I have an SSD, can I also increase its speed?

No. It is important to differentiate between hard disks and solid-state drives (SSD). As we can imagine from the size of SSDs, these storage units have no moving parts. These parts are the heads and platters found inside a traditional hard drive. Instead, the information is stored in NAND flash memory. This is why SSDs are so fast. In fact, they only need to find free space to write the data. Therefore, SSDs become slower the less free space they have. In effect, the controller has a harder time finding free space on which to write data.

Optimization tools generally do not work with SSDs. In fact, many experts recommend avoiding them so as not to reduce their lifecycle. If you want your SSD to run faster, free up storage space or format it.

4 tips to improve hard drive read/write speed on Windows

Hard disks, on the other hand, are made up of moving parts. Over time, we erase data, rewriting new information. As a result, many files end up lost and scattered all over the hard disk. Many files even end up divided into small parts, spread over very distant sectors. Therefore, in the end, it makes the reader have to go a longer way to read the whole file. This obviously makes reading/writing slower.

The goal of most optimization tools is to reorganize the entire hard disk. This way, all files and their respective parts are as close to each other as possible. This way, the disk will have less work and will take less time to read the information.

Defragments and optimizes the hard drive

This is a basic maintenance task. Open Windows Explorer and right-click on the hard disk drive. Select Properties and in the Tools tab click on the Optimize button.

This will open the Windows defragmenter, which will optimize the drive. With this in mind, it will put all the data fragments together in nearby sectors to make the information more accessible to the disk reader.

Enables write cache

The write cache is used to take workload off the hard disk. So, when we copy a file, instead of writing it directly to the hard disk, it is written to the cache first. As the cache memory is faster, this improves performance substantially. Before activating the cache, keep in mind that it is also a double-edged sword. If the PC shuts down unexpectedly or there is a system failure, this can result in data loss or damage.

That said, you can enable the write cache like this:

• Open Windows Explorer.
• Right-click on the hard disk drive (usually C:) and select Properties.
• Go to the Hardware tab, select the hard disk drive and click on the Properties button.
• Finally, go to the Policies tab and check the Enable write cache on device box.

Optimizes the paging file

The paging file is a file used by Windows as virtual memory. It is used to use part of the hard disk as if it were RAM. Specifically, in moments in which the memory is full. Something that comes great when we use programs that consume a lot of RAM. According to Microsoft, the recommended size of the paging file should be 1.5 times the maximum size of the RAM. So, if you have a RAM of 4 GB, the paging file should not be larger than 6 GB.

• Open the Windows search engine and type System (you can also find this option by opening the Control Panel). You can also get it in the Windows Settings. Just press Win+I and go to the corresponding option.
• In the new window, go to the Advanced system settings option.
• A new window will open. Once there, click on the Advanced tab. Next, scroll down to the Performance section. Finally, click on Settings.
• In the subsequent sale, again select Advanced and in the Virtual Memory section select Change.
• Finally, uncheck the box Automatically manage paging file size for all drive and select Custom size. In the “Maximum size field set the maximum limit, which should be 1.5 times the size of our RAM.

Remove unnecessary applications and do a good cleanup

As we say, a hard disk with little free space is a slower hard disk. Open the Windows settings menu and locate the Add or Remove Programs section. Lu and uninstall all the programs that are unnecessary or that you no longer use.

Also take the opportunity to do a good cleaning and delete all those heavy files that you no longer need, or if you prefer, move them to an external hard drive to free up some space. Okay, so we have seen how to improve the hard drive speed on Windows. Bye!

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Configuring Windows to protect an SSD.

Several tools are available to check the life of the SSD. Indeed, there are programs such as Crystal Disk Mark or Hard Disk Sentinel. Their function is to perform performance tests and check the status. However, we can also take actions in Windows 10 to extend the life of the SSD. These tasks will allow us not to force the storage system to perform tasks that consume unnecessary read/write cycles. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Disable hibernation on the computer.

This feature causes the system memory to store the information about running programs on the SSD. This way, when the system is restarted, the system will pass that information back to the system memory. Undoubtedly, an option that can be useful. However, this task consumes write cycles that we could save in order not to damage the SSD eventually. Consequently, it is advisable to disable the hibernation option. With this in mind, it is necessary to launch a Command Prompt with administrator privileges. To achieve this, just type CMD in the search bar and select the appropriate option.

Then run the following command:

powerrcfg.exe/hibernate off

Modify the paging file

Occasionally, a program requires more physical memory than the system can provide. In such a case, Windows resorts to a paging file. Also known as virtual memory, this file allows storing information on these applications in the storage system. Ideally, you should have enough RAM to avoid having to resort to virtual memory. If so, we can disable this function. Consequently, we will avoid unnecessary write processes on the SSD. If you do not have enough RAM, you can also resort to a mechanical hard disk. This way you can generate the page file in that location. This means that you do not have to delete it. To learn how to edit and delete this file, please have a look at our tutorial.

