SSD ABC Guide – OCZ Forum Ii © 2014 OCZ Storage Solutions

SSD ABC Guide – OCZ Forum

Contents

...... 1 - 8

Identifying your SSD ...... 1 Products ...... 2 Unpacking and Handling your SSD ...... 3 Fitting your SSD ...... 4 Desktop ...... 4 Laptop/Notebook ...... 4 Powering On and Self Testing (POST) your SSD ...... 4 Detecting your SSD ...... 5 Clear CMOS ...... 5 Operating System Installation ...... 5 - 6 Windows ...... 5 Apple OS/X ...... 6 Linux ...... 6 Power Options and Diagnosis ...... 6 Sleep, Hibernation, Hybrid Sleep Settings ...... 6 - 7 Alignment ...... 7 Installing with USB ...... 8 CD ISO Extracting ...... 8 ...... 9 - 10

Motherboard Compatibility ...... 9 Monitoring Operating System Activity ...... 13 Process Monitor (Procmon) ...... 13 Resource Monitor (Resmon) ...... 13 Windows Task Manager ...... 13 ...... 14 - 18

Firmware Updating ...... 14 How to check current Firmware ...... 14 Considerations...... 14 Windows ...... 14 Linux ...... 15 Apple MAC OS ...... 15 Over Provisioning ...... 15 Benchmarking ...... 15 TRIM ...... 16 Page/Swap ...... 16 Windows Accelerators...... 17 Fragmentation ...... 17 - 15 Windows Indexing and Drive Indexing ...... 196 System Restore and Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) ...... 17 Image and Restore ...... 17 ATA Secure Erase (SE)...... 17 OCZ Sanitary Erase...... 17 OCZ GC_Tool ...... 17 S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) ...... 18 OCZ Sandforce based SSD SMART ...... 18 OCZ Indilinx based SSD SMART ...... 18 ii © 2014 OCZ Storage Solutions SSD ABC Guide – OCZ Forum

© 2014 OCZ Storage Solutions, Inc.- A Toshiba Group Company. All Rights Reserved. The information in this document is proprietary and confidential to OCZ Storage Solutions, Inc. - A Toshiba Group Company (OCZ). No part of this document may be reproduced in any form or by any means, and may not be used to make any derivative work (such as translation, transformation, or adaptation) without written permission from OCZ.

OCZ provides this documentation without warranty, term or condition of any kind, either express or implied, including, but not limited to, express and implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. While the information contained in this document is believed to be accurate, no representations or warranties of accuracy or completeness are made. In no event is OCZ liable for damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of or reliance upon the information contained in this document.

OCZ retains the right to make changes to this product and/or the program(s) described in this documentation at any time, without notice. Products may have minor variations to this publication, known as errata. OCZ assumes no liability whatsoever, including infringement of any patent or copyright, for sale and use of OCZ products.

OCZ and the OCZ logo are registered trademarks of OCZ Storage Solutions, Inc. - A Toshiba Group Company.

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The OCZ SSD ABC Guide product is protected by U.S. and international copyright and other intellectual property laws. Do not lend or make illegal copies. Use of OCZ SSD Toolbox is subject to compliance with applicable license terms and conditions.

Installation Technical Support OCZ products include free technical support for direct, expert advice.

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Document identifier: Forum ABC Guide, Revision 1, May 2014

A. Identifying and Setting Up Your OCZ SSD

Identifying your SSD

01. Simple DOs (All Platforms):

a. Do identify your OCZ SSD and the current Firmware. b. Do identify your Mainboard platform and the current BIOS. c. Do set SATA AHCI or RAID single mode for Single SSD installs.

02. Simple DONTs (All Platforms):

a. Don't install your SSD in an overclocked rig.

03. FAQ – Identifying and Setting Up:

a. Q. How do I know what product line my SSD falls under? A. Look at the part number of your drive, which is on the drive's barcode sticker. You can then check whether your product is defined as a current Enthusiast, Performance, Mainstream, PCI Express, Legacy/EOL SSD, SSD Accessories or Enterprise SSD ( ):

b. Q. When I've identified my OCZ SSD, where can I post questions and find specific answers? A. Register at the OCZ Forum. http://ocz.com/consumer Then post in the appropriate Sub-Forum as follows:

c. Q. How do I check current firmware on my drive? A. If you are running OSX or Linux: Query the drive properties, you should see firmware revision, or use the latest Linux or Mac based OCZ Toolbox. A. Windows users should use the latest Windows Toolbox or PC Bootable Toolbox to display drive information. A. In Windows you can tell also by looking in Device Manager:

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Products

04. a. Enthusiast SSD: OCZ Vector 150 SATA III 2.5" SSD: http://ocz.com/consumer/vector-150-sata-3-ssd VTR150-25SAT3-xxxG (Indilinx Barefoot 3 M00 based)

b. Performance SSD: OCZ Vertex 460 SATA III 2.5" SSD: http://ocz.com/consumer/vertex-460-sata-3-ssd VTX460-25SAT3-xxxG (Indilinx Barefoot 3 M10 based)

OCZ Vertex 450 SATA III 2.5" SSD: http://ocz.com/consumer/vertex-450-sata-3-ssd VTX450-25SAT3-xxxG (Indilinx Barefoot 3 based)

c. PCI Express SSD: Workstation: OCZ RevoDrive 350: http://ocz.com/consumer/revodrive-350-pcie-ssd RVD350-FHPX28-xxxG (LSI/SandForce 22xx based)

