Re-imaging a SSD.


  1. Posts : 578
    Windows 7 Pro x64
       #1

    Re-imaging a SSD.


    I have a Intel 320 120GB SSD that I just installed last Tuesday. Everything went well with loading a image on it from my spinning HDD. Offset is correct and thdrive is running well.

    I got up the other morning to find that somehow Windows Auto Update had been turned on and the system had restarted after Win Update had downloaded & installed 18 updates without my permission.

    So today I re-loaded that original image I had used on Tuesday to get rid of the 18 updates (Whether I do them in the further is up to me not MS).

    This started me thinking about loading a image on a SSD drive.
    1) Should I first run the Clean All command to wipe the drive before loading a image on it?
    2) What effect does re-imaging a SSD have on the data, partitions and files that are already on the drive?

    The program I use is Acronis TI 2011 that they say has full SSD support. But what does that really mean. During the re-image TI deletes all partitions and then recreates them as to what is contained in the image, even if they are the same.
    Reading some reports about SSDs deleting partitions & formatting the speed of the SSD was reduced by just deleting a partition and then recreating it and wasn't reduced by just formatting it. In fact formatting it seemed to improve the performance.
    So now I'm wondering Should I go back and format or run the Clean All command and then re-image the drive with that original image.

    Or am I just being totally Anal Retentive.

    Thanks for any comment. And I do mean any.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 409
    win7 Ult 64
       #2

    I say leave it alone, when TI puts the image back on the drive it will format it correctly.

    I personally use the steps given here when I want to clean my Intel SSDs prior to re-imageing my drives. The info came from the OCZ forum but is applicable to any SSD.

    Secure Erase with bootable CD

    You can download Parted Magic here.
      My Computer


  3. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #3

    I always restore on top of the existing partition. Never had any problems - even not with my Gen1 SSDs. And I restore relatively often because I always muck up the systems with my "experiments".
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 578
    Windows 7 Pro x64
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Thanks for the replies and a little reassurance.
      My Computer


 

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