Is my SSD is properly alligned?

[Tango1]

I cannot find a reliable source to tell me the information I need without reading insane long threads and debates. And at the end I still do not know what I want to know.

So can you please walk me through this step by step to find out this simple question for my system:

Is my SSD properly aligned and formatted and whatnot?

Reason: some of the programs on my system (with Windows7-64 installed on a Samsung 840evo SSD) like foobar2000. Take 'forever' to show up after clicking the shortcut on my desktop. It takes about 7 seconds before the foobar2k window to show. This is by SSD standards insane.. On my Samsung sata hdd this was instant. I did some tweaking during installation of windows7-64, like removing the reserve partition, adjusting alignment, installing 4k-driver to ensure compatibility for newer drives, reverting to other drivers than the amd-sata drivers for my motherboard and so forth.

Now I don't know what could be the cause to slow startup of some programs. Sure there is software that does open smoothly, but not what I expected in terms of SSD speeds. On youtube videos from 2009 you see techguys opening 100 applications installed on ssd's and showing how fast this is. But this is not what I experience...

My SSD is a Samsung 840evo 120GB from december 2013,
Windows7 464
MSI E65, AMD875 motherboard
Athlon II AM3 processor

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Is my SSD properly aligned and formatted and whatnot?

Reason: some of the programs on my system (with Windows7-64 installed on a Samsung 840evo SSD) like foobar2000. Take 'forever' to show up after clicking the shortcut on my desktop..................I did some tweaking during installation of windows7-64, like removing the reserve partition, adjusting alignment, installing 4k-driver to ensure compatibility for newer drives, reverting to other drivers than the amd-sata drivers for my motherboard and so forth.

Run the AS SSD benchmark to confirm proper alignment.

Why did you do all of that tweaking? What led you to believe that was a good idea?

I have no idea how strong that AMD processor is in relative terms. May be strong, weak, or middling.

 

[whs]

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/113967-ssd-alignment.html?ltr=S

 

[dsperber]

You can also improve SSD performance by installing Samsung Magician software which came with your drive, and using (a) over-provisioning, and (b) rapid-mode. Are you using it?

Creating partitions on SSD drives during Win7 install automatically aligns properly (so you shouldn't have needed to do anything yourself), as does using Partition Wizard. Note that PW also provides functionality to align all partitions for you, in the event it discovers that somehow you have created partitions which are not aligned properly.