Correct installation of windows 7 on ssd. Setting up the system after installing the SSD

In order for the SSD to work at its full potential, it must be configured. In addition, the correct settings will not only ensure fast and stable operation of the disk, but will also extend its service life. And today we will talk about how and what settings you need to make for the SSD.

We will consider SSD optimization in detail using the Windows 7 operating system as an example. Before moving on to the settings, let’s say a few words about what methods there are for this. Actually, you will have to choose here between automatic (using special utilities) and manual.

Method 1: Using SSD Mini Tweaker

Using the SSD Mini Tweaker utility, SSD optimization is almost completely automatic, with the exception of special actions. This setup method will not only save time, but also perform all the necessary actions more safely.

So, to optimize using SSD Mini Tweaker, you need to launch the program and check the boxes for the necessary actions. In order to understand what actions need to be performed, let's go through each point.

• Enable TRIM

TRIM is an operating system command that allows you to clear disk cells of physically deleted data, thus significantly increasing its performance. Since this command is very important for SSDs, we must enable it.

• Disable Superfetch

Superfetch is a service that allows you to speed up your system by collecting information about frequently used programs and pre-allocating the necessary modules in RAM. However, when using solid-state drives, there is no need for this service, since the data reading speed increases tenfold, which means the system can quickly read and launch the necessary module.

• Disable Prefetcher

Prefetcher is another service that allows you to increase the speed of your operating system. The principle of its operation is similar to the previous service, so for SSDs it can be safely disabled.

• Keep the system kernel in memory

If your computer has 4 or more gigabytes of RAM installed, then you can safely check the box next to this option. Moreover, by placing the kernel in RAM, you will extend the life of the drive and can increase the speed of the operating system.



• Increase file system cache size

This option will reduce the number of disk accesses and, therefore, extend its service life. The most frequently used areas of the disk will be stored in RAM as a cache, which will reduce the number of calls directly to the file system. However, there is also a downside - this is an increase in the amount of memory used. Therefore, if your computer has less than 2 gigabytes of RAM installed, then it is better not to check this option.

• Remove the limit from NTFS in terms of memory usage

Enabling this option will cause more read/write operations to be cached, which will require additional RAM. As a rule, this option can be enabled if it uses 2 or more gigabytes.

• Disable defragmentation of system files at boot

Since SSD has a different data recording principle compared to magnetic drives, which makes the need for file defragmentation absolutely unnecessary, it can be disabled.

• Disable creation of Layout.ini file

When the system is idle, a special file Layout.ini is created in the Prefetch folder, which stores a list of directories and files that are used when loading the operating system. This list is used by the defragmentation service. However, for an SSD this is absolutely not necessary, so we mark this option.



• Disable name creation in MS-DOS format

This option will allow you to disable the creation of names in the “8.3” format (8 characters for the file name and 3 for the extension). By and large, this is necessary for the correct operation of 16-bit applications created to run on the MS-DOS operating system. If you do not use such software, then it is better to disable this option.

• Disable Windows indexing system

The indexing system is designed to provide quick search for required files and folders. However, if you do not use standard search, you can disable it. In addition, if the operating system is installed on an SSD, this will reduce the number of disk accesses and free up additional space.

• Disable hibernation mode

Hibernation mode is usually used to quickly start the system. In this case, the current state of the system is saved in a system file, which is usually equal in size to RAM. This allows you to boot the operating system in a matter of seconds. However, this mode is relevant if you are using a magnetic drive. In the case of an SSD, loading itself occurs in a matter of seconds, so this mode can be disabled. In addition, this will save several gigabytes of space and extend its service life.



• Disable system protection feature

By disabling the system protection feature, you will not only save space, but also significantly extend the life of the disk. The fact is that system protection consists of creating checkpoints, the volume of which can be up to 15% of the total disk volume. This will also reduce the number of read/write operations. Therefore, it is better to disable this function for SSDs.

• Disable defragmentation service

As mentioned above, solid-state drives do not need defragmentation due to the nature of data storage, so this service can be disabled.

