Guide On ExpressCache: "I Want My ExpressCache Back!" Edition

Hi again lotero,

Sorry I left you hanging there for awhile. My schedule doesn't permit much time on the forum these days.

That's great news, good job! It confirms our suspicion that the iSSD isn't physically dead. I would load Minitool Partition Wizard and see what it shows. There is a chance that it can see the iSSD even though Disk Management cannot.

Devices remain in the registry even after they're disconnected, so that is no guarantee that. In Device Manager, try enabling Show hidden devices (View menu).

I presume since you restored your factory Win7, you also disabled UEFI. Otherwise disable UEFI now and restore to factory again. The key now is still to initialize the iSSD and convert it to MBR (using Minitool, Disk Management, DISKPART or whatever).

 

Hello Dannemand. I'm here again after some days.....

I have made some new tests, all the ones you told me later, but iSSD remains invisible. The only way I found to make my ultrabooks boots faster is uninstalling Expresscache and Fast Boot. I don't know if they are the ones that make boot times longer, but by now times are acceptable.

Some days ago I sended Samsung's Support an email, they answered that the mail it was sending to the specialists. I'm waiting for a new answer.....

Anyways, I'm thinking of taking it to Samsung, but here, in Argentina, I have no hopes that they could fix it......

Regards!

 

Thank you for the update. The fact that disabling Fast Boot also speeds up boot time is an indication that it really is BIOS (not just Windows) hanging while looking for the iSSD (even though it cannot boot from it). And that again could indicate that it is an actual defect of the iSSD (as you suspected). With Fast Boot disabled, it skips looking for any drives other than the main SSD/HDD.

I wouldn't rule out that Samsung in Argentina can fix it: They will probably just replace the motherboard, which almost certainly WILL fix it. But unless you have warranty, that will also be quite costly.

In any case are you doing the best thing you can now by uninstalling ExpressCache and disabling Fast Boot.

Please keep us posted with the outcome...

 

Thank Dannemand all worked fine, just needed it the confidence ,to erase all from the ssd. now the screen has gone up o well, hardware i guess

 

Thank you for the update. Sorry to hear about the screen. Sounds like this computer wants you to replace it with a new and faster model

 

Ahoy all,

While waiting for my NP700Z5A-S01UK's motherboard to be repaired, I bought an NP700Z5C-S02UB (I'm not sure what the "UB" stands for!) I'm slowly getting to grips with Windows 8.1 which came installed, to see if it's a prejudice that I want to have Windows 7 back, or whether I'll learn to appreciate it.

I've noticed that the iSSD is uninitialised (whatever that means) and unformatted. There is no ExpressCache in the SWUpdate, only "Intel RapidStart Technology". I've had a look through this thread and the search but turned nothing up that looked like the same issue.

There was an entry for ExpressCache in the Add/Remove Programmes, which I removed along with RapidStart as per some advice in another thread. Now of course I can't reinstall it, even if it wasn't working!

Thanks for any ideas!

 

The UB suffix indicates a version sold only by Best Buy.

Use the Find Model facility in SW Update to look for the NP700Z5C-S04US.

The ExpressCache software is listed there.

John

 

Thanks John! Ever knowledgeable. That all worked perfectly. I was wondering if "UB" was some acronym for Upper Brazil, or Undulating Bulgaria...

Now when I check in Disk Management the iSSD is marked as a healthy primary partition. Does that show that it is working properly, or should I run some other check?

Do I need the RapidStart as well? I don't really understand what it's for...

 

Hello Haukyn, good to see you're still around.

If you installed ExpressCache version 1.0.94, and it didn't complain, it should be working. You can use ECCmd -INFO to check its status, as described in this post (also quoted in the Opening Post).

If you use Settings version 2.0.0.55 (available in SW Update under model NP880Z5E-X03CA) you will be able to control ExpressCache and Battery Life Extender from the Settings Control Center. Newer Settings versions (such as the very latest 2.3.0.17) do not have those control features (although EC and BLE still work).

U B are US models specially built for Best Buy. I am puzzled that your new NP700Z5C-S02UB was delivered with Win8.1, since it is a 2012 model, from before 8.1 was released. Was this a refurb? Do you trust who installed it? I ask only because I would never trust a Windows installation on a computer bought, say, on eBay. Who knows what lurks down there in the depths of it? Of course you could re-install it (or factory restore) -- but if it runs well, I can also understand the reluctance.