OCZ RevoDrive 3 x2: http://ocz.com/consumer/revodrive-3-x2-pcie-ssd RVD3X2-FHPX4-xxxG (LSI/SandForce 22xx based)

OCZ RevoDrive 3: http://ocz.com/consumer/revodrive-3-pcie-ssd RVD3-FHPX4-xxxG (LSI/SandForce 22xx based)

d. Enterprise SSD: See http://www.oczenterprise.com

e. Accessories for SSD: See http://ocz.com/consumer/ssd-accessories

f. Legacy End Of Life SSD (EOL): See below and http://ocz.com/consumer/support/legacy-products

OCZ SATA III SSD 2.5" (EOL): OCZ Vector SATA III 2.5" SSD: VTR1-25SAT3-xxxG (Indilinx Barefoot 3 based) OCZ Vertex 4 SATA III 2.5" SSD: VTX4-25SAT3-xxxG (Indilinx Everest 2 based) OCZ Vertex 3.20 SATA III 2.5" SSD: VTX3-25SAT3-xxxG.20 (LSI/SandForce 22xx based) OCZ Agility 3 20nm SATA III 2.5" SSD: AGT3-25SAT3-xxxG.20 (LSI/SandForce 22xx based) OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS SATA III 2.5" SSD: VTX3MI-25SAT3-xxxG (LSI/SandForce 22xx based) OCZ Vertex 3 SATA III 2.5" SSD: VTX3-25SAT3-xxxG (LSI/SandForce 22xx based) OCZ Vertex 3 Low Profile 7mm SATA III 2.5" SSD: VTX3LP-25SAT3-xxxG (LSI/SandForce 22xx based) OCZ Octane SATA III 2.5" SSD: OCT1-25SAT3-xxxG (Indilinx Everest 1 based) OCZ Agility 4 SATA III 2.5" SSD: AGT4-25SAT3-xxxG (Indilinx Everest 2 based) OCZ Petrol SATA III 2.5" SSD: PTL1-25SAT3-xxxG (LSI/SandForce 22xx based) OCZ Agility 3 SATA III 2.5" SSD: VTX3-25SAT3-xxxG (LSI/SandForce 22xx based)

OCZ SATA III SSD 3.5" (EOL):: OCZ Vertex 3 SATA III 3.5" SSD: VTX3-35SAT3-xxxG (LSI/SandForce 22xx based)

OCZ SATA II SSD 2.5" (EOL):: OCZ Vertex 2 SATA II 2.5" SSD: OCZSSD2-2VTXxxxG (LSI/SandForce 1xxx based) OCZ Vertex Plus R2 Series SATA II 2.5" SSD: VTXPLR2-25SAT2-xxxG (Indilinx based)

OCZ SATA II SSD 3.5" (EOL):: OCZ Vertex 2 SATA II 3.5" SSD: OCZSSD3-2VTX-xxxG (LSI/SandForce 1xxx based) OCZ Agility 2 SATA II 3.5" SSD: OCZSSD3-2AGT-xxxG (LSI/SandForce 1xxx based)

OCZ 1.8" SATA II (EOL): OCZ Vertex 2 SATA II 1.8" SSD: OCZSSD1-2VTX-xxxG (LSI/SandForce 1xxx based)

OCZ MSATA (EOL):: OCZ Nocti mSATA SSD: NOC-MSATA-xxxG (LSI/SandForce 1xxx based)

OCZ Hybrid Solutions (EOL):: OCZ RevoDrive Hybrid PCI-Express Solid State Drive: RVDHY-FH-1T (LSI/SandForce based)

OCZ Caching Solutions (EOL):: OCZ Synapse Cache SATA III 2.5" SSD: SYN-25SAT3-xxxG (LSI/SandForce 22xx based) Reserved

Reserved

Unpacking and Handling your SSD

05. SSDs are delicate and sensitive to static electricity, so need to be handled with care. Turn off power to the system prior to attempting installation. Leave the drive in the anti-static packaging until you are ready to connect it. Remove the battery if installing to a Laptop/Notebook.

06. Take further anti-static precautions. Use a wrist strap, be suitably grounded and do not touch the SSD connectors. The drive has two connections (See Screenshot 1). One for power and the other for data transfer. OCZ SATA SSD only need a 5V or 3.3V and ground connection as they are 5V or 3.3V rated. Most SATA power connections contain 12V, 5V, 3.3V and ground. Care should be taken if using Molex to SATA power connectors. PCIe SSDs are powered via the appropriate slot.

Screenshot 1

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07. Stability and Voltage control should be regularised when you install your OCZ SSD. Any prior overclocking of components should be defaulted to stock levels.

08. Do not remove the SSD outer case, screws or attempt to disassemble the drive. This will void the warranty.

Fitting your SSD

Desktop

09. Power down the PC/System and remove the System external covers and all other drives.

10. Secure the SSD into the System by use of the screws at each of the side or bottom mounted holes. (2.5” Form factor only). PCIe SSDs should be carefully placed in the x4/8/16 slot and secured to the case. Do not over-tighten the screws as this may damage the SSD.

