How to 'refresh' my G1 Intel SSD?

Hi folks...

Tried to look around but couldn't find anything useful.

Few months back some people were discussing how to refresh a used SSD into its original state... anyone can help me with this?

Using the first generation of Intel X25-M without TRIM function

Thanks...

 

Try looking up "Tony Trim" in google.

 

I wouldn't use that perfect disk freespace consolidation that Tony recommends on SSD's because it creates background processes that can hurt performance and actually block the controllers GC function.

Download AS freespace Cleaner and run it with FF checked>shutdown your computer>cold boot>transition to sleep mode>press the power button and leave it to idle at the logon screen for at least 20 minutes.

http://alex-is.de/PHP/fusion/downloads.php?cat_id=2

If you want to consolidate freespace before running freespace cleaner with FF checked, go to start>all programs>accessories> right click command prompt and select "run as administrator">type defrag c: /x hit enter.

 

I thought X-25M G1s didn't have GC? I don't know about background processes that might hurt performance, though...

 

Will that work with a raid0 setup? thx

 

Okay read carefully.

ALL memory systems need GC. On an SSD GC is critical to the operation of the SSD itself, it won't really function without it.

Ever read about how flash cells have 10K or 100K write limit before they significantly degrade? Well, without GC you'll be getting a write-once device. Garbage Collection in SSDs are what clears the SSD flash cells so they can be written again.

Different SSDs have different methods for that. On the Intel SSDs, they primarily only GC at write time. Other brands like OCZ Vertex or Samsung might do when the drive is idle in addition to doing it in write time.

 

Oh, ok. I think we just hit a semantic difference; what you're currently calling GC, I just heard of as the basic "erase" or "clearing" feature as part of a "copy-erase-write" operation. I only hear of GC as the idle or background Garbage Collection, as a counterpart to TRIM.

 

Does any1 know if sgilmore62's method works in a raid0 setup?

 

Just use secure erase.
http://cmrr.ucsd.edu/people/Hughes/SecureErase.shtml

If that doesn't work, you can always contact intel and ask for a new G2 X-25M. They will do this if secure erase doesn't work.