• Do not clear the page file

If you use a page file, you can “tell” the system that it does not need to be cleared every time you turn off the computer. This will reduce the number of operations with the SSD and extend its service life.

Now that we have checked all the necessary boxes, press the button "Apply changes" and restart the computer. This completes the SSD setup using the SSD Mini Tweaker application.

Method 2: Using SSD Tweaker

SSD Tweaker is another assistant in properly configuring SSDs. Unlike the first program, which is completely free, this one has both a paid and a free version. These versions differ, first of all, in the set of settings.

If you launch the utility for the first time, then by default you will be greeted with an English interface. Therefore, in the lower right corner we will select Russian. Unfortunately, some elements will still remain in English, but most of the text will still be translated into Russian.

Now let's go back to the first tab “SSD Tweaker”. Here, in the center of the window, there is a button that will allow you to select the disk settings automatically.
However, there is one “but” here - some settings will be available in the paid version. At the end of the procedure, the program will prompt you to restart the computer.

If you are not satisfied with the automatic disk setup, then you can go to manual. To do this, users of the SSD Tweaker application have two tabs available And "Advanced settings". The latter contains those options that will be available after purchasing a license.

On the tab You can enable or disable the Prefetcher and Superfetch services. These services serve to speed up the operation of the operating system, but when using an SSD they lose their meaning, so it is better to disable them. Other parameters that were described in the first method of setting up the drive are also available here. Therefore, we will not dwell on them in detail. If you have any questions about the options, then by hovering the cursor over the desired line you can get a detailed hint.

Tab "Advanced settings" contains additional options that allow you to manage some services, as well as use some features of Windows operating systems. Some of the settings (for example, such as "Enable Tablet PC Input Service" And "Enable Aero theme") have a greater impact on system performance and do not in any way affect the operation of solid-state drives.

Method 3: Manually setting up the SSD

In addition to using special utilities, you can configure the SSD yourself. However, in this case there is a risk of doing something wrong, especially if you are not yet an experienced user. Therefore, before you take action, make a restore point.

For most settings we will use the standard registry editor. To open it, you need to press the keys "Win + R" and in the window "Run" enter the command "regedit".

1. We enable the TRIM command.

First of all, let's enable the TRIM command, which will ensure fast operation of the solid-state drive. To do this, in the registry editor, go to the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\msahci

Here we find the parameter "ErrorControl" and change its value to «0» . Next, in the parameter "Start" also set the value «0» . Now all that remains is to restart the computer.



Important! Before making changes to the registry, you need to set the BIOS to AHCI controller mode instead of SATA.

In order to check whether the changes have taken effect or not, you need to open the device manager and in the branch IDEATA see if it's worth it AHCI. If it does, it means the changes have taken effect.

2. Disable data indexing.

In order to disable data indexing, go to the properties of the system disk and uncheck the box "Allow the contents of files on this drive to be indexed in addition to file properties".



If during the process of disabling data indexing the system reports an error, this is most likely related to the paging file. In this case, you need to reboot and repeat the action again.

3. Turn off the swap file.

If your computer has less than 4 gigabytes of RAM installed, then you can skip this item.

In order to disable the paging file, you need to go to the system performance settings and in the additional parameters you need to uncheck and enable the mode "no swap file".

Today we will talk about setting up new hard drives, so-called SSD drives. After reading the entire article, you will be able to configure your SSD drive under Windows 7.

Before we start setting up the system, let's understand the difference between HDD and SSD. An SSD is a solid-state drive that uses memory chips to store information, and an HDD is a drive on hard magnetic disks that rotate inside the hard drive at enormous speed.

The main advantage of SSD is the absence of mechanical moving parts, which increases the reliability of this device. There are also differences in the speed of operation, the heating of device parts, and the absence of extraneous noise. However, not everything is so good, because an SSD drive has its drawbacks. The main disadvantage of this device is the limitation of write/rewrite cycles. Regular MLC SSD drives are capable of writing data about 10 thousand times. At more expensive prices, SLC memory drives write data approximately 100 thousand times. In order to reduce the number of accesses to the SSD drive, it is necessary to correctly configure the operating system, thereby extending its life.

