness.
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How to Optimize an SSD With Windows 10/11 To Its Full Potential?
When you install an SSD on Windows 10/11, it will allow you to make use of many features that will help you in increasing the potential of the SSD. Sadly, they don’t activate them by default, let’s discuss a few things to do when running an SSD in Windows 10/11.
1. Set SSD As Primary/Boot Drive
An SSD is usually used as the boot drive, while an HDD with a large capacity is used to store personal data, files, and applications. In order to do so, you must migrate the Windows system from HDD to SSD and later on set SSD as a boot drive.
Step 1: Install SSD to your PC.
Step 2: Restart PC > Enter BIOS by tapping F2/F8/F11/Del > Enter Setup > Enable SSD > Save the changes and Exit.
Step 3: Take a backup of your data
Step 4: Install Windows 10/11 on your SSD
Note: When you install an operating system on an SSD, there are chances that you might lose data on the SSD. During such a case, you might need to perform SSD data recovery to get back all your data without any damage.
2. Disable Fast Startups
Fast startup needs to be disabled so that the PC gets a clean reboot every time you shut down.
Step 1: Go to Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do.
Step 2: Click on Change settings that are currently unavailable, uncheck Turn on fast start-up box.
3. Make Sure TRIM is Enabled
TRIM is essential for expanding the lifespan of your SSD, mainly by keeping it clean behind the scenes. However, the Windows operating system enables TRIM automatically for SSD since Windows 7, you just need to double check if it has been enabled.
Step 1: Press Windows + R keys, type CMD and hit Enter to open the command prompt.
Step 2: Once the command prompt is opened type” fsutil behavior set disabledeletenotify 0”
Now, you might be seeing a notification saying “NTFS DisableDeleteNotify = 0 (Disabled)”, this means TRIM is enabled.
4. Enable AHCI
An Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) is essential for ensuring that Windows will support all the features associated with running SSDs on the PC, especially the TRIM feature, which allows Windows to assist the SSD with its garbage collection.
Since each BIOS functions differently, it’s really hard to exactly tell where the settings are. In most cases AHCI will be enabled by default, since it is usually recommended before installing an operating system on a device.
5. Update SSD Firmware
Just like above methods there is no automated way to update the SSD firmware; it takes some time and involves a bit more effort than updating other software.
In order to upgrade SSD firmware, each SSD Manufacturer has a different method, you should follow the directions on the official website of the SSD manufacturers.
6. Check System Restore
We recommend keeping an eye on System Restore, so make sure your SSD hasn’t disabled it by accident. Here is how you can change System Restore settings.
Step 1: Type Restore using search bar on your bottom left side of your screen and click on Create a restore point.
Step 2: Right-click your SSD drive in the list, configure in the new window, then click on Turn on system protection.
Conclusion:
Hopefully, you have made the major changes which will help you utilize the SSD to its full potential. Optimizing the SSD’s effectiveness can prolong its lifespan and allow it to run as fast as possible.
About Author:
John Harris, is a Senior Editor, Content Analyst who provides informational and instructional content on partition management, Windows hot-fixes, data management, and computer troubleshooting. A writer with more than 8 years of experience in writing for Hard Drive Data Recovery under both Windows and Mac operating systems, he is obsessed with data recovery and storage technology and is always looking for ways to improve the process.