Disable disk defragment

On traditional hard disks, defragmentation is a very useful maintenance task. However, the situation changes with SSD disks. Keep in mind that SSDs have no mechanical parts. Therefore, data localization does not affect its performance. In fact, by consuming P/E (Program-erase) cycles, its lifetime is shortened. Follow these steps to disable this option. First, type defragment in the search bar.

Next, the unit optimization options are opened. Please click on Change settings.

To deactivate it completely, please uncheck all the checkboxes.

Ultimately, we have seen How to configure Windows 10 to protect an SSD. In addition, we can also try other tasks to extend the life of this element. For example, keep the unit’s firmware up to date. Or reduce the manipulation of the cache and temporary files. So long!

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A new problem for Windows 10 puts the hard disk in risk.

Previously we have talked about the CHKDSK command. In fact, this tool is very useful for fixing failures on the hard disk. However, with this update it screws up again. Indeed, the community has reported failures using this command. Especially computers with the cumulative update KB4592438. Everything happens when users run chkdsk c: /f on the command prompt. It is well known that this command serves to check the disk and repair possible errors on it. Apparently, after executing it, many users suffer a blue screen of death with the error Stop-Error NTFS File System. And what is worse, it is not possible to return to start the system.

The bad news is that, apparently, there is no known solution to this problem so far. The good news is that this is an error that will not affect us if we do not execute the command. So there is no need to pause the update. However, since this is an optional update, it is recommended that you do not install it.

Microsoft has not yet taken a position on this problem. However, a response is expected soon. Especially from the affected customers. It is very likely that they will release a patch to solve the problem. Every time a problem like this arises, a debate is reopened. That is, updates are sufficiently tested before they are released? We have lost quality control from the passage of Windows 8.1 to Windows 10? Seeing as the last update of Windows 10 can destroy the hard disk, the answer seems clear. Bye!

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SSDs utilize NAND flash at the core that stores data (0 and 1). The performance gain of an SSD over a HDD is way higher. Even the lowest quality SSD can easily beat the highest quality HDD of today.

Looking for extracting a little bit more performance out of your SSD storage? Time to choose the right file system! Thankfully, Linux comes up with a plenty of file systems. Some of them can really boost the performance out of your SSD while increasing the longevity.

Let’s check out the best file systems for your SSD right now!

Best file SSD file systems

• Ext4

Ext4, also known as Extended4 is the default file system choice of most of the Linux distros. Of course, there’s a good reason for that.

Ext4 is a major improvement over the Ext3 file system that comes up with a ton of additional features like special support for the SSD storages.

However, in the community, it’s still in debate whether the file system is suitable for the new Linux users. In fact, there are plenty of posts that say Ext4 is good or, Ext4 is bad…

If you’re using SSD, then Ext4 is the right choice as it comes up with TRIM (special feature required for avoiding useless SSD write limit usage) and the ability to disable journaling. With some useful SSD optimizations, it can greatly improve your SSD lifetime as well.

• XFS

XFS is yet another file system that’s quite loved and adored in the Linux community. It’s because it holds the power of handling and managing a significant amount of data reliably. XFS is also well-known for its high-performance.

That’s why if you’re always in need of heavy usage of data, then XFS is your choice. It also comes up with various SSD optimization features like TRIM and others.

• BtrFS

BtrFS is developed by Oracle Corp. It’s a relatively newer file system that targets mitigating problems while improving the system performance and making system repair simpler.

The reason that makes BtrFS more suitable for the SSD storage is the usage of no file system journal. Without having a journal, it conserves NAND writes. Moreover, with even modern architecture, the data access is also faster.

BtrFS also supports the usual SSD features like TRIM and other optimizations. You can also take a robust snapshot of the drive for roll-backing and creating a duplicate of the system instantly.

• F2FS

This one is specially crafted for NAND flash storage devices. F2FS focuses only on flash memory, so as you’ve guessed, it comes up with all the tweaks suitable for flash memory.

However, it’s still quite a new file system that may give you a harder time to enjoy. Not all the Linux distros have default support for this file system. Getting the support can also a hefty task.

Enjoy!

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Check out Windows tweaks for saving up your SSD’s write cycles.

The flaw

Using the flaw in the modern, popular SSDs like Samsung and Crucial, security researchers were able to bypass hardware decryption without a password. Carlo Meijer and Bernard van Gastel from Radboud University conducted the research.

They successfully modified the firmware or used a debugging interface to modify the password validation routine in SSD drives and ultimately, decrypt “hardware encrypted” data without password. The test was successful in getting data out of Crucial MX 100, MX 200, MX 300 and Samsung 840 EVO, 850 EVO, T3 Portable, T5 Portable etc.

