Switching from an HDD to an SSD usually delivers faster boot times and smoother performance. But SSDs can slow down too. If your solid-state drive feels sluggish, these five practical fixes can help bring its speed back.
SSDs rely on free space, proper system commands, and updated firmware to perform efficiently. When storage fills up or key settings are disabled, read and write speeds can drop noticeably.
1. Free up space on your SSD
When an SSD is close to full capacity, performance often suffers. If your drive is around 90 percent full, start by deleting unnecessary files and folders.
Disable Hibernation to Reclaim Space
Hibernation files can take up significant storage. To disable it:
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Type CMD in Windows search.
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Right-click the top result and select Run as Administrator.
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Type
powercfg -hand press Enter.
After clearing space, check if SSD performance improves before moving on.
2. Make sure tRIM is enabled
An SSD can become painfully slow if the TRIM command is disabled. TRIM helps the drive manage unused data efficiently.
How to Check TRIM Status
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Open CMD as Administrator.
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Enter:
fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify. -
Press Enter.
A result of 0 means TRIM is enabled. A 1 means it’s disabled.
Enable TRIM if Needed
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Type:
fsutil behavior set DisableDeleteNotify 0. -
Press Enter to activate TRIM.
3. Switch to best performance mode
Power settings can limit SSD performance. Balanced mode may not supply enough power for optimal speeds.
Change power mode
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Search for Power, sleep, and battery settings.
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Under Power Mode, select Best Performance for both plugged-in and battery use.
This setting prioritizes performance and can help your SSD run faster.
4. Optimize drive
If you’ve installed many apps over time, optimizing the SSD can help.
How to Optimize an SSD
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Search Defrag in the Start menu.
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Open Defragment and Optimize Drives.
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Select your SSD and click Optimize.
This process helps maintain efficient storage management.
5. Update SSD firmware
Like other hardware, SSDs receive firmware updates that improve stability and performance.
Check for updates
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Press Windows + R, type
devmgmt.msc, and press Enter. -
Expand Disk drives in Device Manager.
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Right-click your SSD and select Update drivers.
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Choose Search automatically for drivers.
Installing available updates can resolve performance issues.
