Changing over to SSD... some advice

[lordhutt]

why not just use it?

because the average user doesn't have an IT pro to help them when something goes wrong, and stuff always goes wrong with RAID, especially software RAID. Recommending RAID to the non-tech savvy is irresponsible. RAID needs to just die.

Dude, I'm hardly 'non-tech savvy' It's just been awhile since I've built a new PC!! But I think I am going to skip the RAID and just do regular backups to an HDD and/or NAS.

I've been running an 850 EVO for about a year.

You might check out the Magician software.
I get a 15% speed increase in random read with 10% partition for over-provisioning.
I get another 15% increase by using "rapid mode".

Warning: Win 7 to Win 10 upgrade re-partitioned my system drive, & I lost Over-provision.
Also lost Rapid mode until I upgraded Magician to v 4.9.7 and updated ssd firmware.
Went back to Win 7 last week.
YMMV
Hope this helps.

Yeah, I will... I have the Magician software from my SATA SSD.
I was running the same thing. 10% over=provision and RapidMode. Definitely made a difference.
I'm just sticking with Win7 right now myself.

Thanks!

[turk690]

...because the average user doesn't have an IT pro to help them when something goes wrong, and stuff always goes wrong with RAID, especially software RAID. Recommending RAID to the non-tech savvy is irresponsible. RAID needs to just die.

To date, the only thing ever that went wrong with the RAIDs I enabled on all those recent Intel chipset motherboards was one of the drives died and had to be replaced, then the volume was automatically rebuilt. In the meantime, user had full use of his computer. Or maybe Intel and all those wonderful mobo makers are doing it all wrong by making RAID standard, no? With the way it is on these boards, setting up RAID1 couldn't be simpler if I wanted to. Certainly beats me cursing when system drive decides to die in the middle of a PPro project with multiple vide and aud tracks The Intel chipset RAID is nothing like the wretched, slow, and hard-to-manage s/w one on Windoze which people are wont to initially compare it to, until they try it for themselves.

[lordhutt]

...because the average user doesn't have an IT pro to help them when something goes wrong, and stuff always goes wrong with RAID, especially software RAID. Recommending RAID to the non-tech savvy is irresponsible. RAID needs to just die.

To date, the only thing ever that went wrong with the RAIDs I enabled on all those recent Intel chipset motherboards was one of the drives died and had to be replaced, then the volume was automatically rebuilt. In the meantime, user had full use of his computer. Or maybe Intel and all those wonderful mobo makers are doing it all wrong by making RAID standard, no? With the way it is on these boards, setting up RAID1 couldn't be simpler if I wanted to. Certainly beats me cursing when system drive decides to die in the middle of a PPro project with multiple vide and aud tracks The Intel chipset RAID is nothing like the wretched, slow, and hard-to-manage s/w one on Windoze which people are wont to initially compare it to, until they try it for themselves.

Well, its not that I'm scared of things not working out properly. I'm sure I can handle it but like I said.... wont using the M.2 drive for my OS and having it RAID with a HDD or SATA SSD at best kind of defeat my purpose...

[usually_quiet]

Imaging the SSD shortly after you have installed Windows 7 and your software, backing up the SSD at regular intervals, and keep important data somewhere else are all wise precautions, and even more crucial for SSDs than HDDs.

Everything I have read on the subject (from data center studies) indicates that although SSDs less likely to fail than HDDs during their rated life, they are far more prone data loss and corruption than HDDs.

[Seeker47]

. Use Ultrasearch, it's free and finds stuff in less than a split second because it searches the MFT instead of huge index databases.

I've been using Filesearchy lately, but it's good to have another recommendation to check out.

. . .

If you want to keep all your stuff, clone your HDD to your SSD instead. It's what I did and it worked fine.

I just inquired about this in another thread, prompted by having read something online suggesting that the HDD --> SSD cloning might be problematical for certain reasons ? It would be a lot easier if this was not the case. I'm looking at replacing an HDD in an older laptop (Thinkpad T60). I'm aware that this option would be limited to SATA-1 speeds, but some reports indicate that this would still be worth doing, with a performance improvement. (The HDD in the laptop was a 5400 RPM model.) I happen to have a never used Samsung SSD here, but it is three years old or thereabouts. It was originally bought for experimentation purposes. I have read that reliability of the earlier SSD models may be suspect, with latter day models having improved in that respect. Also have some concerns re how much heat these things put out (particularly for this older model, if I try to use it), compared to conventional HDDs.