According to the report, the researchers were able to reverse engineer the firmware of those SSDs. In theory, the hardware encryption was similar to software implementations. In reality, many of those implementations have critical weaknesses as many models allow complete recovery of the data without any knowledge of any secret.

Windows BitLocker is also vulnerable to this issue as it enables hard drive encryption by default.

How the flaw works

In the case of Crucial MX 100, MX 200 and Samsung T3 Portable, the researchers, using the device’s JTAG debugging interface, successfully modified the password validation routine. Then, the routine would allow access to the data regardless of right/wrong password.

In the case of Crucial MX 300, researchers had to use a modified firmware as the JTAG debugging interface was disabled by default. After enabling, the same method decrypted the password without any problem.

Samsung 840 EVO and 850 EVO SSDs were a bit difficult to crack. Depending on the SED specification in action, the researchers had to connect to the JTAG debug port or issue a wear-level concern, allowing them to recover the cryptographic secrets required for unlocking the drive.

How to stay secure

The SSDs that are currently on the market aren’t secure enough to protect your data once crook(s) get their hands on. Before you dump an SSD, you have to make sure that the drive doesn’t contain any important data.

If you’re using BitLocker, make sure that you disable the hardware encryption feature from “Group Policy Editor”.

Go to Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> BitLocker Drive Encryption >> Operating System Drives >> Configure use of hardware-based encryption for operating system drives.

Change the value to “Disabled”.

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SSD is a highly optimized solution for using under heavy load. Yet, you have to worry about its lifespan. Yes, unlike HDD, there’s a limited amount of data you can write to your SSD before it dies. Here are some of the important tricks that you should follow to reduce the data writings on your SSD.

Why SSD wears out

SSD is made of small flash cells. Each of the cells holds the datum “1” or “0” that consists of all the data you put inside it. Each cell has a limited number of writings. When a cell changes its value, the writing cycle is used. When all the writing cycles are used, that cell is basically useless. It can’t hold data anymore.

For any SSD, there’s a limit how much data you can write on the SSD. This can be counted as TBW (Terabytes Written). I wish the SSD companies out there would provide TBWs of their products. However, here’s a basic TBW to keep in mind.

The TBW value can vary from SSD to SSD dramatically. These values are for a rough estimation. There are tons of reviews available on a large range of SSDs. Feel free to check them out for a more accurate result.

• 60GB SSD – about 30 TBW.
• 120GB SSD – about 60 TBW.
• 240GB SSD – about 120 TBW.
• 480GB SSD – about 240 TBW.
• 960GB SSD – about 480 TBW.

Again, these are rough estimations. For the exact value for a specific SSD, you should check out the reviews available in the internet.

Windows tweaks

Windows is one of the most popular operating systems all over the world. In the current world, it’s pretty common to use an SSD as the boot drive for a faster boot performance. Truth be told, by replacing just the HDD of your 10-years-old machine with an SSD can turn the machine a lot faster, even to compete with the modern hardware!

In the case of Windows, there are a number of features that the operating system uses to perform better. For HDD, these options are pretty useful. However, when you’re using SSD as the boot drive, those settings have no effect. The performance of SSD is so fast that using prefetch, superfetch, auto defrag etc. won’t have any advantage.

Windows tweaks for SSD

Strangely, Windows tends to keep HDD tweaks active, even if you’re using an SSD! Here are all those options that you should disable.

• Superfetch – It’s a new service that’s introduced with Windows 10. It predicts what app you’re about to use next depending on your usage info and preloads the app in the system memory. It’s essentially a better version of “Prefetch”.
• Prefetch – A method to increase the startup performance of Windows and other apps by loading app data into the memory.
• Auto defrag – Moves the file portions around the disk into nearer places so that the entire file is accessible faster. This is very beneficial for HDDs as the one single file, on the physical disk, can be scattered into different pieces all over the place.
• Hibernation – Hibernates the computer and saves the current state into the system. SSD performance is very fast to allow you boot instantly. If you’re using this feature frequently, you should not disable the option.

These are HDD specific tweaks that you have to change. Additionally, a few more tweaks will help.

• NTFS memory usage
• Large system cache
• System files in memory – Drivers and kernels must remain on the physical memory.
• Pagefile

Other important things are not to install all your large programs (games and others), changing the “Downloads”, “Documents”, “Videos”, “Pictures” etc. folder location to a different storage etc. All the options should help you enjoy the maximum SSD longevity.

How to apply the tweaks

Here’s a simple tool that allows you to perform all the tasks very easily. Get Tweak SSD. Get the free version as it’s enough for doing the job.

On the “SSD System Optimization” tab, you’ll find out all the available options.

Just apply the tweak and voila! Mission accomplished!

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