Format new ssd. Preparing your computer and media for installing Windows

The reasons for formatting an SSD drive are always different. Something could go wrong due to virus infection or damage to parts of the media. Or maybe it is completely new, and this procedure is necessary in order to start using it successfully. One way or another, ways to format hard drive SSD, there are several.

This material will discuss the most basic of them.

For what?

It was said earlier that there are many reasons to format an SSD. Each user may have their own unique case. However, it is also worth noting the most common options for the purpose for which you need to format an SSD, new or old. Here is their list:

• for the purpose of creating markup. To be able to work with the hard drive in the future. The process occurs after the drive is first attached to the computer. If formatting is not completed, the SSD will not appear among other local media;
• complete cleaning of accumulated debris. This procedure helps to clean the device of all those files that have accumulated on it over the years of operation. If Windows is installed on the disk (for example), this will help increase the speed of the computer;
• need for installation operating system. The best option for the maximum on a new OS would be to install it on a completely clean disk;
• troubleshooting errors and malfunctions. If the device is infected with viruses that cannot be removed, then you should resort to the formatting procedure.

What types are there?

On at the moment There are two options for how to format an SSD on Windows 10 or another operating system. These are the methods:

• quick formatting. From the name it becomes clear that this procedure does not take much time from the user. However, this form has big disadvantages. Quick option does not provide for optimization. All existing files are not deleted anywhere. And if any errors or malfunctions arise in the operation of the SSD, they will not be corrected;
• full formatting. The method helps optimize the disk. During the complete cleaning procedure, complete removal files. The system is checked and all detected violations, malfunctions and errors are corrected.

Now it’s worth moving on to the instructions on how to properly format an SSD.

Working on Windows 7

This version of the operating system from Microsoft still remains almost the most popular. And it still works quite well large number users. Therefore, you should not deprive her of attention. Let us next consider two ways to format an SSD for Windows 7.

Simple option

IN in this case Only those tools that are initially installed in the operating system itself are needed. To format in this way, simply follow the instructions:

• launch the My Computer program using the shortcut or Explorer;
• Find the required SSD among the list of drives connected to the device;
• right-click on it to call it context menu;

• From the list of actions, select “Format”;
• a window will open. Before you format your SSD, you need to set some parameters. If you don’t know how and what to change, just leave all the points untouched;
• Once configured, you can begin the procedure.

Complicated version

This method to format a new SSD (or old) suggests using the administration. The procedure is performed as follows:

• Having activated the "Start" menu, launch "Control Panel";
• here you need to find a section called "System and Security";
• in it go to “Administration”;

• now double-click on the computer control point;
• on the left side of the window, find and activate the “Disk Management” section;
• after opening the list, select the one you need for formatting. Click on it right click mouse and launch the corresponding process in the context menu;
• The settings window will appear in front of you again. Parameter values ​​can be changed. But if you are not sure, then just leave it as is;
• press the button to start the procedure and just wait for it to finish.

Now let's figure out how to format an SSD via BIOS.

Working with BIOS

To perform the formatting procedure using this method, you must use third-party software. Among all the diversity specialized programs You can pay attention to a utility called Acronics Disk Director. Let's look at formatting an SSD via BIOS using its example:

• First you need to install this software on a disk or flash drive. After this, connect the media and restart the computer;
• When the system starts, quickly press the BIOS launch key. It is worth keeping in mind that each motherboard has its own set. But in some cases, the desired key is written on the start screen, at the very bottom;
• then the BIOS program menu will open in front of you. Using your keyboard, find and activate the tab called Boot;
• after that, display the media with the installed utility in the first position. The drive that needs to be formatted should be on the second or third line;
• Now press the F10 button. The program will exit, saving all changes;
• then restart your computer. If all the steps given earlier are performed correctly, the media with the installed software. In this case, you can begin the formatting procedure;
• select full version Acronics Disk Director. After opening the window, before formatting the SSD, place a marker next to the item with activation manual mode;
• then mark the required disk;
• Select a formatting operation from the list on the left. A settings window will appear. You can leave everything as default or change it depending on your needs;
• confirm the changes made. Click on the checkbox located in the top panel of the window. And click on the “Proceed” button, thereby starting the formatting process.

Now let's look at how to format an SSD using the command line.