[Seeker47]

For example... just looking at some of the software I've purchased
Photodex Proshow Producer... with addons and stuff I have over $300 invested in that software.
Quicken that I use for my checking
. . . .
Sony Movie Studio HD
Make MKV (LInux exists I believe)
DBPowerAmp for CD ripping

plus many more....
If there was a way I could run all this in Linux I be trying it out without hesitation.

I am interested in the options and ramifications of doing something similar. To that end, I'm curious as to just how much may be doable either via use of WINE or a Win-7 VM running inside of Linux. I know folks who have gone the latter route successfully, but they are not running a plethora of Windows video and audio manipulation programs. Somehow I doubt that running your basic business apps -- word proc, spreadsheet, browser -- is really comparable. So I'd like to hear from any of you who have tackled this challenge.

Another consideration is that emulation always extracts some overhead performance penalty, even where it works well. I would expect that is going to call for premium cpu horsepower and plenty of RAM.

Count me OUT for Win-10 also. That provides a lot of incentive to find a workable alternative. At the same time, surprising or not, I still see quite a few businesses out there that seem to be oblivious and continue running XP. If you have multiple computers, as many do these days, there is also the option of continuing to run a Win-7 editing rig that is walled off from the internet, or other security risks.

[october262]

Imaging the SSD shortly after you have installed Windows 7 and your software, backing up the SSD at regular intervals, and keep important data somewhere else are all wise precautions, and even more crucial for SSDs than HDDs.

Everything I have read on the subject (from data center studies) indicates that although SSDs less likely to fail than HDDs during their rated life, they are far more prone data loss and corruption than HDDs.

Hate to get a virus or some other infection that could wipe out my data
if those SSDs are prone to data loss & corruption that easily.

[lordhutt]

Well, I will definitely make a disc image right after everything is up and running.
And do interval backups after.
Also, all my important stuff has always been backed up to multiple places... probably more than I need.

For example... just looking at some of the software I've purchased
Photodex Proshow Producer... with addons and stuff I have over $300 invested in that software.
Quicken that I use for my checking
. . . .
Sony Movie Studio HD
Make MKV (LInux exists I believe)
DBPowerAmp for CD ripping

plus many more....
If there was a way I could run all this in Linux I be trying it out without hesitation.

I am interested in the options and ramifications of doing something similar. To that end, I'm curious as to just how much may be doable either via use of WINE or a Win-7 VM running inside of Linux. I know folks who have gone the latter route successfully, but they are not running a plethora of Windows video and audio manipulation programs. Somehow I doubt that running your basic business apps -- word proc, spreadsheet, browser -- is really comparable. So I'd like to hear from any of you who have tackled this challenge.

Another consideration is that emulation always extracts some overhead performance penalty, even where it works well. I would expect that is going to call for premium cpu horsepower and plenty of RAM.

Count me OUT for Win-10 also. That provides a lot of incentive to find a workable alternative. At the same time, surprising or not, I still see quite a few businesses out there that seem to be oblivious and continue running XP. If you have multiple computers, as many do these days, there is also the option of continuing to run a Win-7 editing rig that is walled off from the internet, or other security risks.

While I am simply installing Win7 now as I want to get this up and running... if you find out any good news about Linux/Win7 combo please let me know...
I may know a couple people myself that have some experience with that... if I find anything out I will post it.

[-Habanero-]

Hey lordhutt, I didn't realize you were the OP. I thought you were a drive-by user so I thought you were sarcastic. My bad.

I just inquired about this in another thread, prompted by having read something online suggesting that the HDD --> SSD cloning might be problematical for certain reasons ?

Yes, it has to be cloned properly in a way where the OS won't treat the drive like an HDD anymore when transitioning is done. I used EaseUS to do this. You can't use the conventional cloning method where your SSD will basically be treated like a spinning disk drive.

My OS has been upgraded multiple times over the years since Windows ME. I have a lot of piled up programs installed and a huge registry hive and I haven't had problems since transitioning everything to a circa-2013 SSD. Older models may or may not be a problem, mine's a Samsung.

Also, does Filesearchy search the MFT or use the same craptastic method every other searcher did for the past 20 years?