In any case is this a wildly popular model, with what used to be a very busy Owners Lounge (linked below). Tons of good info in that thread.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...ries-7-lovers-here-s-np700z5c-ivy-bridge.html

 

Ahoy Dannemand,

Thank you for your help again. While the Z5A's motherboard is being repaired (#130 in the UK - a bit abhorrent to throw away such a great piece of kit) I thought I really ought to have something to do some of my work for finals on!

There were no complaints from the ExpressCache, and attached is an image of the info, which seems to show everything is hunky dory.



The laptop is from the 'Bay, and I've made a new user, had a root around but still haven't put anything identifiable on it yet because I'm wary, as you are! There is an 8 sticker on the bottom however, so I wonder if they did a factory reset and then did the update. It is just a Windows Update file isn't it, like an XP service pack? I thought I'd better get to know it a little first, before attempting nuking and perhaps putting W7 on, but so far it's like W7 except faster and with some more easily accessible options that previously had to be dug out from the innards. How it works with Windows 95 games is another question however... ;-)

Thank you for the tip on the "Settings". I didn't know different versions would have altogether different packages of software, instead of just rolling out the updates throughout the system! I have the BLE at present, but it could be useful to see the EC from the settings window.

I'll let you know in the other thread if there's a happy ending to the Z5A saga.

 

Yes, your ExpressCache looks hunky dory

Since you have the model that came with Win8, that means you also have the new Recovery version (Samsung Recovery Solution 6) which has better backup features than the old one. You can make a so-called bootable Factory Image backup on a USB stick (32GB needed) which will allow you to experiment to your hearts content, and re-image the drive to factory state, no matter how messed up it becomes. User the first two steps in this post.

And yes, you can always run the update to Win8.1 after restoring the factory Win8. Everybody thought it was just like a service pack, but Microsoft changed quite a bit -- and broke backwards compatibility so lots of drivers no longer worked. See the 8.1 update thread for horror stories and discussion. It's mostly solved now, though some models are not officially supported for 8.1, and some users are still struggling to get the right combination of drivers.

However, you should be fine with the Z5C. We had very problem problem reports from owners of Nvidia models compared to AMD models.

 

Good-oh!

I installed the previous Settings as suggested (I had 2.0.0.72), but have no different options that I can see, except now that SWUpdate wants me to upgrade it.

I shall have a look at the bootable disk as soon as I can get my hands on such a USB stick - I still get along fine with my old 256MB one! However, they're far cheaper than I'd realised these days.

Thanks for the links. One last question - should I install the RapidStart that's in SWUpdate, or does it do something similar to Express Cache and isn't needed?

 

Oh great. I have been looking for that rumored 2.0.0.72 myself, but not been able to find it anywhere. I would expect any 2.0.x version to still have BLE and EC, while 2.1.x and newer don't have them.

Are you sure it's Intel Rapid Start that SW Update is offering you, and not Rapid Storage? They often get mixed up; see this post for descriptions of these and other Fast this and Rapid that features.

Rapid Start is an alternative Sleep/Hibernation hybrid feature that requires an SSD; a few models have large iSSDs (16-24GB) that are used both for ExpressCache and Rapid Start; maybe you have that. You can read more about it in John's thread here.

Rapid Storage is just an alternative SATA disk driver. Some users find it causes more CPU activity, others find the opposite. After a number of comparisons between it and other disk drivers, I personally use it (Rapid Storage, NOT Rapid Start). Although I have no reports of problems, my gut tells me that it is best to install Rapid Storage BEFORE ExpressCache, since EC hooks onto the disk driver.

 

Well, you've found it now! So for me, unless I've just missed it, neither the 2.0.0.55 or the 2.0.0.72 have anything to do with ExpressCache in them, although BLE is in both. Here's the menu I get under 2.0.0.55.



I realised just after I posted, that I had done exactly what you've written - it's Rapid Storage that it says is "essential". RapidStart doesn't feature. Whoops! Thank you for the information about it. Why ExpressCache isn't in the SW Update I don't know.

Disk Manager says that the iSSD is ~8GB, like on the Z5A, so presumably RapidStart doesn't apply to me - I must have picked the name up from somewhere and got confused.

