If we have problems with our computer, or it has a slow operation, probably needs maintenance and this maintenance includes disk optimization , so today we are going to teach you how to optimize an SSD in Windows 10, 7 and 8.
The disks accumulate a series of files that are very harmful on our computer, but not only that, they also have a memory limit that if it is completely covered begins to affect the operation of the computer . For this reason, optimizing a disk has positive consequences on the health status of the computer.
This tutorial shows a series of methods that show how to make the process simple and explicit in every way, so that anyone with or without computer skills can do it without any problem .
Index:
Why is it important to keep the SSD disk optimized?
Keeping the SSD disk up to date offers many advantages that guarantee an excellent experience while operating or using the equipment . There are many things we do with our computers and for that reason, there are also many things that are stored on our disk taking up unnecessary space , such as disk errors, garbage files, installation failures softwares and other things.
These files not only take up disk space, but also delay or slow down operation. But fortunately all these problems are eliminated if the operation of the SSD is optimized regularly, as well as having free space in the SSD memory . With a constantly optimized disk the PC will not present any type of error.
How often do you have to optimize the SSD so that it always works full ?
Computers are more similar to what you think of humans. Just as you should go to the doctor at least twice a year, the components of your equipment also need maintenance from time to time. Although there is no established norm to know how often you have to perform disk optimization, computer experts set a standard according to the use of it.
- For office and day-to-day work : if you use your computer to do work in Word or Excel, as well as to browse the internet and view your social networks, it will be enough to perform an optimization once a year .
- For editing and content creation : if you are one of those who use the equipment to create and edit audiovisual content for your channel YouTube or another platform, it will be necessary to perform a good cleaning every 4 months .
- To play : if you are one of those who caña your team All day installing online or offline video games, you will have to take the time to optimize the SSD at least once every 3 months .
It should be noted that these are not established norms but an estimate based on the use you give to your computer, but if your desire is to perform a monthly or weekly optimization you can do it perfectly , although exceeding This sense is not good either. So it is best to use common sense and if your computer is still slow after cleaning, the problem may lie beyond the SSD.
Steps to optimize an SSD in Windows 10, 7 and 8 to render to the fullest
Now that you know why to do a disk optimization and how often to do it, it is time for you to learn what are the main aspects that you must manage to keep your SSD to top.
Update Firmware
Like all hardware components , SSDs also need to be updated to offer maximum performance. To do this you just have to look for updates that the manufacturer provides for each one, since each SSD has different systems.
The developers upload all the necessary updates to their official websites and from there you can download them . If you don’t know what firmware version the SSD you use has, you can find out using some tools like CrystalDiskInfo.
CrystalDiskInfo is a program that completely monitors the state of hard drives by identifying bugs , new updates and much more for free. Like most programs, there is a Premium version that offers unlimited benefits, but if you do not have the payment mode, the free one offers many services that are efficient in your work.
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Enable AHCI in Windows
AHCI or also known as Advanced Host Controller Interface , is one of the most important features when you want to increase the performance of the SSD from Windows. To enable AHCI, you must enter the PC BIOS and then activate it from its settings.
When we talk about entering the BIOS we mean entering the BIOS settings that can only be done before the computer starts. Each BIOS has a different command and settings, and this is due to the manufacturer.
It is highly recommended that you only activate this option before installing Windows, since some BIOS does not allow you to activate this feature when the operating system is already installed . However, we invite you to check the conditions of your equipment by reviewing the manual published by the manufacturer.
Enable TRIM
TRIM is an option that Windows 10 automatically activates , however it can also be enabled manually. It is used to prevent degradation of the hard disk and in turn extend its SSD life.
To activate it, it is necessary to execute a command from the system, which you do by entering the “Command Prompt” and then executing the “fsutil behavior set DisableDeleteNotify 0” (without the quotes) hitting Enter and waiting for the procedure to pass.
Check that system restore is enabled
At the beginning that the SSD began to be marketed, the units were not as durable as they are today and were always exposed to fail numbers, For this reason, it was highly recommended by professionals who System restore will be disabled to improve its redemption.
But thanks to its improvements, it is currently recommended to keep this feature active as it is a useful option . Some manufacturers program their products to automatically deactivate system restore.