Quite a risky option

It is worth noting that formatting via the command line, as well as working with the registry editor, is a rather risky method. Making the wrong changes can cause the system to either freeze or stop working altogether. So here is a further example of how it can be implemented by you at your own peril and risk:

• click on the "Start" button;
• after that, go to the all programs section;
• open the folder there standard applications and select the "Run" command;
• now type cmd and Ok;
• After this, a command prompt window will open. Find the line that ends with the phrase format;
• here enter your drive letter followed by a colon. Press the enter button;
• you will be shown a message warning that all information and files will be permanently destroyed;
• You will also need to agree to start the formatting procedure by entering the letter Y.

A little about the procedure

It is worth noting that methods for formatting SSDs on latest version operating systems from Microsoft are not very different from those that were given to work on the seventh release. Next, we will demonstrate several of the most common options for how to format the last Windows versions.

This computer

This is the shortest and easiest way. In fact, it can be called formatting directly. This is done as follows:

• Launch This PC. Use a shortcut or "Explorer";
• From the list of connected media, select the one that needs to be formatted. Click on it with the right mouse button;
• in the context menu that opens, select the formatting function;
• After this, the already familiar settings window will open. Everything is the same here, if you are not sure, leave all the items as default;

• press the button to start the procedure and just wait for it to finish.

Disk Management

• via the search bar, launch the "Control Panel" application. Among all the elements, find the administration section;
• after the transition, find the computer management section;

• On the left, find the paragraph called "Disk Management". Here, find the required device and, after selecting it, launch the formatting window. Configure the parameters and activate the procedure.

Now let's talk about how to format an SSD if it is external storage.

Formatting an external drive

This option for performing the procedure is not too complicated, but it involves working with disk volumes. To format SSD data method, you must perform the following steps:

• through the Start menu, launch the section standard programs. There, activate “Run”;
• in the window that appears, enter compmgmt.msc and confirm your action;
• The Computer Management program will open in front of you. On the left side, open Disk Management. Determine the required disk in the pop-up subroutine;

• now activate the MBR and confirm the changes made again;
• right-click on the media and select the option to create a new volume. The "Wizard Assistant" will be activated. Here click the "Next" button;
• leave the size option at the value that is already set (maximum);
• in the next step, select the letter that will be used to name the drive. Confirm the action and continue setting up;
• A new window will open in front of you. There will be a section formatting line here. Enter the drive letter into it and start the formatting process.

An SSD solid-state drive differs in its properties and method of operation from hard HDD disk, but the process of installing Windows 10 on it will not be much different; there is a noticeable difference only in preparing the computer.

Preparing the disk and computer for installation

Owners of SSD drives know that previous versions For the OS to work correctly, long-lasting and fully functional, it was necessary to change the system settings manually: disable defragmentation, some functions, hibernation, built-in antiviruses, the paging file and change a few other parameters. But in Windows 10, the developers took these shortcomings into account; the system now performs all disk settings itself.

You especially need to focus on defragmentation: before, it greatly harmed the disk, but in the new OS it works differently, not harming the SSD, but optimizing it, so you should not disable automatic defragmentation. It's the same with other functions - in Windows 10 you don't need to configure the system's work with the disk manually, everything is already done for you.

The only thing is that when dividing a disk into partitions, it is recommended to leave 10–15% of its total volume as unallocated space. This will not increase its performance, the recording speed will remain the same, but the service life may be slightly extended. But remember, most likely, the disk will last longer than you need even without additional settings. You can free up free interest both during the installation of Windows 10 (we will focus on this during the process in the instructions below) and after it using system utilities or third party programs.

Preliminary PC setup

In order to install Windows on an SSD drive, you need to switch the computer to AHCI mode and make sure that the motherboard supports the SATA 3.0 interface. Information about whether SATA 3.0 is supported or not can be found on the official website of the company that developed your motherboard, or using third-party programs such as HWINFO (http://www.hwinfo.com/download32.html).

Switching to SATA mode

1. Turn off your computer.
2. As soon as the startup process begins, press the special key on the keyboard to go to the BIOS. Typically the Delete, F2 or other hotkeys are used. Which one will be used in your case will be written in a special footnote during the inclusion process.
3. BIOS interface different models motherboards will be different, but the principle of switching to AHCI mode on each of them is almost identical. First, go to the Settings section. To move through blocks and items, use the mouse or arrow keys with the Enter button.
4. Go to additional settings BIOS.
5. Go to the “Built-in peripherals” sub-item.
6. In the “SATA Configuration” block, find the port to which your SSD is connected and press Enter on the keyboard.
7. Select AHCI operating mode. It may already be selected by default, but we needed to make sure of this. Save the settings made in the BIOS and exit it, boot the computer to proceed to preparing the media with the installation file.

