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FYI: Don't run "Wipe Free Space" on your SSD

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SolidxSnake

Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2004
Not sure if this applies to all SSDs or just Indilinx-controlled drives, but can't be too cautious.

Ran CCleaner's "Wipe Free Space" function on my OCZ Vertex drives, (two 60GB Vertexes in Intel ICH10R RAID0), and about 40% through it my computer locked up. Reset and it hung at bios trying to detect one of the drives. Not the first time this has happened after extensive stress on the drive. Had to destructive-flash it and reinstall my OS as it destroyed my RAID array upon failure. Drive's running fine now.

Just a reminder/warning to _not_ run this type of thing on an (at least, Indilinx) SSD.
 
You shouldn't wipe free space on SSD's. The program writes to every cell shown as free, causing excessive writes (cell wear) to the drive and ultimately reduces the drive's effective life.
 
It's also pointless on new drives. The drive already cleans the cells out as they're deleted, so the data isn't stored in them anymore anyway. This is the function of TRIM. It sends a delete command to the drive every time you delete something, and that command tells the drive to clear all data from those cells so the next time it's written to, you don't have to wait for it to clear, and then write again.
 
I thought this was SUPPOSED to be used for the Vertex in some way?

I guess not... from OCZ thread:
first off stop using wipe free space from ccleaner, it fills the empty space of the drive and hurts performance. to see what fw your on go to device manager/disk drives/vertex/details/hardware id. report back
http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/f...63-New-to-SSD-maintenance&highlight=CCcleaner

It doesnt brick the drive apparently, but does slow it down.

You shouldn't wipe free space on SSD's. The program writes to every cell shown as free, causing excessive writes (cell wear) to the drive and ultimately reduces the drive's effective life.
1 write will do this? No.

+1 - Same reason why defragging SSD's is not a good idea.
I dont believe that is the same reason. I recall something about the drive bitmap being not the same as the one on the drive if you defrag the SSD.

Sorry I cant be more specfic I will try and look it up, but what I quoted above Im not sure is correct information...
 
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I thought this was SUPPOSED to be used for the Vertex in some way?

I guess not... from OCZ thread:
http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/f...63-New-to-SSD-maintenance&highlight=CCcleaner

It doesnt brick the drive apparently, but does slow it down.

1 write will do this? No.

I dont believe that is the same reason. I recall something about the drive bitmap being not the same as the one on the drive if you defrag the SSD.

Sorry I cant be more specfic I will try and look it up, but what I quoted above Im not sure is correct information...

For the first gen Vertex, it was, before TRIM was available for it.


When you defrag an SSD, Windows moves the files into "clusters" trick with an SSD is that the wear leveling already has it spread out. When Windows attempts to defrag an SSD, it doesn't consolidate anything. It just thinks that it is. Instead, it's pointlessly copying files, and the SSD's controller is just spreading them out in the end, causing wear on the drive.

And true, 1 write won't degrade performance or lifespan much. But over time, it adds up pretty fast.
 
and about 40% through it my computer locked up. Reset and it hung at bios trying to detect one of the drives.

Sounds like when the program runs into a bad sector. (Usually seen with HDDs.)

(Like HDD with mechanical problem.)

SSDs might do the same with a weak spot.
 
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