Best Way To Format SSD

sas30uk · 25 Feb 2011 at 01:34

Hi guys

I have 128gb Crucial SSD with windows 7 on. Iv been having some issues and want to reinstall windows 7 again. Before i do i would like to know if there is a certain way i format the SSD first so i get good performance off it when i reinstall ?

I dont know anything about SSD's so im sorry for the noobish question but iv only had it 3 weeks.

Many thanks in advance.

Eddie · 25 Feb 2011 at 01:56

mis-read the op

THC_SsSsSnake · 25 Feb 2011 at 07:30

hi Shoot,im gettin an ocz today and will be installing win7 64 on it,so when the option to format comes up i dont need to do it then?

Paul11 · 25 Feb 2011 at 07:39

THC_SsSsSnake said:
hi Shoot,im gettin an ocz today and will be installing win7 64 on it,so when the option to format comes up i dont need to do it then?

i would just do a quick format

THC_SsSsSnake · 25 Feb 2011 at 08:03

thanks paul

Eddie · 25 Feb 2011 at 08:07

THC_SsSsSnake said:
hi Shoot,im gettin an ocz today and will be installing win7 64 on it,so when the option to format comes up i dont need to do it then?

Oh dear, apologies, I totally mis-read what you typed

I think I read format as defrag for some crazy reason, well anyway it was late, I was tired

Yes, exactly as Paul11 says, just a quick defrag, er... I mean format

Philtor · 25 Feb 2011 at 08:29

When I installed my OCZ Vertex I just hit next at the install/format screen and let Windows 7 do it's thing. This way the OS is installed to the raw drive space and will be aligned correctly. I was always under the impression that formatting a SSD is not advised (well at least a full format anyway).

THC_SsSsSnake · 25 Feb 2011 at 08:33

i read on the oz support never full format but quick format is ok but ive got till tonight

sas30uk · 25 Feb 2011 at 09:11

So with me having windows 7 already installed i should just pop the DVD in and reboot and format like i would a normal HDD ?

Eddie · 25 Feb 2011 at 11:10

sas30uk said:
So with me having windows 7 already installed i should just pop the DVD in and reboot and format like i would a normal HDD ?

If you've already got windows installed and decide to reinstall then you should secure erase the drive first. Secure erase is meant to restore out-of-the-box performance.

With the OCZ drives (sandforce controllers) you use HDDErase to do it (as per instructions here if anyone needs it) but check your own SSD manufacturer's website to see what they recommend as they might want you to use something specific.

As far as whether you need to format, iirc you just let windows create and format the petition itself, once you've selected the correct drive.