Preparing installation media

If you already have a ready installation disk, then you can skip this step and immediately proceed with installing the OS. If you don’t have one, then you will need a USB flash drive with at least 4 GB of memory. Creating an installation program on it will look like this:

1. We insert the USB flash drive into the port and wait until the computer recognizes it. Open the explorer.
2. First of all, it is important to format it. This is done for two reasons: the memory of the flash drive must be completely empty and divided in the format we need. While on home page Explorer, right-click on the flash drive and select “Format” in the menu that opens.
3. We select the NTFS format mode and begin the operation, which can last up to ten minutes. Please note that all data stored on the formatted media will be permanently erased.
4. Let's go to official page Windows 10 (https://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/software-download/windows10) and download the installation tool.
5. Launch the downloaded program. Read and accept the license agreement.
6. Select the second option “Create installation media”, since this method of installing Windows is more reliable, because you can start all over again at any time, and also use the created installation media in the future to install the OS on other computers.
7. Select the system language, version and bit depth. You should take the version that suits you best. If you regular user, then you should not load the system with unnecessary functions that will never be useful to you, install home windows. The capacity depends on how many cores your processor has: one (32) or two (64). Information about the processor can be found in the computer properties or on the official website of the company that developed the processor.
8. In the media selection, select the USB device option.
9. Select the flash drive from which the installation media will be created.
10. We wait until the media creation process is completed.
11. Reboot the computer without removing the media.
12. During startup, enter the BIOS.
13. We change the boot order of the computer: your flash drive should be in first place, not the hard drive, so that when you turn on the computer starts booting from it and, accordingly, starts the Windows installation process.

Windows 10 installation process on SSD

1. Installation begins with choosing a language; set the Russian language in all lines.
2. Confirm that you want to start the installation.
3. Read and accept the license agreement.
4. You may be asked to enter license key. If you have it, then enter it, if not, then skip this step for now and activate the system after installing it.
5. Go to manual installation, since this method will allow you to configure disk partitions.
6. A window will open with disk partition settings, click on the “Disk Settings” button.
7. If you are installing the system for the first time, then all SSD memory the disk will not be allocated. Otherwise, you need to select one of the partitions to install and format it. Unallocated memory or already existing disks partition as follows: allocate more than 40 GB to the main disk on which the OS will be located, so as not to encounter it being clogged in the future, leave 10–15% of the total disk memory unallocated (if all the memory is already allocated, delete the partitions and start forming them anew), we give all the remaining memory to additional section(usually drive D) or partitions (drives E, F, G...). Don't forget to format the main partition allocated for the OS.
8. To begin installation, select the drive and click Next.
9. Wait until the system installs in automatic mode. The process may take more than ten minutes, do not interrupt it under any circumstances. After the procedure is completed, creation will begin. account and setting basic system parameters, follow the instructions on the screen and select the settings for yourself.

Video tutorial: how to install Windows 10 on an SSD

Installing Windows 10 on an SSD is no different from the same process with an HDD drive. Most importantly, do not forget to enable ACHI mode in BIOS settings. After installing the system, there is no need to configure the disk; the system will do it for you.

Buying a solid-state drive is not even half the battle. It is important to install it correctly, but most importantly, you need to optimally configure the operating system to improve the performance of the SSD and extend its life. We'll talk about this today.

First, let's define the initial data: the only SSD will be entirely dedicated to the needs of Windows 7. Why the “seven”? Well, firstly, this is the latest and, perhaps, the most successful version of “Windows” over the past 10 years, and secondly, in it you will have to make fewer body movements to achieve the desired result. Of course, no one bothers you to install the good old Windows XP on a solid-state drive (this is exactly the combination we saw on the first models ASUS Eee PC). But you will have to tinker with this OS.

Here problems arise: incorrect alignment of partitions on SSDs and the file cluster size that is not optimal for such information storage devices. NTFS systems. Additionally, XP does not support the TRIM command, which was introduced in the ATA interface specification precisely to improve SSD support. Actually, there is third-party software that allows you to organize “emulation” of this command (in quotes - because in fact we are talking about a function that is not complete analogue TRIM, although it does about the same thing; I have not checked how it functions in practice).