 

Cool, thanks for the update. That all makes sense -- except that you don't have an ExpressCache tab in Settings. Admittedly, we have had a few other cases (in this thread) where it stubbornly refused to show up in Settings (or Easy Settings) even though EC was working alright. I am afraid it is one mystery that remains unsolved

 

Hello Guys I have a NP700G7C-S01PT and im having problems with the pc for a long time . I formatted the pc like 5 times ( W8 / W7 ) now im with windows 7 again and im trying to get Express Cache to work but i can't :S tried everything you guys said and nothing , If anyone could help i would be glad

 

Settings 2.0.0.72 can be found in NP900X3D-A03CH -> Windows 8.1. It does indeed still offer battery extension, but I am not sure about the EC settings.

For those who care: The latest Recovery 6.0.12.12 can be had with NP940X3G-K05CH -> Windows 8.1.

 

Hi Tolord, welcome to NBR.

What specifically did you try, and what exactly happened?

The general procedure for re-installing ExpressCache is covered in this post. The advice in the opening post to manually create an HFS+ partition is generally not needed with any recent ExpressCache versions.

What sometimes fails is if you have switched between UEFI/GPT and BIOS/MBR modes. The iSSD used by ExpressCache needs to be the same layout as the HDD used for Windows (GPT for UEFI installation and MBR for BIOS installation). You can convert the iSSD using DISKPART or Minitool Partition Wizard.

There is a lot of discussion about that in this thread. Also quite a bit in the G7C Owners Lounge, including a still unsolved ExpressCache mystery discussed in the last few pages. There is also a discussion here which sounds like it could be related to your situation.

Thank you!

I finally found it myself and have been running it the last month or so. In fact, there is probably an even newer version hidden inside the Easy Settings version 2.0.0.83 available under Win7 drivers for model NP930X5J-K02UK. I just haven't gotten to test it yet.

And as you point out, these 2.0.x versions still have BLE and ExpressCache tabs. They ALSO have Samsung Fast Start Mode (automatic wake-up on lid-open) which I don't personally like, but there is no way to disable it in Settings.

For those who don't want Fast Start Mode, the newer Settings versions 2.3.x are preferred (such as 2.3.0.17 under Win8.1 drivers for model NP930X5J-K02UK). They don't have BLE and ExpressCache tabs, but BLE can still be controlled through BIOS, and ExpressCache through ECCmd.

 

Hello Andrew, welcome to NBR.

Is this new a new Windows installation or did it "just happen"? Which Windows version (presumably Win7, since you said Easy Settings)? Did you have the ExpressCache software installed when you tried to format the iSSD (in which case it would NOT work?).

The advice in the opening post of this thread to manually create a partition with MacDisk is not necessary with recent versions of ExpressCache. Instead try the steps in this post, then use the commands in this post to verify that it works.

If you still cannot get it working, you may have a defect iSSD. If it's merely a few bad "sectors" (not really sectors on an SSD) that's not too bad. But you should stop using the iSSD regardless in that case, since if it becomes worse, it can cause a serious delay each time you boot -- and it can only be fixed by replacing the motherboard.

 

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I am afraid I cannot offer to fix your computer for you remotely. I merely direct members to information posted here by others (and sometimes posted by myself) so that they can fix their computers themselves.

If you are saying you tried the the EXACT steps described in this post, then the only other explanations I can think of are EITHER (i) a defect iSSD (which cannot be fixed by software means) OR (ii) that you switched from an UEFI/GPT installation to a BIOS/MBR installation (or vice versa).

See the discussion starting here (a few pages back in this thread) for more on how GPT/MBR affects ExpressCache. However, I think your model came with Win7 originally, in which case this is most likely not the issue (not unless you deliberately changed your UEFI mode).

I would try again to uninstall ExpressCache AND Easy Settings, then use Minitool Partition Wizard (Google it) to Rebuild MBR on the the iSSD (if necessary, convert it to GPT first, then back to MBR), then re-install ExpressCache and check the ECCmd -INFO command again.

A few other things to check:

1) Make sure you have the latest version 1.0.98 of ExpressCache, which you can download with SW Update, using the Find Model feature to look up model NP540U4E-K01US, under Win8 drivers.

2) Make sure you installed Chipset drivers from SW Update when you re-installed Windows. I also install Intel Rapid Storage, although that should not be necessary. In any case must these be installed BEFORE ExpressCache.

3) Check the iSSD with HWiNFO (Google it) which reports on drive health, including Drive Remaining Life.