11. SATA Port Connector/Host Adapter/Power Attachment. Use an appropriate high quality and tight fitting SATA cable with minimal bends/twists. Attach one end to the SATA connector/port on your System’s motherboard/SATA host adapter. Attach the other end to the SATA connector/port on your now unpacked OCZ SSD. SATA connectors and ports are keyed to fit one way only. See .

12. On most motherboards your OCZ SATA SSD should be installed on one of the first three connectors/ports (0,1,2). Any SATA CD/DVD drives should be on the last two connectors/ports (4/5). See Screenshot 2. For attachment to RAID and other adapters check your vendor/manufacturer's documentation.

Screenshot 2

13. Your Power Supply Unit (PSU) should be of an appropriate high quality. It should provide equally good quality power cabling/adapters. Attach the power cable or adapter to the SSD. See .

Laptop/Notebook

14. Switch Off and remove from external power source. Remove the Battery and Drive Bay cover. Slip the SSD into the drive opening in the notebook. See .

15. Secure the SSD into the Drive Bay/Adapter using the screws in either the side or bottom mounted holes. Do not over tighten the screws as this may damage the SSD. Further details should be available from your Laptop/Notebook manufacturer.

Powering On and Self Testing (POST) your SSD

16. Switch your System on and access the BIOS/UEFI CMOS Screen. Check detection and basic settings by selecting either , , or on your keyboard. Check your Motherboard/Laptop Manual to confirm. Your SSD should be detected/shown within the CMOS and during BIOS/UEFI POST.

17. Your SSD should arrive from factory in a fresh/raw unformatted state. If not, it may need erasing prior to Operating System installation. For further details see paragraph 50 for .

Detecting your SSD

18. Make sure you have the latest BIOS/UEFI version for your mainboard. This is the Basic Input Output System (BIOS) or Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). Your SSD should be shown during the pre-boot/ Power-On Self-Test (POST) sequence. Enter your BIOS/UEFI Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) setup utility. Instructions to do all this should be in your mainboard manufacturer's manuals. Normally, one of the following keyboard actions during POST: , , or

19. Many BIOS/UEFI replace POST information with their own screen Logos. To see your SSD during POST, you may have to disable screen Logo shows, normally under Advanced Menu options. Details should be in your mainboard manual. Your SSD may also be displayed under Main, Storage and Integrated Peripherals menus.

Clear CMOS

20. Consider a cold clear of your BIOS/UEFI’s CMOS prior to setting up with your new OCZ SSD:

a. Make a note of any pre-set CMOS values (like overclocks) for future setting. b. Remove all SATA devices from motherboard and remove power from outlet. c. Remove CMOS battery and invert it to short the terminals. d. Let the capacitors drain/discharge fully. (Press and hold the Power button). e. Prior to OS installation, disable CMOS settings not required for your SSD. f. Once chipset/video drivers are loaded, reboot and enable settings one at a time. g. This allows control over driver load and any boot issues you may encounter. h. If you still can't detect your OCZ SSD after all the above: Look to disable FAST BOOT in your BIOS.

Operating System Installation

21. Simple DOs:

a. Do install your OS as you would on a HDD. b. Do keep large amounts of static/regularly updated data on a separate storage HDD. c. Do install in SATA AHCI or Single member RAID.

22. Simple DONTs:

a. Don't tweak your OS straight after installing. b. Don't run too many Benchmarks. c. Don't fill your SSD beyond 80 percent capacity. d. Don't full format your SSD.

23. FAQ – Operating System installation:

a. Q. If I need to format my SSD, which format should I use, quick or full? A. Quick format only, never full format an SSD. A. Vista, Win 7/8 quick format automatically during install b. Q. Do I need to de-fragment my SSD? A. No. But advanced users should see . c. Q. Do I need to enable TRIM on my SSD? A. No. But advanced users should see . d. Q. Can I store all my data on my SSD? A. Yes, but store often updated static data separately. Advanced users should see . e. Q. Do I need to apply any Tweaks to my SSD? A. No. But advanced users should see .

Windows

24. Before you install Windows on your SSD you need to consider:

a. What SATA modes are available on your platform (IDE, AHCI and RAID). For best single drive operation AHCI or RAID single mode should be selected. (RAID and advanced users should see and contact Support or post on the OCZ Forum for detailed advice).

b. Whether the SSD has the latest firmware installed. Which Chipset/SATA drivers are best to use with your SSD (Use Built in OS Drivers to start with. Once stable then install the Mainboard manufacturer’s latest chipset/SATA drivers).

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c. Changing from IDE to AHCI mode without re-installing is possible but it depends on OS and Drivers. A guide to changing from IDE to AHCI after installation for Window 7/Vista users is here: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/61869-ahci-enable-windows-7-vista.html?ltr=A

d. For Windows 8 Microsoft has Article ID: 2795397 that refers: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2795397 . For the latest advice contact Support or post on the OCZ Forum.

e. Windows 7 and 8 like to install onto 'raw' unformatted space. Default they will create a hidden System partition with Boot/Recovery files. If the drive is pre-formatted they just ignore this and install the Boot/Recovery files directly onto the C:\ partition in a hidden Folder. If you have other drives attached at the same time Win 7/8 can install the hidden partition there. So beware!!

f. Windows 7/8 are optimized for your OCZ SSD. Run Windows Experience Index (WEI/Winsat) straight after Chipset/VGA Drivers. This is to disable any scheduled De-Fragmentation and 'synch' Windows Accelerators. See .