So, let's look at what needs to be done to configure the microcircuit drive under Windows 7.

1st point. Here we will transfer the page file to another hard drive. Go to the computer properties again: My Computer – Properties – Advanced system settings – category “Performance” – Settings. We do the same as shown in the screenshot below, or you can set a larger volume.

2nd point. You need to disable hibernation. Why is this being done? Every time the system switches to this mode, a huge amount of information is written to your drive (hard drive). Personally, I always recommend disabling this feature. Plus, by disabling hibernation we will free up space on the system local disk, which is equal to the amount of your RAM. Hibernation by default is necessary for fast system boot, but if an SSD drive is installed, then Windows will start in 5-10 seconds. Therefore, we disable hibernation. To do this, we need to get into the command line. Open Start and type cmd at the very bottom of the search window.

Now enter powercfg.exe /hibernate off in the command line and press Enter. When you restart your computer, you will see that there is free space on the C:\ drive.

3rd point. In this step, we will transfer the folder where temporary files are stored to a plain hard drive. To do this, right-click on the Computer icon - Properties - Advanced system settings - Advanced.

Here we find the Environment Settings button and change the TEMP and TMP path to another folder on the HDD. Personally, I created it on my D:\ drive.

4th point. You also need to disable System Protection. Again, open the computer properties – System protection – “System protection” tab – Configure – Disable system protection.

However, we will not be able to restore from a backup copy if a system failure occurs. However, we don’t need this, because the operating system is installed in 10-15 minutes.

5th point. Disable file indexing. Indexing is needed to quickly search the disk for various files. However, the average user does not search for anything very often, especially since search on an SSD is fast. So you can turn off this function without hesitation. To disable indexing, go to My Computer, right-click on the C:\ drive, and select “Properties” at the very bottom. Now, in the “General” tab, you need to uncheck the “Allow the contents of files on this drive to be indexed in addition to file properties.”

6th point. Disabling Preftch and RedyBoot.

Prefetch allows your system to boot quickly by reading data ahead of your hard drive. This technology is useless for an SSD drive, because it already provides enormous data reading speed.

In order to disable Prefetch, go to the registry editor (Start Menu - Run - type regedit and press Enter). The registry editor will open: here you should find the following registry branch:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINES\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters

here we need to change the value of the Enable Prefetcher key to “0”.

RedyBoot is an addition to the Prefetch technology. To disable it we follow the path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINES\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\ReadyBoot

Go to the Start parameter and change the value to “0”.

So we configured our operating system for an SSD drive, thereby extending its life! Of course, it will last a long time without any settings, but if you want to extend the life of the drive as much as possible, then follow all these steps. That's all, good luck!

An SSD is a device that has the same purpose as a hard drive, but in terms of its structure and operating principle it is very different from its counterpart. In particular, if the matter concerns the operation of Windows installed on an SSD, this device should be properly optimized in order to significantly extend its service life.

SSD optimization for Windows

Let's assume you have already installed the Windows operating system, starting with version seven, on a brand new SSD. If not yet, you can follow the link below to learn a short guide that will allow you to perform this procedure correctly.

The main feature of a solid state drive is that it has a limited number of rewrite cycles. This means that as little data as possible on the disk should be erased and rewritten. First of all, we will take this point into account when optimizing the SSD for the Windows operating system.

Step 1: Checking TRIM Activity

TRIM is a special feature introduced in Windows 7 that finds unused areas and allows you to clear them for later recording. If this function is undesirable for HDDs, then in the case of SSDs it will extend the service life of the drive.

Step 2: Disable automatic defragmentation

The next point that can seriously affect the service life of a solid-state drive is automatic defragmentation. The fact is that defragmentation is a useful tool for hard drives. It optimizes disk recordings, which allows you to speed up work with the HDD. In the case of SSDs, the less information is rewritten, the better.