The parameter responsible for the SATA controller mode is usually located in the Integrated Peripherals section in CMOS Setup

This state of affairs is due to the fact that the Windows disk subsystem was optimized for regular hard drives, while SSDs have completely different operating principles. The practical guide does not involve deep excursions into theory, so I highly recommend that you read the article ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRIM_(SSD_command) - it is written in sufficient detail about why this command is so important.

Whatever drive you have, you must first connect it physically (by the way, if you have already decided to purchase such a device, but have not yet had time to do so, read the sidebar “About choosing an SSD”). Everything is elementary here, so look for a SATA cable and go ahead. I won’t waste magazine space on describing trivial actions, I’ll just remind you that many modern motherboards have SATA 6 Gb/s controllers (either chipset-based or on a separate chip).

It is to them that the drive should be connected if it is also familiar with this interface revision. And one more point: all SSDs available in retail are made in the 2.5″ form factor. If the PC case does not have mounting slots for such devices, you need to take care in advance of the slides that allow you to install “laptop” drives in a standard 3.5-inch bay. Sometimes such sleds come complete with the SSD itself (of course, in boxed versions).

Device Manager view when SATA controller drivers are installed correctly and AHCI mode is enabled

Now you need to switch the controller to which the solid-state drive is connected to AHCI mode. Only in this case will the same TRIM command mentioned above be effective. Compatibility mode (IDE / Legacy IDE / Native IDE, other options are possible) is not suitable for our purposes. So, go to CMOS Setup and set the appropriate parameter (both in classic “BIOSes” and in UEFI it is usually located in the Integrated Peripherals section, although it may also be in the Chipset Features section; if not found, read the manual for the motherboard).

If you connected the SSD to the controller on a separate board, then the algorithm of actions is similar. Only very budget nameless controllers (as a rule, on Silicon Image chips) do not have the ability to change BIOS settings, but it is better not to take such iron at all, and if it is already available, you should immediately and without hesitation give it to the enemy: let him suffer (bloodthirsty smiley).

Before installing Windows 7, I recommend going to the website of the motherboard or controller manufacturer, downloading the latest drivers for Windows 7 (usually they exist in two distributions, for 32- and 64-bit versions of the OS) and uploading them to a USB flash drive. There is no point in describing in detail the process of installing the operating system: the main thing is that it “sees” your SSD, after which you can safely give all the unallocated space to the “axis” itself.

When partitioning the drive, the “Seven” must correctly align the partitions, format them for NTFS with a cluster size of 4 KB and enable support for the TRIM command.

If the required drive is not in the list of detected storage devices, you need to slip the newly downloaded “firewood” into the installation program. It happens that during the installation of the OS on a drive connected to an Intel chipset controller, errors occur. If you encounter this, look for a solution here: support.microsoft.com/kb/2466753. By the way, I note that many of the operations described below require administrator rights and when the UAC system is enabled, you need to enter a password.

In the fresh copies of Windows The first step is to check whether AHCI mode is actually enabled. For example, I encountered the fact that after installing Windows 7 on storage devices connected to third-party controllers (in particular, JMicron), the system lost the “firewood” that was “fed” to it during the installation.

At the same time, what’s most interesting is that the OS loaded, and the drives seemed to behave normally. The only problem was that in the “Device Manager” next to the device “Standard” AHCI controller 1.0 Serial ATA" there were question marks. It was not possible to find out what this is connected with - and it didn’t hurt, to be honest, since the problem is solved by simply reinstalling the drivers in Windows itself.

“Seven” - if it correctly determines that it is being installed on an SSD - must correctly align the partitions when partitioning the drive, format them for NTFS with a cluster size of 4 KB and enable support for the TRIM command. As a rule, problems do not arise here, so if you do not consider yourself to be the type of person who wants to double-check everything, you can safely skip a few paragraphs and return to reading where the post-installation setup of the operating system is described.

About partition alignment (let me remind you that Windows 7, during a standard installation, creates two volumes, one is boot, the other is system, and the first, small volume, is not assigned a drive letter, and you can “see” it only in the “Control Panel” applet > “ Administration" > "System Management" > "Disk Management"). You can determine the offset using the console utility DiskPart, by running which you need to enter two commands in succession: select disk 0 (here 0 is the number of the disk on which the system partition is located; you can view the entire list with the list disk command) and then list partition.

