how to properly format/clean SSDs

Well i got yet another replacement system some 02 days ago, but since i work shifts i wasnt in any condition to do the whole install thing


the difference b/w the old vs the new replacement is a 2760qm, and the 6990M with NANYA ram modules, since i bought my 1st ssd (crucial m4 128GB)for the M17xr3, i have a few qs

can i use the the same installation?...meaning just place the drives in the new M17Xr3 (i can restore the OS to an earlier more pristine condition) and continue using the sytem

if not, does the SSD need to be cleaned/formatted...and if yes then any useful (it would help if it were not a dos based utility...but if it must be done i must do it right)

and the new system comes with the A09, Alien autopsy and something alien-or the other.... any way to recover this software (as its not on any of our usual M17's)

thanks

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x/628862-help-please-first-time-installing-ssd.html

Most recent SSD topic. Dont know about Autopsy.

 

To save your Alien Respond recovery and to keep everything factory fresh, what i do is this. Remember everyone is different. I use HDClone4 and clone the HD to the SSD. The reason I use it is it will re-size for the difference between the two. Thats where most trouble happens, it takes care of it. This way you lose nothing and can keep the old drive as a back up. HDClone4 is free but slow the paid version is much faster and worth it IMO. The Alien autopsy is an app to help resolve issues and update your system pretty darn slick, its a special version of PC Doctor made for Dell/alienware. Hope this helps.

 

thanks for the link, but i did read that one

my concerns were about the fact that could i simply move the ssd which is running a win7 home and simply put it into the new system.......

and i heard about degrading performance when having used a SSD for some time, somewhere they said to clean the ssd , i wanted to know what proggie is used to do that....because if i remember it i think the ssd never truly formats the same way as a hdd

 

This is the only one I know of that you can safely use on a SSD. I use it on flash memory setting only once a month along with the Trim support. I have never has a problem.
MyDefrag v4.3.1
If this is what you are asking by clean.

 

Short answer: Yes, you can move your fully loaded SSD drive from one M17x R3 to another one... that's not a problem.

There is no reason to defrag an SSD. In fact, doing so may cause more harm than help. Disk defragmentation should be disabled with an SSD. TRIM support is all that you need in an SSD and as a general rule, TRIM support prevents degradation of performance over time. Cloning a Windows 7 installation from a mechanical HDD to SSD might result in some alignment problems and should generally be avoided. Some have had no problems doing this, but others have experienced major performance headaches from doing so. Your mileage may vary.

Installing Windows 7 to SSD from scratch results in a system setup that generally requires no tweaking for excellent function. Doing so will place the drive in proper alignment. Defragmentation and Superfetch will be automatically disabled by default in most cases. If you save your OEM drive(s) and use the Windows installation disk to set up the OS on the new SSD, you should have a worry-free installation.

As far as Alien Autopsy is concerned, you can download that on demand from the Dell Support Center web site. Alien Autopsy is the Alienware version of Dell Support Center 3.0, which is a rebranded version of PC-Doctor. It's a nice utility to have and it's easy to get it.

Not so with AlienRespawn. You can only install AlienRespawn software with the factory partition containing the imaging files resident on the drive. If that partition has been deleted or it is not resident on your replacement drive, AlienRespawn will no longer be available to you. If you use the factory drives and create Respawn restore media (DVD or USB) you will have that to fall back on with a mechanical HDD in addition to the Windows 7 OS installation media provided with your Alienware system.

More information about doing a clean OS installation and preserving AlienRespawn is available on this thread:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...er-install-order-guide-alienware-systems.html

 

Now that paradigm018 has some quick answers, I am closing this thread because there are already numerous threads in the Alienware Community covering the topic of SSD installation and setup procedures. Chances are you can find a thread in a sub-forum specific to your specific model of Alienware, or your specific model of SSD. However, the installation process and advice is pretty much universal in application for any SSD.

Here are just a few example threads:

M18x: http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...ii-questions-troubleshooting-discussions.html

M17x: http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x/628862-help-please-first-time-installing-ssd.html

Crucial SSD: http://forum.notebookreview.com/sol...crucial-m4-micron-c400-ssd-series-thread.html
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