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You don't have to defrag SSDs but this setting is essential
As you use your computer over time, the files on your storage drive get chunked around to fill available space, which for hard drives meant you needed to defragment them every so often. This would shift data around on the drive to be contiguous for files, improving search and loading times. But with SSDs, the way data is read doesn't make much of a difference if the data is split across different sections of the drive. However, you can run the same optimizing tool to run a TRIM process on the SSD, which essentially marks the empty space on the drive as ready to use, so the firmware knows where to store data first.
How to defragment or trim your drive on Windows 11
Defragmenting and optimizing your drive can improve the performance of your Windows 11 PC. Here's how to do it.
Disable indexing
Windows indexing was intended for slower drives
Windows Search can be useful, but the indexing program that's used was written for slower drives and isn't really as necessary for SSDs. That means you can comfortably turn it off, without much of a hit to system performance. What you will gain though, is fewer writes and reads of your SSD's cells, which should mean a little bit more lifetime for your drive. Open up Services, select Windows Search and Stop the service, then set it to Disabled instead of the default setting. That way, it won't start automatically when you turn your computer on, and your system will be a little bit better for it.
7 things you need to do to make search better in Windows 11
Don't settle for underwhelming search results
Update firmware
Get the best performance available
As with many computing devices, SSD storage drives use firmware instructions to control their normal operation. Updates are infrequent compared to how often you update your smartphone, but they do happen, and when they do, it's always to fix some big issue with either performance, longevity, or security. These firmware updates don't come automatically through Windows Update like some device drivers do, so you'll need to check the manufacturer's website every so often to find out if one has been released. Or you could just install the manufacturer's utility, which should notify you if there is an update to perform.
How to update your SSD firmware on Windows
It's a fairly simple process to ensure the smooth performance of your SSDs
Enable write caching
Caching makes data access faster
One setting that's important for peak performance is write caching, which uses your system memory to improve the performance of your SSD while it's receiving data for writing. The only real drawback is that if power is interrupted to your device while data is being written, you could lose some of it, which is never a good thing. But with laptops or desktops (especially if connected to a UPS), the risk of data loss is small. To enable it, open up Device Manager and right-click on your SSD. On the Policies tab, there's a checkbox for Enable write caching on the device, and once it's ticked, the setting is on. Again, the only thing to watch out for is power outages, so keep that in mind. If you live in a place where power outages are common, invest in an uninterrupted power supply, or decide if you want to leave this performance boost turned off.
How important is DRAM in SSDs?
Let's break down why DRAM is a big deal for making your SSD work like a champ.
Adjust power plan
Make sure it's SSD optimized
Your PC's power plan holds a bunch of settings that help with either efficiency or performance, and one is particularly important for when you have SSD storage drives. That's the Turn off hard disk after setting, which usually has a number of minutes before it would park the platters on a hard drive to save power. On SSDs, there are no moving parts to park, so you can set this to 0, which means Windows will never try to lower its power state, keeping it ready and waiting for data transfer to happen. That keeps your system at peak readiness for when you need it, whether that's for work or for loading your favorite game. While you're in that menu, also change PCI Express - Link State Power Management to Off, because that will keep any NVMe SSDs ready for action.
4 things you should change in your PC's power plan
Windows gives you the ability to modify power plans, and there are a few changes you should make when you first set up your WIndows install.
Run the Disk Cleanup Tool
Clear out the crud that accumulates for more storage
Windows accumulates a ton of junk files over time, especially the large Windows.old folder that is created on every major update. It's handy to have for a short while in case you need to revert because of an issue, but as it takes up nearly as much space as your Windows installation, it's just dead space you could be better using. To remove these junk files, use the Disk Cleanup utility, and make sure to select the Previous Windows installation(s) while you're selecting which files to remove. It's probably good to keep the contents of your Downloads folder and go through that manually, just in case you delete something you need, but almost everything else on that list can be periodically scrubbed without fallout.
How to free up space on your PC after upgrading to Windows 11
Just updated your PC and need more space on your drive? Here's how you can free up space after upgrading to Windows 11 (or another version).
Disable Hibernation on desktop
You don't need it and the files take up a lot of space
If you're installing your SSD onto a desktop PC, there is one Windows setting you should instantly remove to gain a significant amount of SSD storage space back. That's the hibernation mode from the power button menu, and it's often a little tricky to turn off. See, Windows 11 isn't always the easiest to find the setting you need to toggle, but there are a couple of ways to disable hibernate mode.
The easiest way is to open an admin Command Prompt, and enter the following string:
powercfg-h offThat will remove hibernate as an option and the hibernate file from your SSD, which could be several times the size of your system RAM capacity. Even with SSD storage coming down in price, nobody wants their storage capacity to be limited just because of one power option that isn't needed on the desktop.
How to enable hibernate mode on Windows 11
Here's how you can enable the energy-saving hibernate feature on Windows 11
Your SSD will give you years of trouble-free storage with a little optimization
With a few simple settings, your SSD is all set for smooth storage. Modern hardware is often set for automatically fixing issues, but there are a few things that your operating system won't set up on its own. Once enabled, the tips on this list will give you the best boost to your PC's performance, as we all know adding an SSD is one of the best upgrades you can do.