 

Run Samsung's standalone BIOSupdate.exe program. It will check what BIOS you have and whether there is a newer version.

If there is a newer one then first download it before running it. There's more advice on BIOS updating issues here.

John

 

Hi there. Its bitter sweet to see so many people with the same problems as me. I have a Dec 2012 Samsung Chronos 700Z7C-SO2 Laptop. After upgrading the computer became very slow, particularly emerging from sleep.

I checked the SSD was working with 'eccmd -info' which told me that the 'HFS drive wasn't mounted'. I open disk management which told me that the ssd need to be initialised. I agreed to this and then rebooted. The laptop wouldnt reboot. It went into a self diagnosis for half an hour. Having fixed itself I tried eccmd again. Now it tells me 'Failed to retrieve product license information'.

I then downloaded the Expresscache software from the web and installed it. The installation makes the laptop reboot. Again it went into self diagnosis. After half an hour it booted. eccmd -info still tells me 'Failed to retrieve product license information'. Is there any hope of sorting this out ? Any ideas welcome !

Cass

 

"After updating the windows from 8 to 8.1" - I should have said.

Cass

 

Hi C D Young, welcome to NBR.

It is normal that ExpressCache stops working after updating to Windows 8.1. Re-installing the ExpressCache software takes care of that.

But ExpressCache OWNS the iSSD when it is running, and its content is mapped to files on the HDD. So if you performed any changes on the iSSD (such as that initialize in Disk Management) while the ExpressCache software was still installed and running, that would cause all kinds of problems -- including potential corruption on your HDD.

If you are able to boot Windows, you want to uninstall the ExpressCache software using the Windows Programs and Features control panel. Reboot. Now delete any partitions left on the iSSD (using Windows Disk Management or Minitool Partition Wizard). If Windows still acts funny after this, you can try and also uninstall Samsung Settings, using the Programs and Features control panel.

Now install the latest version 1.0.98 of ExpressCache, which you can download with SW Update, using the Find Model feature to look up model NP540U4E-K01US, under Win8 drivers. Reboot and wait AT LEAST 2 minutes. It should create and mount the necessary partition on the iSSD, which you can verify with ECCmd -INFO.

If ExpressCache still doesn't work, you can try initializing the iSSD and/or converting it to GPT (if this is an UEFI installation) or to MBR (if this is a legacy BIOS installation). But ONLY after uninstalling the ExpressCache software first and rebooting.

Once everything is working, re-install Settings if you previously uninstalled it. I recommend you use Settings versions 2.0.x (as opposed to the newer versions 2.3.x) since they have controls for ExpressCache. Version 2.0.0.55 is available in SW Update under Win8 drivers for model NP880Z5E-X03CA. Version 2.0.0.74 is available in SW Update under Win7 drivers for model NP900X3F-K02CA (in the Win8 folder inside the Easy Settings 2.0.0.74 package). Anytime Settings has been re-installed, follow the advise in this post.

If you still cannot get ExpressCache working, it is possible that it has become defect (it happens occasionally) or that your Windows installation became corrupted. Study the last 10 pages or so in this thread. But the issues described on the first pages of this thread are not relevant with newer versions of ExpressCache.

 

@C D Young , I also suggest you to check the SMART atributes of your iSSD

 

Thanks Dannemand, You are a star. After a few ups and downs it worked. For others who have the same problem and are feeling discouraged. Here is what happened. After I uninstalled Expresscache the computer would not start. It tried self diagnosing but failed to fix the problem. I was getting pretty worried at this point. I did a system restore to a checkpoint. At this point I thought the laptop still couldn't restart. It turned just to be incredibly slow taking several hours to boot. I tried to delete the partition on the SSD but neither disk management nor the Mini Partition tool would start. I tried reinstalling Expresscache but it wouldn't install- it said something about being partially uninstalled. As a last try I rebooted the laptop and tried to install Expresscache 64bit again. This time it worked. I rebooted the laptop and it is now just as fast as it was. I was facing buying a new laptop at certain points in this process so I am extremely grateful to you.

 

Hmmm... although the computer is faster I am wondering if the problem is fully fixed. I see this from eccmd

C:\WINDOWS\system32>eccmd -info
ExpressCache Command Version 1.0.98.0
Copyright® 2010-2012 Condusiv Technologies.
Date Time: 12/2/2014 16:14:53:264 (SAMSUNGLAPTOP #0)

Failed to retrieve product license information.