As a rule, if an SSD is installed on your computer, Windows automatically disables this procedure, however, you should still check if this is the case.

To do this, press the keyboard shortcut Win+R to open the “Run” window and enter the following command in it, followed by pressing the Enter key:

The disk optimization menu will be displayed on the screen, in which, by highlighting the item "Solid State Drive", in the lower area of ​​the window you should see the value "Off". If you see the item "On", click on the button to the right "Change settings".

Uncheck the “Run on a schedule (recommended)” option, and then save the settings.

Stage 3: Deactivate the page file

The paging file is a system file that allows you to make up for the lack of RAM when it is fully loaded.

The idea is that the page file takes over unused data from RAM to the hard drive (solid state drive). It becomes clear that when this file is active, information is regularly overwritten on the solid-state drive, which needs to be minimized.

Alternatively, you can completely deactivate the page file, which will reduce the number of rewrite cycles on the solid-state drive, however, if you run several resource-intensive games or programs on your computer, the RAM may completely run out, which means a message will appear on your screen the following plan:

Step 4: Disable Windows Hibernation

Hibernation is a popular mode for turning on a computer, in which, after finishing work, the computer turns off completely, but after turning on it continues from the same place where you left off. Thus, the user does not have to re-launch all programs, open files, etc.

To disable hibernation, run Command Prompt as an administrator (as described above), and then run the following command in it:

Powercfg -h off

From this moment on, hibernation will be disabled, and the file responsible for it will be deleted from the system.

Step 5: Disable File Indexing

The file indexing procedure allows you to quickly find files on your computer, but due to constant rewriting, it negatively affects the life of the SSD.

Step 6: Activate Record Caching

Activating the record caching function will benefit both the solid-state drive and the hard drive.

Step 7: Disabling Prefetch

Prefetch is a special technology for speeding up system loading, which is aimed at working with slow media. As you understand, this function is useless for SSDs.

1. Launch the Run window using the Win+R keys and enter the following command:

A registry window will appear on the screen, in which you will need to go to the following branch:

HKLM SYSTEM CurrentControlSet Control Session Manager Memory Management PrefetchParameters

Double click on the option "EnablePrefetcher" and set the value in it «0» . Save your changes.

These tips will allow you to reduce the number of SSD write cycles without affecting system performance. But even if you do not resort to the tips listed in the article, the solid-state drive will delight you with its excellent performance for a long time. If you know what other SSD optimization techniques exist, share them in the comments.

• very high speed of the Operating system compared to conventional HDDs
• low power consumption (for laptops significantly increases battery life)
• high fault tolerance under severe overloads and damage (shaking, falling laptop, etc.)

But besides the advantages, there are also disadvantages:

• higher cost compared to HDD
• limited number of rewrite cycles

How to get rid of the last minus will be discussed in this article.

During operation of the operating system, service files are constantly changed, written and overwritten. Also, modern operating systems often automatically defragment the disk and perform other operations that, when working with a regular HDD, serve to speed up the operation of the system as a whole.

But when working on an SSD, such operations are harmful because they reduce the disk’s recording resource.

Therefore, it is necessary to rid the operating system of these procedures or at least reduce them to an acceptable minimum.

The optimal version for working on an SSD from the Windows family is version 7 and higher. Implementation based on Windows XP is also possible, but the result will not be as successful, because Microsoft introduced full support for these media only with the release of the Windows 7 series.

What to consider?

1. First of all, to reduce the volumes being written (and to reduce the volume in general), you need to get rid of the paging file. This in turn means that the amount of RAM on your computer/laptop should cover your needs with a margin (at least 30-50%). Those. If you usually use up to 2 GB of RAM for work, then you need to have 3-4 GB in your computer. Otherwise, when there is a peak in RAM usage and it exceeds 4GB, the system may crash and crash.
2. It is also necessary to understand that there are no accurate statistics on the operating resources of SSDs of various manufacturers and models as part of the OS, and thus there is no way to accurately predict the moment when the disk will exhaust its resource and begin to fail. Therefore, I recommend systematically monitoring SSDs with specialized utilities (will be described in more detail at the end of the article) and also do not forget to backup important data to removable media or network/cloud storage. I recommend using the Yandex.Disk resource as a “Cloud” resource for backing up data because of its ease of use and good accessibility throughout Russia.

