What happens when the SSD optimization doesn't reach 100%?

[Vitor Shura]

I was doing maintenance on my PC and, after using CCleaner and even defragmenting my SSD, I decided to optimize it too.

A message appeared saying that the disk space would be temporarily filled and I accepted. My SSD only had 117GB free when the optimization started and when it hit 83%, the SSD space used by the optimization had already reached its limit. Then defraggler ended the optimization at 83% and reported it as complete.

My fear is that this "task not 100% completed" could result in some problem with the SSD or my PC speed. Could anyone tell me if there is any problem in cases like this?

[nukecad]

What size is the SSD?

Modern SSDs 'overprovision' as standard, but you should still leave 10% of the capacity free for Trim and Garbage Collection to work with.

From what you say I suspect that maybe there wasn't that much free so optimising reached the limit?

I leave it to Windows to optimise my new SSD. Windows can/will also defragment an SSD, but only when it's needed and it's a special type of defragmentation.
It's a bit of a complicated subject, you can find it explained here:
https://www.hanselman.com/blog/the-real-and-complete-story-does-windows-defragment-your-ssd

SSDs should clean themselves up, but if Trim isn't enabled and/or if Active Garbage Collection isn't triggering because the SSD is always in use then it may not be happining.
In such a case Crucial recommend that you boot into UEFI/BIOS and leave the computer sat in that state for a number of hours.
That allows the SSD's Garbage Collection to be triggered and do its job because nothing is being read from or written to it.
All SSDs have Garbage Collection so that tip applies.
https://uk.crucial.com/support/articles-faq-ssd/ssd-used-to-be-faster-but-has-slowed-down

[Vitor Shura]

2 hours ago, nukecad said:

What size is the SSD?

Modern SSDs 'overprovision' as standard, but you should still leave 10% of the capacity free for Trim and Garbage Collection to work with.

From what you say I suspect that maybe there wasn't that much free so optimising reached the limit?

I leave it to Windows to optimise my new SSD. Windows can/will also defragment an SSD, but only when it's needed and it's a special type of defragmentation.
It's a bit of a complicated subject, you can find it explained here:
https://www.hanselman.com/blog/the-real-and-complete-story-does-windows-defragment-your-ssd

SSDs should clean themselves up, but if Trim isn't enabled and/or if Active Garbage Collection isn't triggering because the SSD is always in use then it may not be happining.
In such a case Crucial recommend that you boot into UEFI/BIOS and leave the computer sat in that state for a number of hours.
That allows the SSD's Garbage Collection to be triggered and do its job because nothing is being read from or written to it.
All SSDs have Garbage Collection so that tip applies.
https://uk.crucial.com/support/articles-faq-ssd/ssd-used-to-be-faster-but-has-slowed-down

"What size is the SSD?"

250GB. Is an HP S700 series SSD

 

"From what you say I suspect that maybe there wasn't that much free so optimising reached the limit?"

Yes! My SSD had 51% free space at the time I put Defraggler to perform the Optimization, but it didn't finish as the space that is consumed by the program to perform the operation reached its limit when the Optimization was 83% complete.

I'm new to this technology and I don't really understand what to do to keep the SSD healthy. At the moment I am afraid that this Defraggler operation that was not completed has affected the performance or space of the SSD.
I've seen that SSDs generally have their own management program that each manufacturer has to perform maintenance and upgrade tasks, but I could even find this program on the HP website (I don't even know if the manufacturer actually has it).

 

"I leave it to Windows to optimise my new SSD. Windows can/will also defragment an SSD, but only when it's needed and it's a special type of defragmentation."

I'll take a look at this topic and apply what I learn. In that case, is Defraggler still needed?

 

"SSDs should clean themselves up, but if Trim isn't enabled and/or if Active Garbage Collection isn't triggering because the SSD is always in use then it may not be happining.
In such a case Crucial recommend that you boot into UEFI/BIOS and leave the computer sat in that state for a number of hours.
That allows the SSD's Garbage Collection to be triggered and do its job because nothing is being read from or written to it.
All SSDs have Garbage Collection so that tip applies."

Since 'apparently' my SSD doesn't seem to be modern enough or have its own program/method of self-optimizing, would you also know how to tell me if this whole Trim activation and garbage collection process is possible with this model of mine of SSD?

I am about to buy a more modern M2 SSD from Crucial next year. I haven't done it yet, as I need to get a better source first (I was unlucky enough to plan the configuration of this computer in the middle of the pandemic crisis; half the parts have to be modernized). For now I would like to keep my current SSD at the best it can offer and so far I only know about maintaining a monthly defrag pattern through Defraggler.

Thank you for the previous answer and any later ones. Any information already helps me out of the state of electronic paranoia! ;p

[Andavari]

Garbage collection is built into even what's now considered old SSDs, although you should look up information on your actual SSD to see what the specifications are.

As for 3rd party defrag software in general in my opinion it's not useful on SSDs, although keeping it installed is ideally suited for any hard disks that you still use, i.e.; a backup drive.

[nukecad]

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In that case, is Defraggler still needed?

When I swapped out my HDD for an SSD on this laptop then I took Defraggler off my desktop.

I still have Defraggler installed because I have a couple of HDDs that I use for external storage, backups, etc. Those will need a defrag now and again.
I'm also thinking of taking the CD/DVD drive out of this laptop and putting one of the HDDs in it's place for onboard storage/backup. (It will be faster than the USB connection).

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'apparently' my SSD doesn't seem to be modern enough or have its own program/method of self-optimizing,

The HP S700 is fine from what I can see in reviews (although low-end), as you say there does seem to be a shortage of info/support on the HP site. The best I could find was a 'simplified datasheet', not much more than an advertising sheet.
Reading a few reviews it does support Trim and Garbage Collection, (Automatic self levelling) along with SMART.

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I am about to buy a more modern M2 SSD from Crucial next year.

I pressume your motherboard has an M2 slot to take that?

[Andavari]

From what I could find out the HP S700 SSD is made by BIWIN, a storage manufacturer from China, and that particular HP drive is sold by BIWIN on Amazon. BIWIN is well known enough and the drive is still made and sold. It's been around since 2017 like so many other SATA SSDs that haven't had a newer model or revision.

It's a DRAM-less SSD which is considered to be a low-end/budget drive. It not completing something for example in Defraggler could be down to it being DRAM-less since those can take ages to recover from heavy usage and may need a longer rest period, so it's probably best to just have Windows built-in 'Optimize Drives' run TRIM on it and be done with trying to use any third party tools on that drive.

Here's a review of the HP S700, and it's better Pro variant which does have a DRAM cache:
https://www.anandtech.com/show/11790/the-hp-s700-and-s700-pro-ssd-review