A solid-state drive is a device full of flash memory chips. To be able to read and manipulate the data on these chips the operating system needs a way to arrange the data on a SSD . Data stored on an SSD is divided into blocks of data. These blocks are, in turn, divided into pages of data.
If you are already using one or you want to buy an SSD to improve your computer’s performance, you should know that TRIM support is essential.
What is TRIM for SSD drives?
TRIM is a command which can tell the which data blocks are no longer needed and can be deleted, or are marked as free for rewriting on an solid state drive (SSD). In other words, TRIM is a command that helps the operating system know precisely where the data that you want to move or delete is stored. That way, the solid state drive can access only the blocks holding the data. Trim also operates when a delete command is performed , the TRIM command physically wipes the pages or blocks where the files are stored . This means that when the operating system tries to write new data in that area, it does not have to wait first to delete it.
Can You Recover Data from an SSD with TRIM Enabled
Normally, when data is deleted from a mechanical drive, the data is not accessible but it remains on the physical drive. Only once the space needs to be used is the data block rewritten. Via TRIM, the data block is wiped immediately upon deletion. In this way, when the system tries to write new data onto a previously used block, it can do so without waiting. This results in improved performance.
The cost of this improvement in speed is that, on a TRIM-enabled SSD, deleted files can not be recovered. Once you empty the Windows Recycle Bin or Mac Trash Bin, the files are permanently gone.
How to tell if TRIM is enabled on a Windows Computer.
In a Command Prompt window, type the following: fsutil behavior query disabledeletenotify. see pic below
- “NTFS DisableDeleteNotify = 0” – means that the TRIM feature is enabled on your SSD.
- “NTFS DisableDeleteNotify = 1” – means that the TRIM feature is disabled on your SSD.
How to tell if TRIM is enabled on a MAC computer.
Click the Apple logo in the top-left of the screen and go to About This Mac
Click System Report…
TRIM Support: Yes = TRIM is enabled