To greatly simplify and without going into details, I will say that the offset of the first partition should be equal to 1 MB, the second - 1 MB + the size of the first partition, etc. Instructions on how to align partitions using the same command are here: support.microsoft.com/kb/929491 (useful, among other things, for those who want to make hard drives with support compatible with Windows XP Advanced Format, i.e. with a physical sector size of 4 KB; Be careful - following the recommendations described in the Microsoft support article will destroy all information on the disk). More about alignment: habrahabr.ru/company/paragon/blog/97436.

The file system cluster size is determined using the fsutil fsinfo ntfsinfo C: console command (the “seven” system partition is always assigned the letter C:; this can be changed, although it is not recommended - see support.microsoft.com/kb/223188). And to check whether TRIM support is enabled, use the fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify command. If it returns the value 0, then everything is in order, if 1, then TRIM is not activated.

I will also add that there are a number of third-party tools that will help you avoid unnecessary effort. For example, the AS SSD Benchmark utility (alex-is.de), which I recently described in “Small Programs,” shows in its window whether AHCI mode is enabled and whether the partitions are aligned correctly. Another utility, SSD Life Free (ssd-life.ru), will allow you to quickly determine how things are going with TRIM support. Both software are free, and I strongly recommend that all SSD owners add them to their system maintenance software arsenal.

After conducting a series of express tests, I found out that this parameter somehow affects the recording speed, but the results are not repeatable, so I don’t give specific numbers. There are messages on the Internet that disabling caching in some cases allows you to get rid of “ blue screens death” (to be fair, I will say that I did not have to face this). Another solution to this problem is changing the drive firmware.

But if you are not ready for such radical measures or your SSD is already filled with the most latest version"firmware", try caching and actually disable it - maybe it will help? This is done like this: in the “Device Manager” you need to select the desired drive in the “Disk devices” section, click on the “Properties” item in the context menu and on the “Policies” tab enable the “Quick removal” option. After this you will have to restart your PC.

You won’t have to deal with other caching services – Prefetch and Superfetch: in theory, Windows 7 itself should disable them when installing them on an SSD. I will limit myself to just mentioning this, since it is not difficult to find instructions on the Internet, including in Russian, on how to do this manually.

At the right approach Windows 7 with a typical set of home software easily fits on a 32 GB solid state drive. But buying such devices is not recommended.

But you will have to stop automatic indexing of files on a partition located on an SSD yourself. Everything is simple here: select the properties of the desired logical drive and uncheck the box next to the item with the tricky name “Allow the contents of files on this drive to be indexed in addition to the file properties.” A new dialog box will open in which we will be asked to make changes only for the root folder or for all subdirectories. Select the second option and click OK.

About virtual memory. If your machine has 8 GB of RAM or more, you can safely disable it - of course, unless you are using software that can eat up all the available RAM. When it comes to the ordinary home computer, which is used for a little bit of everything (Internet, text editing, watching movies, games), eight gigs is enough, and personally, for example, I have never encountered a situation where the amount of allocated memory approached this value.

But for 4 GB RAM, I recommend leaving the swap file, but moving it to a partition located on a regular HDD. In both cases, you need to go to “Control Panel” > “System”, click on the item “ Additional options system", select the "Advanced" tab, in it - the "Performance" section, then - another "Advanced" tab, click on the "Change" button in the " Virtual memory"and, depending on your desire, either check the box next to the item "Without paging file" for all disks (this is if it is not needed at all), or set it manually for the logical disk that is located on a regular HDD. The changes will take effect after the system is restarted.

Hibernation mode, in which a Hiberfil.sys file is created in the root of the system partition, equal in size to the amount of RAM installed in the PC, I personally always disable on both desktops and laptops. In the case of ordinary hard drives, it is debatable how correct this decision is. But when Windows 7 is installed on an SSD, this technology generally loses all meaning, since loading the OS “from scratch” takes very little time (for example, my machine takes no more than 20 seconds).