Before installing the operating system:

It is advisable to disconnect all other media (HDD and USB-Flash) if they are connected - this will simplify the installation and allow Windows 7 to independently optimize some of the parameters for the SSD during installation.

You also need to check whether AHCI mode is enabled for the SATA controller. For most modern PCs and laptops, it is already enabled by default, and if you haven’t changed anything yourself, then you may not need anything.

Windows 7 installation:

Installation is best done from the original image. Do not use ready-made assemblies - in most cases they have a setting that does not allow you to make changes that will be required in the future to reduce the number of rewrites.

Setting up Windows 7 on SSD:

For quick and easy setup, the easiest way is to use a special free SSD Mini Tweaker utility.

SSD Mini Tweaker - will quickly and correctly make all the necessary changes to the system to reduce the frequency of writing system files.

But you will also need to independently disable indexing of the contents of files on the disk.

To do this, open the properties of the system disk and on the "General" tab, uncheck the "Allow file contents to be indexed..." checkbox. After that, click apply and in the “Confirm attribute changes” window that opens, select the option “... to all attached files and folders”, then click “Ok”. The process will take some time. During this process, a message will be displayed stating that you do not have permission to modify files - you can select the "Skip all" option and continue.

After completing this operation, you can consider the setup complete. After this, you can turn off the computer and connect other storage media (HDD), which will serve to store large amounts of data (media library, game library, galleries, etc.)

Have a nice work!

As mentioned above, it is advisable to use specialized software for systematic diagnostics of SSDs. One option is SSD Life.

The program does not calculate the “health” state of the disk, but receives it from the disk itself, more precisely from the S.M.A.R.T. system. Then, based on the data received and based on the current mode of use of the drive, its service life is calculated.

In this regard, for a more accurate assessment of the health of the SSD, the SSD Life program needs to monitor the operation of your drive for some time, viewing its load and calculating average values. The longer the analysis period, the more accurate the data.

Frequently asked questions about solid state drives

Before we answer any questions, we'd like to remind you that we are convinced that SSD storage for laptops and desktops (as well as for enterprise servers) has a bright future ahead of it. SSDs are truly capable of delivering high performance, improved system responsiveness, increased battery life, high reliability, faster boot times, and reduced vibration and noise. As prices come down and storage quality improves, we believe more and more computers will be sold with SSDs instead of traditional HDDs. With this in mind, we have focused the necessary engineering efforts to ensure that users can fully experience the benefits of working with a new type of storage device.

Q: Will Windows 7 support tweaking?

Oh yeah. This has already been discussed above.

Q: Will defragmentation be disabled by default for SSDs?

Oh yeah. Automatically running the defragmentation task will not include partitions created on the SSD or identifying themselves as such. In addition, if the system partition shows random read performance higher than 8 MB/s, it will also be excluded from the list for defragmentation. Performance levels were determined through internal testing.

The threshold performance level test was added to the final version due to the fact that only a few of the SSDs on the market identify themselves as SSDs in the system. 8 Mb/s is quite modest. SSD performance ranges from 11 to 130 MB/s. We tested 182 HDDs, and only 6 of them exceeded the 2 MB/s bar in the random read test. The results of the remaining 176 lie between 0.8 and 1.6 Mb/s.

Q: Will Superfetch be disabled for SSDs?

A: Yes, for most computers with SSD. If the drive is an SSD, and if it shows adequate random write/overwrite results, then Superfetch, Prefetch for loading and running applications, ReadyBoost and ReadyDrive will be disabled.