Apple OS/X

25. Before you install OSX on your SSD you need to consider that there are various Mac OS X installation methods. The following method involves creating a bootable USB drive to perform a clean installation of Mac OS X Mountain Lion:

a. Right-click “Install Mac OS X Mountain Lion.app” > select “Show Package Contents” > open the “SharedSupport” folder within “Contents” > double-click the “InstallESD.dmg” file to mount it to the desktop. Note: The “InstallESD.dmg” file is what you will need to create the bootable USB drive.

b. Launch “Disk Utility” > connect your USB drive (larger than 4GB). Select the USB drive > select the “Erase” tab > set the format tab as “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)” > Click “Erase” Note: This will completely erase all contents on the USB drive.

c. Select the USB drive from the left hand side > select the “Restore” tab. Right-click the “InstallESD.dmg” file > select “Set as Source”. Right-click the destination USB drive > select “Set as Destination” > click “Restore”. Reboot your system > hold down the “Option” key > you will be presented with the boot menu.

d. Select the “Mac OS X” icon > you will then be booted into the Mac OS X installer. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete installation. Should you encounter further issues, contact Support or post on the OCZ Forum.

Linux

26. Before you install Linux on your SSD format the drive and install per instructions on the specific Linux distro you are using. Should you encounter further issues contact Support or post on the OCZ Forum.

Power Options and Diagnosis

27. For further information for Windows 7 Basic and Advanced Power Options see here: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/778-power-plan-settings-change.html

For further information for Windows 7 Basic and Advanced Power Options see here: http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/5464-power-plan-settings-change-windows-8-a.html

Sleep, Hibernation, Hybrid Sleep Settings

28. Microsoft State:

a. “Sleep is a power-saving state that allows a computer to quickly resume full-power operation, (typically within several seconds) when you want to start working again. Putting your computer into the sleep state is like pausing a DVD player-the computer immediately stops what it’s doing and is ready to start again when you want to resume.

b. Hibernation is a power-saving state designed primarily for laptops. While sleep puts your work and settings in memory and draws a small amount of power, hibernation puts your open documents and programs on your hard disk, and then turns off your computer. Of all the power-saving states in Windows, hibernation uses the least amount of power. On a laptop, use hibernation when you know that you won't use your laptop for an extended period and won't have an opportunity to charge the battery during that time.

c. Hybrid sleep is designed primarily for desktop computers. Hybrid sleep is a combination of sleep and hibernate - it puts any open documents and programs in memory and on your hard disk, and then puts your computer into a low-power state so that you can quickly resume your work. That way, if a power failure occurs, Windows can restore your work from your hard disk. When hybrid sleep is turned on, putting your computer into sleep automatically puts your computer into hybrid sleep. Hybrid sleep is typically turned on by default on desktop computers. “

29. Hibernation and Hybrid Sleep utilise a hidden file called "hiberfil.sys". This can take between 50 and 100 percent of total RAM installed. It can be adjusted via an elevated Command Prompt (Administrator mode) and typing "powercfg.exe -h size 50" (value should be set between 50 and 100):

Alignment

30. Windows Alignment.

a. Default Vista and Win 7/8 create aligned partitions at an offset of 1024KiB. b. Windows XP does not align partitions so your OCZ SSD should be aligned before installing Windows XP. c. Easiest way is to attach your SSD as a 'spare' in a current Vista/Win 7/8 OS install. Then partition it from within the Disk Management console. This creates an optimal aligned partition at an Offset of 1024 KiB/2048 Sectors. d. Other methods include using Vista/Win 7 'Recovery CD/DVD' environment, using OCZ Bootable Toolbox and Gparted. More tips here: http://www.mysolutions.it/tips-migrating-windows-xp-ssd/

31. Mac OSX Alignment. Disk Utility aligns partitions in HFS+ as do most newer distros of GNU/Linux.

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Installing with USB

32. Using USB flash to install your OS can speed up installation and often by-passes CD/DVD issues with SATA and PATA ports/channels. Most modern systems support USB Bootable Media. USB flash can also be very useful for Firmware Flashing and when operations "outside" of your Operating System are required:

a. Make your Win 7 install from a USB Flash Drive with Microsoft Tool. Download the Tool from Microsoft: http://store.microsoft.com/help/iso-tool

b. A tutorial on the Win 7 USB/DVD Download Tool is here: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31541-windows-7-usb-dvd-download-tool.html

c. How to Create a Bootable USB or DVD with a Windows 8 ISO is here: http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2227-create-bootable-usb-dvd-windows-8-iso.html

d. How to Create a Bootable UEFI USB Flash Drive for Installing Windows 7 and Windows 8 is here: http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/15458-uefi-bootable-usb-flash-drive-create-windows.html

e. Make your Linux or Windows install from a USB Flash Drive with UNetbootin and Tutorial http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

f. Creating a Bootable Windows Vista or 7 USB Flash disk - 4GiB + NTFS: http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Bootable-Windows-7-or-Vista-USB-Drive http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJSY1VPsa-o&feature=related

g. Creating A Bootable WinPE USB Key: http://www.bootdisk.com/pendrive.htm

CD ISO Extracting

33. Image extraction can be useful for creating all kinds of Bootable Media. This includes USB, CD and DVD. Manipulating the ISO image can further enhance Bootable Media options. An example of this is Firmware Flashing first generation OCZ/Indilinx based SSD as outlined here: http://ocz.com/consumer/download/firmware/firmware_update_v1.7_guide.pdf

a. UNetbootin is free and allows 'burning' an ISO image direct to USB: http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/ . Download and install it as you would any other application. Load from your start menu. Select the Disk Image (second option down). Select ISO from the drop down. Click the three periods to browse for an ISO image. Make sure the “Type” is set to USB drive and the letter corresponds correctly. Click OK.