Therefore, we simply type powercfg -h off in the console and press Enter - this will save us both from the mode itself and from the above file, which, by the way, cannot be transferred to another partition (and free space on an SSD it will still be very useful). For those especially gifted, the Redmond corporation has released the Microsoft Fix it 50466 patch, which disables hibernation without requiring manual entry of commands. Find it here: support.microsoft.com/kb/920730.

System Restore is a controversial function (those who have encountered cunning malware will understand what I mean), which, among other things, consumes free space on the partition at an alarming rate. So, for reasons of saving free space on the SSD, we refuse it too. To do this, again go to “Advanced system settings”, on the “System Protection” tab, select drive C: from the list, click the “Configure” button and enable the “Disable system protection” item.

It remains to deal with defragmentation, which Windows, starting with Vista, performs according to a schedule in background in all sections (these are the default OS settings). For solid-state drives, FS optimization does more harm than good: they do not have the same access time problems as conventional hard drives, and additional write operations only reduce the service life of the SSD. I propose a radical solution: cancel this task altogether. Good free defragmenters with a built-in scheduler (for example, Smart Defrag 2, www.iobit.com/

iobitsmartdefrag.html). If you agree with this approach, then go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Task Scheduler and disable the ScheduledDefrag task. However, it can also be modified so that the standard defragmenter does not process logical drives located on the SSD. This is done on the “Actions” tab in the task properties, where instead of the command line argument -c you need to enter -e C:, where C: is the system partition. After this, the “Details” line on the same tab should look like this: %windir%\system32\defrag.exe -e C:.

Sometimes it is also recommended to disable NTFS journaling and recording of the Last Access Time Stamp attribute for logical drives on SSDs. I probably wouldn’t do the first, but the second is possible. True, then you will no longer be able to determine when any application accessed a particular file or folder, but in return you will receive some improvement in the performance of the entire disk subsystem and a reduction in the load on the SSD. So feel free to enter the fsutil behavior set disablelastaccess 1 command in the console - and you’re done (although a reboot will be required).

Now let's talk about free space. It is highly not recommended to “clog” partitions on SSDs to capacity: this not only reduces the data exchange speed, but also, due to the specifics of solid-state drives, leads to accelerated wear of the device and, as a result, a decrease in its service life. There is a rule of thumb: you should leave about 15% of the total free space on such partitions. That is, if the system volume on your SSD is 60 GB, then you need about 10 GB to be unoccupied. Unfortunately, I could not find any justification for this specific figure (15%), but this is the recommendation most often found on the Internet.

What can you do here? Well, for example, move the “My Documents” folder to another logical drive, refuse storage in system partition user files, install gigabyte-intensive software (games) on other drives, disable the cache in browsers (in the case of Chrome this is not so easy to do, but it’s still possible: read the note kompkimi.ru/?p=19579 – translation leaves much to be desired, but this is the most sensible instruction in Russian). But compression of files and folders using NTFS It is better not to use it on solid-state drives, as this increases the number of write cycles with all the ensuing consequences.

Storage devices based on NAND memory do not require any special maintenance during operation, but from time to time it makes sense to check their health. All modern SSDs support S.M.A.R.T. technology, which allows you to evaluate the technical condition of the drive. To view the corresponding attributes, I recommend free utility CrystalDiskInfo (crystalmark.info). And the SSD Life Free program mentioned above can predict the remaining service life of such devices.

As always, there is almost no space left for the final part of the article. So I’ll just say one thing: do not neglect the above recommendations, and a grateful SSD will serve you faithfully for many years (smile). U.P.

About choosing an SSD
Prices for regular HDDs have not returned to their “antediluvian” state, although six months have passed since the flood in Thailand (at the time of this writing). But SSDs continue to get cheaper, so now is a good time to purchase them. In Moscow retail, the most widely represented models are those with capacities of 32/64/128/256 GB (there are also intermediate values ​​- for example, 50 GB).

With the right approach, the “seven”, along with a typical set of home software (with the exception of games with “heavy” graphics), easily fits on a 32 GB SSD. But I don’t recommend buying such devices: they are already beginning to become obsolete, and their performance indicators are somewhat lower compared to more capacious models.

On the other hand, SSDs from 240 GB already cost quite a lot of money. Therefore, if the drive is needed only for the system, then the most the best option There will be a device with a capacity of 64 to 128 GB. Choice specific model I leave it up to the readers. I’ll just note that it makes sense to focus on solid state materials with SATA interface 6 Gb/s.