I also notice that in the resource monitor the disk activity now mainly seems to be on C:/pagefile.sys which I don't remember.

 

Yeah, that's not right. I would expect EC to not be working on that system. A few members have reported that error after downloading ExpressCache from other vendors or directly from Conducive (trying to get a newer version than provided by Samsung).

If you download the latest version under model NP540U4E-K01US (using Find Model in SW Update) you should not be getting that error. Uninstall EC, reboot, re-install.

Once you have it working correctly (as confirmed by ECCmd -INFO) use the following first-time optimization (do some disk cleanout on C: before defag):

 

Oh dear. Expresscache won't install now because it can't find a disk to install onto. Looking at the SSD through MiniTool Partition the status of the SSD is 'Bad Disk'. Can there really be a hardware failure at the same time as the 8.1 upgrade issues ?

The SSD shows as 'unallocated'/'not initialised' in 'disk management'. I tried to initialise as GPT but this failed because of an IO error. Looking bad.

 

Ouch, I am sorry to hear that. Assuming the iSSD really has become bad (and it happens on some units) the best you can do is stop using it, or even TRY to use it. Just leave it alone. That means uninstalling the ExpressCache software and disabling the SanDisk iSSD device in Device Manager, so Windows doesn't try to access it.

What you want to avoid, is getting to a point where the system is looking for a completely dead iSSD during startup, since this can cause several minutes of delay -- and can only be fixed by a motherboard replacement.

 

If the iSSD is dead then it is easier and probably cheaper to replace the HDD with a proper SSD than to source and replace the motherboard. A proper SSD is also faster.

John

 

Replacing the HDD with an SSD will address the performance issue from loosing the ExpressCache.

But the big issue is that once the iSSD goes dead, computers have been known to spend several minutes hanging during startup, because the system keeps looking for it. Presumably the control circuits still work and announce the iSSD as present, but when ACPI (or whoever) tries to access it, it hangs.

Since the iSSD cannot be removed, the only cure for this is to replace the motherboard. And that's why users should stop using the iSSD well before it fails.

 

Sensibly there should be a switch in the BIOS to enable / disable the iSSD, but Samsung don't always implement what we lesser mortals consider to be common sense.

John

 

Exactly! Instead of removing ExpressCache from the AB8 series (which would have benefited tremendously from it) Samsung could have implemented such a switch to eliminate the support problems. It would solve pretty much all the issues with ExpressCache, including the installation issue with Windows Setup thinking the iSSD is the boot partition.

 

That's a nice simple fix provided the system doesn't try to use the ExpressCache prior to Windows loading.

John

 

Hi,

I have a NP700Z7C. It came preinstalled with Win7. After experiencing severe performance issues - eg. slow startup I tried to restore. That didnt work, the recovery tool could never complete the restore. So I did a clean Win7 install, but EC is causing troubles - maybe this is the reason for all my issues before as well.

I followed all the steps discribed in the beginning of this thread, repeated multipe times:

In the BIOS "fast boot" and "EUFI" are disable, EUFI is by default disabled.
Unistall EC and Settings
Reboot
Delete iSSD - which can be seen in MiniTool
Reboot
Reinstall EC 1.0.94
Reboot
iSSD can be seen breafly in MiniTool and Disk Manager after reboot. Then it disapears. Sometime MiniTool says "Bad Disk" before it disappears.
eccmd-info shows HFS not mounted.
When restarting, the boot sequence always hangs up at the initial boot screen. I need to power off the laptop and only then it will restart.
Win7 appears sluggish at times.
After uninstalling EC again, the iSSD shows up again and Win7 performs normally.

Do you think the iSSD is broken? If so, how can I check it? Or any other ideas how to get it running?

Thanks!

 

Yours wouldn't be the first ExpressCache chip to die. However, I can't think of the best way to confirm the prognosis although there may be something further up this thread.

In fact, I wouldn't waste more time on it but go and buy a read SSD. They get cheaper by the day and have better performance than the ExpressCache.

John

 

I had expresscache latest 1.0.98 installed on my np540u3c... now after update to windows 10 I cannot seem to install the app ... it keeps saying application is not compatible... this is the only thing left.

Anyone know how to get it installed in windows 10?