b. 7-Zip is free and extracts ISO images: http://www.7-zip.org/

c. ISO Recorder is free and Burns ISO images. http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm

d. UltraISO has a free trial. It is good for ISO image manipulation: http://www.ezbsystems.com/ultraiso/

Reserved

B. Fault Finding Your OCZ SSD

Motherboard Compatibility

34. Issues and Known BIOS/UEFI Setting Issues: (All Platforms)

a. BIOS/UEFI settings interact with the Desktop Management Interface or the DMI Pool. These can result in the SSD sometimes not being found. Examples are the SATA IDE modes (Legacy and Native) and AHCI/RAID modes. The most common settings for General SATA modes are [IDE] [AHCI] [RAID]. Use AHCI for modern SSD.

b. Older American Megatrends Inc (AMI) BIOS often have 2 options for IDE mode: [Compatible] and [Enhanced]. Compatible will set to 'Legacy' (freeing up IRQ) not 'Native' mode. Enhanced = AMI speak for Native.

c. Award/Phoenix often have a different layout; Legacy Mode Support> [Native] [Legacy/Compatible]

Screenshot 3

d. Newer UEFI BIOS have extra AHCI settings such as [AHCI Rom] (AMD Platforms) [Hot Plug/eSATA] and [Aggressive Link power Management]: Screenshot 4

e. One of the most sensitive areas of BIOS is the memory CMOS/ESCD. Mains power surges/drops along PSU/Mainboard rails can damage components and effect BIOS and FW interaction. For maximum stability prior to, during and after installation ensure clean power into PSU. Ideally uninterrupted/protected. SSD on it’s own PSU cable with minimum interruption to voltage flow. Try to install the SSD in the same BIOS mode you intend to use it in. Consider cold ‘clearing/re-setting’ CMOS allowing DMI to fully update ( ).

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Monitoring Operating System Activity

Process Monitor (Procmon)

35. Within Windows can be used:

a. To show real-time file system, Registry and process/thread activity. It's "backed" by Page File and may interfere with other processes like Winsat. More details are here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/sysinternals/bb896645.aspx http://www.k-state.edu/its/security/training/2009-4- 9/presentations/handouts/Process_Monitor_Tutorial_Handout.pdf

Resource Monitor (Resmon)

b. Resmon is in Windows 7 and 8 (See Screen shot 5). It adds capabilities to the Reliability and Performance Monitor of Windows Vista. Opening the Memory tab allows monitoring memory usage and you can see Modified, Standby and Cached figs rise and fall. It can track Memory usage in real time until the System is re-booted or the Cache flushed. More details here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/windows-7-screencast-resource- monitor-resmon.aspx?query=1 Screenshot 5

Windows Task Manager

c. Windows Task Manager provides performance information on Running applications, processes and CPU usage, commit charge, memory information, Network activity, logged-in users and system services. More details here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Task_Manager http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Troubleshoot-Task-Manager-problems

C. Optimising - Your OCZ SSD

Firmware Updating

36. FAQ:

How to check current Firmware

a. Q. How do I check current firmware on my drive? A. If you are running OSX or Linux: Query the drive properties you should see firmware revision, or use the latest Linux or Mac based OCZ Toolbox. A. Windows users should use the latest Windows Toolbox or PC Bootable Toolbox to display drive information. A. In Windows you can tell also by looking in Device Manager.

b. Q. My firmware needs updating, what do I use to do this? A. The tools/procedures can differ between Drive categories due to different Controller implements. Actual Firmware and basic procedures are on the Main OCZ Site for each Drive and can be selected here: http://ocz.com/consumer/download/firmware . Select your drive in the box provided and download the appropriate update. A. Check for the latest information on the individual drive Forum. A. http://ocz.com/consumer/ssd-guide (video available)

Considerations

37. Before Firmware Flashing: (Contact OCZ Support or post on the OCZ Forum if in doubt)

a. Operating System you want to Flash From, Chipset and SATA Port the Drive to be flashed is on (Intel ICH/PCH, AMD 7xx/8xx/9xx, Nforce etc.).

b. The best storage driver to use (Native Microsoft, Chipset manufacturer or Motherboard manufacturer).

c. BIOS/UEFI settings to be applied, SATA modes (RAID/AHCI/IDE) and ACPI/Sleep States. Consider a cold clear of CMOS and clocks at default for the best all-round stability. Internet Connection is required.

d. Some older SATA AHCI and IDE mode Device Drivers, particularly on older chipsets like Nvidia can be problematic. Contact Support or post on the OCZ Forum if you have problems.

e. Flashing First generation (Indilinx based) Vertex, Agility, Solid, Onyx should be done in IDE mode from DOS based .iso CD/USB or Destructively (jumper Fitted). The drive should be setup as 'spare' not the System Drive. Internet Connection is NOT required for flashing these drives.

f. Vertex Plus and Vertex Plus R2 can only be flashed in IDE mode from DOS based .iso CD/USB. Internet Connection is NOT required for Flashing these drives. Note: There are no updates for Vertex Plus R2 drives.

g. 34nm Vertex/Agility/Solid2 can be flashed to ARROWANA. Internet Connection is NOT required for flashing these drives. Contact OCZ Support or post on the OCZ Forum for more information.