Before going to the nearest store, I also advise you to look for reviews on the Internet about the model you are planning to purchase: quite often there are still problems caused by “crooked” firmware. There is also a banal incompatibility between motherboards and SSDs at the hardware level.

In this article we will talk about hard formatting in various systems. We will get acquainted with the concept of formatting, why is it even needed, and in what ways can this be achieved? Well, friends, let's get started. Let it be known to you that formatting a disk is a useful and necessary thing. Essentially, this is a process in which the hard drive is divided into logical drives for storing data. During such actions, information takes up a certain place on disk sectors. And after formatting, programs that request access to this or that information from the hard drive receive an exact answer about its location. This process is also actively used if it is necessary to change the file system to FAT32, NTFS, or exFAT. Advanced users know exactly how to properly format a hard drive, because this operation helps to reinstall an existing system, or install a completely new one, as well as destroy viruses that are deeply embedded in the hard drive. So, let's talk about the ways in which hard drives are formatted in the Windows operating system.

How to format a disk with Windows 7?

There are several methods used for formatting. Each of them has both advantages and disadvantages. Let's take a closer look at the main ones.

The most in a simple way formatting hard drive considered to be a method using operating system tools. To apply this method, follow the following algorithm:

• Open “Computer” located on the desktop;
• On the disk that you plan to format, right-click and select “Format...”;
• Next, a window opens, in which you should select the necessary parameters and click on the “Start” button. If you don’t know which parameters are best for you to set, then leave everything as it is, that is, by default.

There is another simple formatting method using administration. So, repeat everything in this sequence:

• Open the “Control Panel” by first clicking “Start”;
• Next, go to the “System and Security” item, select “Administration”;
• Double-click to open “Computer Management”;
• On the left side of the window that opens, find “Disk Management”;
• Well, then, on the disk selected for formatting, right-click on “Format...”;
• In the window that opens, with formatting settings, you can choose the parameters yourself, or you can leave them as default.
• Next, click on the “Start” button.

How to format a hard drive via BIOS?

To format your hard drive using this method, you will need the help of third-party programs. Today there are a lot of similar programs, but we will look at a program that is considered one of the best and which is very easy to work with, this program is called Acronis Disk Director.

Before you start formatting your hard drive using BIOS, you need to have boot disk or a flash drive with Acronis Disk Director.

How to format a hard drive via the command line?

So, let's get straight to action:

How to format it correctly?

Before we begin describing how to format an SSD, let's tell you a little about what an SSD is. This is a solid-state storage device that does not have mechanical elements, the operation of which is based on the functioning of microcircuits.

Now let's look at how such media is formatted if the SSD is an external drive:

• First of all, click “Start” and go to the “All Programs” section, in which we select the “Accessories” folder, and then “Run”;
• In this window, enter the command compmgmt.msc and click “Ok”;
• The “Computer Management” window will appear, on the left side select “Disk Management”, a pop-up window will appear with a request SSD definitions disk;
• Next, select MBR (Master Boot Record) and click “OK”;
• Right-click on the capacity and select “Create a new volume”;
• “Wizard Assistant” will appear, follow “Next”;
• Leave the “Specify Volume Size” option unchanged (maximum) and click “Continue”;
• Select the drive letter and click “Next”;
• A window appears where in the line “Format partitions” we write the name of the disk and click “Next”.

How to format a disk with Windows 10?

There are several ways to format a hard drive running Windows 10. In principle, this procedure is similar to formatting with Windows 7 installed. Let's take a quick look at how to do this in version 10.

So, the easiest way is using “My Computer”:

• Open “Computer” and right-click on “Format...”;
• In the window that opens, select the necessary parameters or leave them by default and start the process by clicking on the “Start” button.

Let's look at the second method, using the Windows Disk Management tool:

• Click “Start”, open “Control Panel”, go to “System and Security”, select “Administration”, and then “Computer Management”;
• On the left side of the window we find “Disk Management”;
• Right-click on the drive you want to format and select “Format...”;
• Select options and start formatting.

Another way using the command line:

• We follow this path: “Start”, select “All Programs”, open the “Accessories” folder, and, finally, “Run”;
• In the line we write cmd and press “Enter”;
• IN command line write format and the letter of the drive that we will format, for example format e:

Well, you can also format the hard drive using BIOS, we talked about this above.