Initially, these features were supposed to be disabled for all SSDs, but we found that this resulted in poor performance on some systems. While investigating the possible causes of this situation, we found that some early SSD models have serious problems with random writes, ultimately leading to the fact that reading from the disk stops altogether and for a long period of time. With Superfetch and Prefetch enabled, performance in everyday use again improved noticeably.

A: Compressing files helps save disk space, but requires additional processor power for compression and decompression, which leads to increased power consumption on laptops. Strictly speaking, for folders and files that are used very rarely, compression can serve as a good tool for saving expensive SSD space - if the free space is really so necessary.

However, we do not recommend using compression in cases where folders and files are constantly in use. Your Documents folders and the files in them are not a problem, but temporary Internet folders and mail directories should not be compressed, since they are constantly writing and rewriting a large number of files in batch mode.

Q: Does the Windows Search Indexer work differently on an SSD?

Q: Is Bitlocker encryption optimized to work with SSDs?

A: Yes, on NTFS. When Bitlocker is first configured for a particular partition, it is read in its entirety, encrypted, and written back. As soon as this happens, the file system will issue a command to perform an adjustment that optimizes the operation of the drive.

We encourage all users concerned about the safety and protection of their data to use Bitlocker on their drives, including SSDs.

Q: Does Media Center do anything special when configured on an SSD?

Oh no. Although SSDs have advantages over traditional HDDs, the price per 1 GB for SSDs is still significantly higher than for conventional drives. For most users, an HDD optimized for multimedia content is still the best option, since such content requires a significant recording and playback load that has sequential read/write characteristics.

Q: Does write caching make sense for SSDs and how does Windows 7 help support write caching if the SSD supports it?

A: Some manufacturers install RAM chips on their devices not only to operate controllers; they should, as with traditional disks, cache reads and, if possible, writes. For drives that cache writes in fast, non-volatile memory, Windows 7 assumes that the presence of overwrite and write-queue commands will be no less effective than for HDDs. Additionally, Windows 7 assumes that user settings that disable caching will be treated by the SSD as if it were a regular drive.

Q: Does it make sense to configure RAID for an SSD?

Oh yeah. The reliability and performance gained by configuring RAID on traditional drives is maintained when using an SSD.

Q: Do I need to place the page file on the SSD?

Oh yeah. The main operations with the paging file are random writing of small volumes or sequential writing of large amounts of data. Both types of operations work fine on an SSD.

By analyzing telemetry focused on estimating writes and reads for the pagefile, we found that:

reading from Pagefile.sys takes precedence over writing to pagefile.sys in a 40:1 ratio,
The read blocks for Pagefile.sys are typically quite small, with 67% of them being less than or equal to 4 KB and 88% being less than 16 KB.
The write blocks in Pagefile.sys are quite large, 62% of them are greater than or equal to 128 KB and 45% are almost exactly 1 MB.
Generally speaking, the typical page file usage patterns and SSD performance characteristics fit together very well, and it is the file that is highly recommended to be placed on the SSD.

Q: Are there any restrictions for using hibernation mode with an SSD?

A: No, hiberfile.sys is written and read sequentially in large blocks, and can be located on either an SSD or HDD.

Q: What changes have been made to the Windows Experience Index to correctly reflect SSD performance metrics?

A: In Windows 7, these are new criteria for evaluating random writes, overwrites, and reads. The best samples can receive an index from 6.5 to 7.9. To qualify for this range, drives must have outstanding performance for the specified types of operations and be able to withstand heavy loads of these types.

During the Windows 7 beta testing, there were cases where the index varied from 1.9 to 2.9, or as if the drive (SSD or HDD) was not performing as expected at all when running a performance benchmark. We received a lot of feedback on this issue, most objecting to such low ratings. As a result, we have simply banned SSDs with potential performance issues from competing for the 6.0+ and 7.0+ tier ratings that were recently added. SSDs that aren't among the favorites in this type of race will end up with indexes that are roughly the same as they would have been in Windows Vista, without benefiting much from the random write performance gains in Windows 7.

Michael Fortin

program manager of the Fundamentals team