Formatting implies the process of deleting all data from the selected partition or the entire drive. Advanced users of hard drives know that this is the procedure and how it is produced, and also understand that there are practically no restrictions on the number of formatting in HDD. The inverse situation is related to SSD - in view of the design features, namely the limited number of cycles of rewriting information, it is unclear whether to format a solid-state drive?
SSD formatting
The formatting process is carried out in two cases: when you first use the device (usually before installing the operating system) and for quickly cleaning the partition or disk entirely from all saved information. New users of solid-state devices have questions: it is possible and whether it makes sense to format on SSD, whether it does not harm it to the device and how effective will be deleted, which is especially relevant, for example, when preparing the drive for sale or transfer to other persons. We'll figure it out with all this further.SSD formatting before installing the operating system
As we have already said earlier, users often acquire SDS in order to establish an operating system on it. But before this, the question arises about its formatting, forcing some to doubt the usefulness of this action for SSD. Do I need to do it?
A new solid-state drive, like a new hard disk, falls into our hands without marking and main boot record with the partition table. Without this, everything is not possible to install the operating system. Such creation processes are carried out in automatic mode by the distribution system itself, the user just need to start formatting the unoccupied space with the corresponding button. Upon completion, a section available to install the system, which can be previously broken down to several minutes, provided that there is a need for this.
If a solid-state drive, any operating system will be reused (subject to full installation, and not update), again, the formatting will be predetermined with the re-creation of the disc marker. Therefore, with the second and subsequent full settings of the OS, you will lose all data that ever was previously recorded on CDS.
See also: How to transfer the operating system and programs with HDD on SSD
SSD formatting for space cleaning
This formatting variant usually use to clean custom sections to which the disk is broken. Sometimes it is used for both complete cleaning of the device. Using the SSD, this procedure can also be carried out, but with some reservations.
Formatting rule
Regardless of which software to conduct this you use, it is important to perform "quick formatting". This feature can provide any high-quality program, as well as a built-in OS tool. For example, in Windows, the required check mark is already installed by default. In third-party software, it is often a quick formatting that is also proposed by default, and it is precisely this option to adhere to.
This requirement is associated with the fact that the formatting process in the SSD is somewhat different than in the HDD due to the hardware differences between the two devices and the non-recording processes and remove information from the board (at SSD) and the magnetic disk (at HDD).
When quickly formatting a solid-state drive, the Trim command is activated (subject to the support of this function in the OS), which helps to carefully lure all the information. The same happens at HDD with full formatting. It is because of this, complete formatting for SSD is not only meaningless, but also harmful, since it is wasted by the shelter its resources.
If we are talking about Windows, TRIM is only in Windows 7 and higher, which means that only modern operating systems can work efficiently with solid-state drives. Therefore, if you plan for some reason to install a outdated version of the system on a solid-state drive, first make sure that there is no need for this, and then check the support for TRIM technology. In more detail about this function and its compatibility, we told just below.
The effect of formatting on the duration of the SSD
This question is probably most of all worries the owners of these devices. As we all know, the SSD has a limit in the form of the number of cycles of rewriting information, after the production of which the speed of its work will begin to decline until the device fails. However, formatting does not affect the wear of the device until you use complete formatting. It is determined by the fact that the SSD does not work as the HDD: with full formatting in each cell, zero is written that for HDD means empty space, and for SSD - busy. From this we make a simple conclusion: After complete formatting, the hard disk can be unhindered to record new data into an empty "zero" cell, and the solid-state drive will have to first remove zero, and only then write different information there. The result is to reduce the speed and service life.See also: What is the service life of SSD
Fast formatting physically does not remove anything from the disk, simply marking each sector free. Thanks to this, the drive's wear does not occur. Full formatting overwrites each sector, which reduces the total duration of the component.
Of course, after full cleaning from all the data, you will re-install programs and / or the operating system, but the volume recording volumes are not so great to talk about tangible effect on the duration of the service.
Data recovery with formatted SSD
Of course, it will be important to know about what cases you can restore the lined data.
Secure Erase is a strengthening of all the stored information by the ATA controller. That is, this process does not perform the operating system and not the file system, namely the controller, reducing the possibility of data recovery even in professional centers. For Secure Erase, each manufacturer recommends choosing a branded program, for example, for Samsung is Samsung Magician, for Crucial - Crucial Storage Executive and others. In addition to formatting, Secure Erase restores the factory level of performance and is recommended for use when the SSD speed is degraded, which is practically susceptible to Solid-state drives with time.
It is recommended to resort to such a cleaning option only in extreme situations: to restore the former speed with a tangible seating or when the transmission of CEDs in other people's hands. If you want to irrevocably delete the data, it is not at all necessary (and even unsafe) to use Secure Erase every time - similar functionality is usually formatting when the Trim command is enabled. However, as we said earlier, the work of Trim is limited to certain conditions. She does not work:
- On external SSD (USB connected);
- With FAT, FAT32, EXFAT, EX2 file systems;
- With a damaged file system or SSD;
- On many NAS drives (with the exception of some options in combination with the new version of the operating system);
- On many RAID arrays (the availability of support is found individually);
- In Windows XP, Vista, on Linux nuclei to version 2.6.33;
- In Mac on third-party SSD (i.e. not original from Apple).
At the same time, TRIM is enabled by default when the AHCI connection is type in BIOS and on new operating systems, and in Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 and MacOS it works automatically immediately after deleting files. After its completion, it is not possible to restore remote data. In Linux distributions, it all depends on the system settings: most often it is enabled by default and is performed immediately, but something can be turned off or activated, but it is performed once a week.
Accordingly, if you disconnect the Trim function or it is not supported by the features of operation, after formatting the data can be restored in the same way as with HDD - by using special programs.
The benefits of formatting SSD
The principle of work is such that the recording speed is partially depends on the free space on the drive. To be more accurate, the effectiveness and performance is influenced by the level of repository, as well as trim technologies. Therefore, the more information is stored on SSD, the stronger the speed drops. Of course, the numbers in this case are not critical, but they can be tangible in some situations, for example, when constantly saving files or when the disk is already not very fast. Formatting kills two hares at once: gives more free space and causes the controller to mark the cells empty, removing all the garbage from them.
Due to this, on some drives after this procedure, you can notice a small increase in the speed of the serial and random recording. The easiest way to know is probably using the program to estimate the speed of the disc before and after formatting. However, it is worth understanding that if the vehicle speed as a whole has not decreased during operation, the indicators will remain unchanged.
See also: Test SSD speed
From this article, you learned that the formatting of SSD is not easy to do, but it is necessary, since under different circumstances it increases the speed of the drive and can permanently delete confidential data.