Windows

38. Windows Updating Methods: (See below or contact OCZ Support or post on the OCZ Forum if more help is needed)

a. Windows based OCZ Toolbox. http://ocz.com/consumer/download/firmware Updates non-system drives.Note: Internet Connection is required. Not first generation Indilinx SSD. SATA 3 Drives (SandForce based) with 2.06 or earlier Firmware may require two stage updating. EV2 and BF3 drives can be updated as boot/system drives with the 4.5.0.227 Toolbox.

b. OCZ BOOTABLE TOOLBOX - PC Edition (.iso) http://ocz.com/consumer/download/firmware Can be used to update all drives (even system drives) except first generation Indilinx based SSD. Note: Internet Connection is required.

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Linux

39. Linux Updating Methods: (See below or contact OCZ Support or post on the OCZ Forum if more help is needed)

Use the Linux Tools from http://ocz.com/consumer/download/firmware . You can also use OCZ BOOTABLE TOOLBOX - PC Edition (.iso) to update all drives (even system drives) except first generation Indilinx based SSD. Internet Connection is required.

Apple MAC OS

40. Apple MAC OS Updating Methods: (See below or contact OCZ Support or post on the OCZ Forum if more help is needed) Use OCZ BOOTABLE TOOLBOX - MAC Edition (.iso) to update all drives (even system drives) except first generation Indilinx based SSD. Internet Connection is required.

Over Provisioning

41. SSD Over-Provisioning (OP) is a technique used at the design end of all OCZ SSDs. It provides extra NAND flash memory capacity (which the user can't access). SSD controllers map/register/ merge/combine and some rotate the pages/blocks to improve Wear Levelling, speed and longevity. Manual OP can free up more pages/blocks over time and provides a much larger pool of free blocks for the controller to manage. This is best achieved before/during Operating System installation, by creating a smaller formatted (quick only) Volume size.

Benchmarking

42. The advertised specs for OCZ SSD will differ between products and should be checked under the drive Product Sheet at OCZ.com. Everyone has their own idea of what constitutes ‘intended’ usage. Where Benchmarking fits into usage is to show speed, or analyse faults. All SSD have a life span based on Program Erase Cycles (PEc) and these in turn are triggered by writes to the NAND flash blocks/pages. Benchmarks should be used sparingly as they write a considerable amount of data to your OCZ SSD.

a. Benchmarks used by OCZ:

(1) IOmeter is often used for marketed sustained write speeds and IOPS. IOMeter can be downloaded here: http://www.iometer.org/doc/downloads.html For the sustained write test, you use the 128K sequential write queue depth 32. IOmeter uses primarily highly compressible data sets.

(2) ATTO is often used for marketed sequential read/write speeds. ATTO can be downloaded here: http://majorgeeks.com/ATTO_Disk_Benchmark_d6359.html (ATTO uses highly compressible data sets).

(3) AS_SSD is sometimes used. AS_SSD can be downloaded here: http://www.alex-is.de/PHP/fusion/downloads.php?cat_id=4&download_id=9 AS_SSD uses highly COMPRESSED data sets.

(4) Crystal Disk Mark (CDM) is sometimes used. CDM can be downloaded here: http://crystalmark.info/software/CrystalDiskMark/index-e.html CDM uses highly COMPRESSED data sets.

b. Advice on using Benchmarks is as follows:

(1) Do not use AS_SSD on default settings (writes between 3-5 GiB). (2) Do not use CDM on default settings (writes between 15-19 GiB). (3) Do not use AS_SSD and CDM together in the same Logged On session. (4) Do not run FF pattern on ATTO. Default settings are ok. (5) Run IOmeter with 4KiB 'sector' alignment. Do not run it to fill the drive. (6) Do not use 'Full' Benchmarks more than once in the same Logged On session. (7) Do not use any Benchmark (compressible data) more than once a day. (8) Do not use any Benchmark (un-compressible data) more than once a week. (9) Do not run Random patterns straight after Sequential or vice versa. (10) Best to run individual tests with small file sizes and not full suite default.

TRIM

43. Windows. To check Trim is enabled in Windows 7 and 8 go to start/run/cmd and type the following: “ fsutil.exe behavior query DisableDeleteNotify “ and it should respond back with: “ DisableDeleteNotify=0 “ if TRIM support is ready and active. If it's not type: “fsutil.exe behavior set DisableDeleteNotify 0 “

a. TRIM in Linux. See https://sites.google.com/site/lightrush/random-1/checkiftrimonext4isenabledandworking and https://sites.google.com/site/lightrush/random-1/howtoconfigureext4toenabletrimforssdsonubuntu

b. TRIM in Apple Mac OS. Currently does not support TRIM for third party SSD. There is software that can enable it though. See here for further information: http://www.groths.org/trim-enabler/ http://www.macrumors.com/2011/06/27/mac-os-x-10-6-8-brings-trim-support-for-apple-ssds-graphics- improvements/

c. Use a Monitoring Tool to see if the SSD supports TRIM. Like Crystal Disk Info (Windows): http://crystalmark.info/software/CrystalDiskInfo/index-e.html