) grows exponentially. Classic magnetic HDD drives are rapidly becoming a thing of the past or more often play the role of large-scale storage for files, and modern operating systems are recommended to be installed on an SSD screw.
It is recommended to install modern operating systems on an SSD screw

Compared with traditional HDD, SSD hard The disk has a number of advantages:

But at the same time, many questions arose regarding the use of solid-state drives. The most common:

• Is it possible and necessary to defragment an SSD drive?
• Is frequent rewriting harmful?
• Is it possible to format an SSD drive?
• Is it possible to fill an SSD with files to capacity?
• how to extend the life of an SSD drive in Windows 7?

Is it possible to defragment an SSD?

Defragmentation to optimize space. SSD defragmentation is not necessary. This procedure will not affect the speed of the storage medium in any way and may even cause harm. Disk defragmentation is the constant overwriting of files, and the solid-state external hard The disk has a finite number of write cycles.

Defragmentation is needed only for HDDs, because on them each file lies in separate parts on different sectors and when accessing them, the hard drive slows down. Defragmentation organizes hard drive sectors and fewer mechanical movements are made inside the device. In solid-state drives, such actions are not performed and files from individual sectors are read equally quickly. Thus, we disable automatic defragmentation, if such a function is available in your operating system.

What operating systems are best to use for an SSD drive?

The TRIM command is a way to notify Solid State Drive that it can physically delete blocks of data no longer contained in file system. It is recommended to select an OS that supports this command for installation on the SSD. That is, the operating system for the SSD must be modern. Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 are ideal.

The TRIM team itself emerged with the proliferation so that new data storage technologies could compete with HDD. Accordingly, operating systems , XP and earlier are not suitable for

installations on SSD. You can use them, but they will be slow.

What happens if there is little disk space left?

It is not recommended to fill the SSD to 100%. Otherwise, you will notice how much the SSD slows down when doing the most simple programs. Optimal disk filling is 75%. At the same time, the harmony between performance and capacity of the drive will be maintained.

Experts in modern computer technology advise leaving some free space on the SSD, or better yet, even unallocated space. However, we should not forget about the presence of a reserve area, which begins to be used when the SSD is critically full.

Is it possible to store large files on an SSD?

In most cases, users use SSD for the operating system and applications.

A program launched from a solid-state drive will run faster than from an HDD, and the OS will load faster.

To store user files, it is better to use a regular HDD operating in parallel. Why?

Firstly, because the capacity solid state drive is often small, and secondly, the cost of an SSD drive is equal to the price of a much larger HDD. The first speeds up the loading and operation of the operating system and all programs, and in terms of volume it is suitable only for them. But it is not always possible to install a HDD (in ultrabooks).

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In this case, it is recommended to purchase an external hdd. It is better suited for storing movies, music and other large files. In fact, nothing bad will happen to it if you store large files on it, but while the volumes of such disks are small and the cost is high, it is better to use them where they show a confident increase in performance.

What else can’t be done?

Many tips for saving SSD resources are a myth. Users often voice the idea that the fewer data rewrite cycles a solid-state drive experiences, the better. Yes, this is true, but in order to ruin an SSD by overwriting, you will have to work hard. Even if you completely rewrite it 10 times a day, it is unlikely that in a year or two something will happen to a high-quality drive and you will need SSD drive repair.

But what you definitely shouldn’t do is repair the SSD yourself. An exception to the rule is if you are a specialist in the relevant profile. The maximum that you can do without experience and skills is flashing the SSD firmware (replacing the factory software with new version). Very often, “crooked” firmware from the factory becomes the reason for too slow speed SSD operation and failure to read and write files at the stated speed.

It is easy to fix this by flashing it, because many manufacturers offer special applications. Such a program for the SSD returns it the necessary performance according to the principle “next - next - next - finish”.

You can perform such operations without fear for the disk itself. The main thing is to be sure of the right choice official firmware for your drive. Restoring an OCZ SSD after a serious crash is best left to professionals.

Results

To not worry about the health of your solid-state drive, use a variety of monitoring utilities. Numerous programs for working with SSD drives It’s not difficult to find both on the Internet and on the official websites of SSD manufacturers.

Remember that modern solid state drives have a long service life and it’s stupid to worry about a couple of extra rewrite cycles. You can format it, but it’s stupid to abuse it. Now you know about ssd defragmentation.