If you have Windows 10, you must verify that your SSD has not deactivated the system restore and for this you just have to enable it.
You must start by locating the “Control Panel” , then the “System” option, then “System Properties” and click in “System protection”.
To finish, in the window that opens, you check that the unit has the option «Enabled» or not, if it is not enabled, just select the disk, click on «Configure » and enable it.
Defragment the disk
Many people say that it is unnecessary to keep this option active and even some comment that it is harmful to the health of the computer, but this information is actually true but to a certain extent .
At first the SSD did not perform a full reading if this option was kept enabled, so it was said that it was negatively affecting the PC to keep it active.
Currently, this option is beneficial since each program or thing that is done inside the PC leaves garbage or other known as fragments and they take up a lot of space on the hard disk , so defragmenting it is eliminated and the disk works optimally.
To enable this option go to the Windows menu select “Computer”, then select the local disk by right clicking on it , in the list that appears you select the option that says «Properties». It will open a window where you will go to the tab that says “Tools”, in which you will select the option “Defragment now “.
After this a window will open in which the disk will be analyzed so you can see how fragmented it is. You will see lines of different colors that identify the type of file they represent (garbage, essential files, documents, etc.). Then you simply click on “Defragment Now” and wait for the process to finish. At the end you will have to restart the computer for the changes to take effect.
Manage the paging file
The paging file is, although many do not recognize it, a long-time companion of Windows and is also known as Exchange file or virtual memory. Its job is to ensure that the system never runs out of memory. For this it uses portions of the data disk in temporary RAM mode .
Many people create discussion forums talking about whether or not to activate it and personally we think so , because this is not simply a disk space used when there is no more space in physical memory , since Windows also uses it to place certain things since it starts, as well as bug reports and system drivers .
It is for this reason that you should not penalize performance even if you have your SSD as a primary , since Windows works like this. In fact, if this principle is not respected and the processes are so many that leave the system without memory and the consequences will not wait, but if in your case you have large amounts of RAM if you can consider deactivating it without any inconvenience .
Disable the paging file in Windows
In case you think differently from us and want to deactivate the paging file, you can do it without problems.
To deactivate it, just go to the “Control Panel” and go to the “System” option. Then open “Advanced settings” system », and you go to « System properties ».
The performance settings will be displayed and in «Advanced options» you search and click on «Virtual memory» and click on «Continue». By default by the system, the option that allows Windows to self-manage it will be active, uncheck it and choose the option “No paging file” and click on “Accept” . To finish this process you need to restart your computer to save the changes.
Reduce the size of Windows virtual memory
If you don’t want to go so deep and you don’t dare to deactivate virtual memory, what you can do is limit it to 1GB. With this option you will gain a good disk space (the virtual memory will always be equipped with the physical memory installed) and in this way you let Windows do its processes and manage in the pagefile.sys .
For this case, just like the previous one, you will have to go to “Control panel”> »System»> »Computer properties»> »Advanced system settings»> »System properties»> »Advanced options »>» Virtual memory ».
The difference is that this time you will write the values that you want to reduce the memory size and click on set and restart the computer.
List of the best programs to optimize an SSD disk automatically
If all this seems tedious to do every time you want to optimize your SSD, you can rely on an external program that allows you to perform all these functions from a single interface.
Here is a list of the 3 best you can install on your computer:
Abelssoft SSD Fresh
This is a free software specially designed for users with little computer skills who wish to optimize their SSD devices quickly and easily. This allows you to clean junk files, empty RAM and manage virtual memory from a single button , being undoubtedly the most efficient you can download. It also has a paid version, which constantly checks the state of the disk and notifies us when it requires a new optimization, for just € 10.
Tweak-SSD
While this requires some more advanced knowledge than the previous one, it is also much more powerful, and its free version provides all the tools necessary to keep our SSD completely optimized . This also has a € 10 paid version that offers certain special features.
MaxVeloSSD
This is a program intended for those who work professionally with SSDs. Its free version is very limited, but the paid ones, ranging from € 14.99 to € 299.99 , are much more powerful and guarantee maximum optimization of your disk SSD .