Page/Swap

44. Page/Swap File Sizing and Placement. You can let the OS manage it, Turn it Off or Manage it yourself. Initially let your OS manage it then after some monitoring manage it yourself. In Windows turning it off does not mean it will never create one. If it needs to Windows will create a temporary one of it's own choosing. Moving it to slower storage will result in it's functions being slower. In Win 7 and 8 put it on your SSD as most operations are reads and most writes are sequential. See Screen shot 6.

a. In Windows, Page File can be managed via Computer> Advanced> Performance> Settings> Advanced> Virtual Memory> Change (needs re-boot) Screenshot 6

b. With Linux/Mac OSX “Swap” can be managed by temporarily setting kernel swappiness to zero by: Call echo 0 > /proc/sys/vm/swappiness (as root) from the command line.

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Windows Accelerators.

45. Prefetch, BootTrace, Superfetch, ReadyBoot, ReadyBoost and ReadyDrive Collectively in Windows, these are called PC Accelerators. Only Prefetch is present in XP. Their purpose is to pre-load regularly used services/calls into memory (cache) and they allow faster 'prefetched' reading which depend on memory available. All this is mostly redundant with modern SSD, due to their fast read abilities and Win 7 and manage prefetched data intuitively based on your usage pattern. Vista does not prefetch data as intuitively as Win 7/8 and may need manual setting/disable. It’s best to let Win 7 and 8 manage Windows Accelerators. Do not disable manually but if you do don't disable them in Win 7/8 before running Windows Experience Index (WEI). Let Win 7/8 manage them by traces during Boot, Idle time and over time.

a. Prefetch and BootTrace. Prefetch parses both Boot Trace data and APPLICATION data and depends on your Apps installed and amount of tinkering/reboots you do. It continues to log/trace to the Windows>Prefetch folder and uses the Task Scheduler process.

b. Superfetch, ReadyBoot, ReadyBoost and ReadyDrive. All these Windows Accelerators are present in Win 7, 8 and Vista. Superfetch controls ReadyBoot, ReadyBoost and ReadyDrive and the Service Host is sysmain.dll or known as the Superfetch Service. Sysmain.dll is in the Windows>System32 folder. In Win 7, 8 and Vista run WEI after installing Chipset/VGA drivers then leave for a week. ReadyBoost is a Vista/Win 7/8 only Non Volatile (NV) cache like the ReadyBoost enabled USB flash and Intel's Robson/Turbo Memory. Leave it alone as Windows is intuitive enough to figure out NV Cache for itself. Default Policy setting for Vista and Win 7/8 is NOT CONFIGURED. This means that the default is NV Cache ON but only if needed. To check: Run> gpedit.msc> Computer Configuration> Administrative Templates> System> Disk NV Cache> you will see:

(1) Turn Off Boot and Resume Optimizations (2) Turn Off Cache Power Mode (3) Turn Off Non Volatile Cache Feature* (4) Turn Off Solid State Mode

*All other sub Policies are dependent on the Turn Off Non Volatile Cache Feature.

c. You can check the following Superfetch Registry entries:

(1) HKLM/System/CurrentControlset/Control/Session Manager/Memory Management/Prefetch Parameters Key values of EnableBootTrace should return “0”, EnablePrefetcher, EnableSuperfetch should all return "3"

(2)HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\WMI\Autologger\ReadyBoot The key Start value for ReadyBoot should return “0”

d. Full details of Windows Accelerators is here: http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/sysperf/perfaccel.mspx

Fragmentation

46. Fragmentation - DeFragmentation and Optimising Free Space. Normally volume Fragmentation has minimal effect on your OCZ SSDs. Occasional Free Space Optimising/De-Fragmentation as part of a pre-image/restore strategy can be beneficial. After any 'Optimisation' reboot and allow 'idle time' before imaging. This allows mapping to settle. Use of Free Space consolidation/Optimiation should be minimal on volumes holding more than 50% of data or Fragmentation beyond 1.5% and not straight after large file deletes/TRIMS. Fragmentation varies across File Systems (FS) and Operating Systems (OS). Linux and Apple Mac OSX handle fragmentation well Windows not so well. With your SSD defragmentation is less of an issue than with HDD and across all FS/OS the less data stored means less fragmentation occurs. Across all FS/OS it is best not to fully defragment volumes on SSD.

a. Win 7 De-Fragmentation On install and after WEI, Win 7 will disable defragmentation on your OCZ SSD. See Screen shots7. You can check the status as follows:

(1) Click on Start and type "defrag" in the search box > (2) Select "De-fragment your Hard Drive" or "Disk De-fragmenter" icon (3) Select your OCZ SSD, (4) Then Configure Schedule and in the Modify Schedule window "Select Disks"..

No SSD shows:

Screenshot 7

b. Win 8 De-Fragmentation In Windows 7 Microsoft turns off defrag for SSDs. But in Windows 8 they changed the defrag tool to a general optimization tool that handles different kinds of storage and in the case of SSDs it will send 'TRIM' hints for the entire volume. In Windows 8 when the Storage Optimizer (the new defrag tool) detects that the volume is mounted on an SSD, it sends a complete set of trim hints for the entire volume again and this is done at idle time to give SSDs a chance to react to these hints.