 

just try this... is a a driver given by lenovo but with samsung license
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1ywid1516dg9alq/expresscache_x64_118.rar?dl=0

it worked for me, the only missing thing is i cannot see it through samsumg easy settings

 

When I upgraded from Win 8 to Win 10 my 24G SSD Express Cache disappeared. So I ran ECCmd.exe which I found in C:\Program Files\Condusiv Technologies\ExpressCache
and nothing happened. The 24G SSD seems to be gone? Which I hope is as I don't need it as I have the Samsung EVO 850 500GB SSD. When I had Win 8, I could see the 24G SSD with the 500GB HD. Any thoughts on this?

 

Can you see anything in Device Manager or Disk Management?

John

 

Yes, it shows up there.
Device status: This device is working properly.

Another question then:
In SanDisk SSD i100 24GB Properties/Policies/Write-caching policy
Enable write caching on the device box is checked.
Since I have a Samsung EVO 500GB SSD installed, should I uncheck that box?
Underneath that is another "unchecked" box:
Turn off Windows write-cache buffer flushing on the device?

 

So the iSSD is seen by the system as hardware but doesn't show up as a drive? Maybe it needs formatting and assigning a drive letter before Windows can use it as storage device. You should be able to do that in Disk Management.

Windows won't use the iSSD for caching the main SSD. I think Windows uses RAM for that purpose. It's the ExpressCache software which decides what to put on the iSSD but you haven't got that installed (and since the iSSD is slower than the big one, don't try).

John

 

How do I know if the ExpressCache software is installed or not?

BTW, should I do some of the tips shown here:
http://www.techradar.com/us/news/co...s-to-optimise-your-drive-s-performance-943984

 

Look in Windows Programs and Features control panel: If ExpressCache is listed there, that means you have the ExpressCache software installed. You can uninstall it from there.

As John said, you don't want to have ExpressCache installed if you have a "real" SSD as your main drive. It will only slow things down and introduce unnecessary wear.

We just had an ExpressCache discussion in the thread linked below which covers several questions that are also answered inside this thread -- but does so in just a few pages. It also has suggestions for how to install EC in Win10.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...the-ssd-of-samsung-series-5-ultrabook.787662/

 

Yep, it was there in Windows Programs, so I uninstalled it and what a big difference it made in boot up time! I bet it makes everything else faster! All is left is two:
ExpressCacheRun64.exe & ExpressCacheRun.exe
in
C:\Program Files (x86)\Samsung\Settings\CmdServer
Type: Application

Another related question:
In SanDisk SSD i100 24GB Properties/Policies/Write-caching policy
Enable write caching on the device box is checked.
Since I have a Samsung EVO 500GB SSD installed, should I uncheck that box?
Underneath that is another "unchecked" box:
Turn off Windows write-cache buffer flushing on the device?

 

Good, I am glad that worked.

No, you can just leave that alone. As John wrote previously, Windows doesn't use the iSSD for caching other drives. Those settings can be set individually for all drives and determine how Windows handles caching when writing to the drive. For external drives, they can be disabled to allow safer (but slower) writing.

So those settings only apply when you use the iSSD as a drive -- which you can do for whatever purpose, as long as you avoid wearing it with too much writing.

 

Thanks for the help. I think I'll let my iSSD rest and do nothing.
All is left of it is two items:
ExpressCacheRun64.exe & ExpressCacheRun.exe
in
C:\Program Files (x86)\Samsung\Settings\CmdServer
Type: Application

How about for my main SSD?
12 SSD tips to optimize your drive's performance
http://www.techradar.com/us/news/co...s-to-optimise-your-drive-s-performance-943984
Especially this:
6. Create a RAM disk
http://memory.dataram.com/products-and-services/software/ramdisk
I have 12GB's of memory.

 

Yes, those files are part of Samsung Settings, to let it enable/disable ExpressCache from the Settings control center.

I'm afraid I don't have experience or advice to help optimize your SSD. As I understand, other than avoid filling it up (it needs empty space for housekeeping) it should take care of itself.

 

That is the one negative part of a SSD... when my last two SSD's got 3/4 full, they both slowed down... a lot. So that is why I have a 500GB one now and I move a lot of pics/files over to my USB 1TB HDD... which is good because that way I'm always backing up the laptop.

Should I make a separate posts on tips & optimizing a SSD? They're getting more popular now as the prices are dropping for them.