How do I use SSD Tweaker

I have a 128GB Samsung SSD, a 2TB HDD and 16GB RAM. I have installed Windows 7 on the SSD. I have downloaded SSD Tweaker to optimize the setup, but don't see where I can make changes to different settings. Is it a one-click wonder, or is there a way I can select certain settings?

Thanks.

Why do you think you need that application??

You can inspect and change any necessary settings without it.

SSDs need very few "tweaks". Windows typically recognizes that you have an SSD and makes a few adjustments accordingly.

I thought it would make life easier ? Probably a bad answer, right?

mRoy62 said:

I thought it would make life easier ? Probably a bad answer, right?

Click to expand...

It may work fabulously, but it's a near certainty it is unnecessary.

Exactly what do you think you need to do to your SSD?

Is it performing poorly?

Are there certain settings you are unsure about?

You should confirm its alignment.

You should confirm that it will not be defragmented.

You should run a benchmark on it to get an idea of its performance and compare that to other users and your personal expectations.

I'm completely new to the world of SSD. No idea really what to expect. I am building a new system and before I install anything on it I wanted to make sure the SSD is set up optimally. I've read that writing to it will shorten it's life - trying to avoid that.

Are there certain things I'm unsure about? Yep, but my aim is to create a fast system that utilizes an SSD.

The "shorten the life" thing is vastly over-stated for recent generation SSDs.

Alignment should be OK by default, but you can check it with Diskpart in Windows.

Defrag should be off be default, but that can be set manually if needed.

You can move your page file to another drive if you are anxious about too much writing--but with 16 GB of RAM, you are rarely going to need a page file. Most people just leave it on the SSD and set it to maybe 1024 mb minimum or just let Windows manage it.

You can move your browser caches to another drive to reduce writes if concerned about writes.

The perceived "speed" of an SSD system comes primarily from its access times--which are circa 1/100 of the times associated with a spinning drive.

4-8 kb random write access is the single most crucial measurement.

You can enable write caching in Device Manager in the policies tab of the SSD.

You might put your default download folders on a spinning drive.

You can choose "No GUI boot" in the boot tab of msconfig to shave a few seconds off boot time. You should be able to boot in 30 seconds or so.

Samsungs are among the best current performers, so you shouldn't have any issues.

Take a look here:

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/e7/archive/...r-solid-state-drives-and.aspx?Redirected=true

Wow! That's really helpful - Thanks ignatzatsonic.

I did already install and run the SSD Tweaker, should I "undo" that. Like I said earlier, I was concerned that it seemed to be a one-click fix. How will I be able to tell if it changed anything and how can I undo?

mRoy62 said:

Wow! That's really helpful - Thanks ignatzatsonic.

I did already install and run the SSD Tweaker, should I "undo" that. Like I said earlier, I was concerned that it seemed to be a one-click fix. How will I be able to tell if it changed anything and how can I undo?

Click to expand...

My inclination would be to undo it, particularly since you may not know exactly what it did.

It may be a good app, but how can you tell? There is nothing it would do that you can't do manually.

It's probably a simple app that reaches into the Windows registry and makes a few changes---but you can do that through Windows itself.

Why bother with it--I assume you would prefer to keep installed apps to a minimum?

Does it have an "undo" function?

If not, you should be able to go back to a point in time prior to installing it by using Windows System Restore to an earlier date.

I assume you would prefer to keep installed apps to a minimum?

Click to expand...

I was actually going to install all my apps on the HDD. I use Adobe Master Collection, Lightroom 3 and a gazillion other apps for video and photography.

If not, you should be able to go back to a point in time prior to installing it by using Windows System Restore to an earlier date.

Click to expand...

I thought that the System Restore should be switched off if using an SSD. Seems strange to me, but I think I read that.

mRoy62 said:

I assume you would prefer to keep installed apps to a minimum?

Click to expand...

I was actually going to install all my apps on the HDD. I use Adobe Master Collection, Lightroom 3 and a gazillion other apps for video and photography.

If not, you should be able to go back to a point in time prior to installing it by using Windows System Restore to an earlier date.

Click to expand...

I thought that the System Restore should be switched off if using an SSD. Seems strange to me, but I think I read that.

Click to expand...

Unless you have a very peculiar situation, I would install all apps on the SSD to take advantage of its speed. The only reason not to would be a lack of space.

The choice of whether or not to use System Restore has no connection with whether you are using an SSD--other than the fact that System Restore takes up a certain amount of space----which you can control manually.

I use System Restore. It works 98% of the time. It does no harm when it doesn't work. I devote about 8 GB to it.

I have an 80 GB SSD with 50 apps installed. Total space occupied is 29 GB.

I think you are reading outdated and poor advice that might be appropriate if you had a tiny, older generation SSD.

If you have turned off System Restore and cannot use it to get rid of the settings made by that "Tweaker", you are stuck with those settings and have to hope it didn't foul you up.

If I could not use System Restore, I would uninstall the tweaker and then manually make the necessary configurations checks and changes---which Windows nearly always does well anyway, without a "tweaking" application.