Screenshot 8

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Windows Indexing and Drive Indexing

47. In Win 7, 8 and Vista Indexing Service is for backward compatibility only. It should not be installed by default and should be turned off. In XP it should be disabled with SSD used as System/OS drives, as it's a major resource hog and can add unnecessary log writes to the drive. To check status or if installed: Select/Start.. Control Panel > Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off > Un-tick the Indexing Service to disable.

a. Windows Search is standard in Windows 7, 8 and Windows Vista, so leave it on. It’s enabled by default and replaces Windows Desktop Search (WDS). Windows Search was an add-in for XP and Server 2003.

b. Drive Indexing is part of the overall Indexing Process in Windows Search. With newer SSD it can be left at default enabled, but can disabled System/OS drives that have excessive workloads. Disabling it in this scenario prevents excessive writes to logs and potentially prevents translated checkpoint errors passing on to the controller. See Screenshot 9.

c. RAID users should monitor Windows Search Indexing as it could be logging file data across chunk/stripe boundaries at Logical Level, which could have complications beyond the translation level. Advanced users can specify Windows Search Indexing options, which includes right down to a complete list of locations that are indexed. This can be done by opening Indexing Options: Start> In the search box type indexing options> Click Indexing Options > Indexed locations are displayed in the “Index these locations” list. The actual index itself can be monitored by keeping track of it’s size at:

(1) C:\Users\All Users\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows\Projects\SystemIndex (where C:\ is the System Drive).

(2) To disable, find your SSD and right click it's Properties and then De-select: Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed in addition to file properties. An extensive description of the Indexing Process in Windows Search here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa965362(VS.85).aspx

Screenshot 9

System Restore and Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS)

48. Leaving System Restore enabled on your OCZ SSD is advised. BUT, it can lead to issues unless you understand what it does:

a. System Restore. In Win 7/8 and Vista it default runs every time you start your computer. It can kick in any time the PC is idle/powered on for at least 10 minutes. Restore points are created before Windows Updates are installed. When a restore point is created Volume Shadow copy Service (VSS) starts. For more details see here: http://blog.szynalski.com/2009/11/23/volume-shadow-copy-system-restore/

System Restore Rules can be specified in Scheduled Tasks and these can be changed by the user.

b. Volume Shadow copy Service (VSS) in Win 7. In Win 7, 8 and Vista applications, processes and device drivers can request a snapshot. VSS first notifies of an impending snapshot operation and then notifies to write critical data to disk. It then locks and flushes NTFS writes cached in memory and Metafiles are then copied and updated and recorded in $Bitmap. NTFS is then unlocked. VSS then notifies the snapshot is complete and then creates a System Restore point. More details on VSS are here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Copy

Image and Restore

49. Taking a regular image/backup of your OCZ SSD is advised. Modern cloning/image/restore programs are mostly fine with SSD. Acronis, Casper and Paragon all work well with OCZ SSD and can resize partitions on the fly. Older programs that 'incrementally' back-up/restore can complicate mapping snapshots on SSD. Check whether any Volume Image taken retains Alignment on Restore. Windows 7 and Windows 8 both have “Built in Image and Restore” although slightly less featured than standalone versions. More details are here: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/663-backup-complete-computer-create-image-backup.html http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/675-system-image-recovery.html http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/12/using-windows-8s-hidden-backup-to-clone-and-recover-your- whole-pc/

ATA Secure Erase (SE).

50. Secure Erase (SE) function is built into your OCZ SSDs and is a command that can be sent to your SSD via software. The drive's firmware will then destructively erase the data and render the drive ‘raw’. All OCZ Bootable Toolboxes can be used to SE all of our current line-up of drives and many of the Legacy/EOL ones as well. Those SSD that are unable to be SE’d with the main Toolbox functions directly, should be able to SE’d via the Linux HDParm built in (right click desktop> Applications>OCZ_SE_Alternative_Hdparm_Version). If you have any issues with Secure Erase please contact Support or post on the relevant OCZ Forum. OCZ Toolboxes can be downloaded here: http://ocz.com/consumer/download/firmware

OCZ Sanitary Erase.

51. Sanitary Erase s an OCZ tool that erases only our First Generation Indilinx SSD only (Vertex/Agility/Solid). It resets First Generation OCZ Indilinx SSD NAND to factory condition. It does not work on our other SSD.

OCZ GC_Tool

52. OCZ GC_Tool (formerly Wiper.exe) is no longer needed with FW 1.7.It is an OCZ tool that optimises only our First Generation Indilinx SSD in Windows XP (Vertex/Agility/Solid). It executes a command in/on all partitioned space and doesn't directly touch unallocated space/overprovisioned NAND. It only requires running about once a month. It will not work if drives are in RAID. To use it download and put in Root then Run as Admin. It does not work on our other SSDs. A Linux based alternative is called wiper.sh in hdparm and more info with download is here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/hdparm/files/

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S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology)

51. A technology developed by major hard disk manufacturers included in most modern disks. It monitors and logs many events while the disk is running. You can read SMART on OCZ SSD from OCZ Toolboxes which can be downloaded here: http://ocz.com/consumer/download/firmware . SMART Attribute info can often change but basic general information can be gleaned from: http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/smartmontools/wiki/TocDoc

OCZ SandForce based SSD SMART

a. Attributes here:

OCZ Indilinx based SSD SMART

b. Attributes here: