[holmes4]

If you are lucky enough to have an SSD that includes TRIM support, you may think that it is sufficient to be running Windows 7 to get the benefit of TRIM. Not so. It is required that the BIOS be running the controller in AHCI mode to get TRIM.

Before you do so, make sure that Windows has enabled the AHCI driver - this is explained in Microsoft Knowledge Base article KB922976 - otherwise you'll get an error when you reboot. To see if you already have AHCI enabled, click on the Start orb, right click Computer and select Manage. Under Computer Management, select System Tools > Device Manager. Expand "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers" and look to see if there is an entry "Standard AHCI 1.0 Serial ATA Controller". If not, follow the steps in the KB article to enable AHCI in Windows, then boot into your BIOS and change the setting for the IDE controller to be AHCI.

Of course, there's a catch. Notebook/netbook BIOSes may not allow you to change the controller mode. The Mini 9 does not, for example, and does not run the controller in AHCI mode. I don't know about other models.

Here's how you can tell if an SSD supports TRIM.

Download and install the Intel SSD Toolbox.
Run the Intel SSD Toolbox. If your drive is not an Intel SSD, the only option available will be "View Drive Information". Click that.
Scroll down to Word 169 and look at the value for Bit 0 - Data Set Management Supported. if this is 1, you have TRIM. If 0, you don't.

(It took me most of a morning to track down which specific word and bit had this info - the ATA spec has shifted it around several times during the proposal phase.)

[Montala]

Hi Steve,

I think you can also check whether or not TRIM is enabled by accessing the Command Promt (running as Administrator); then go to C:\Windows\system32 and enter:

> fsutil behavior query disabledeletenotify

The result will be one of the following:-

DisableDeleteNotify = 1 (Windows TRIM commands are disabled)
DisableDeleteNotify = 0 (Windows TRIM commands are enabled)

Hope this helps someone!

[holmes4]

That won't tell you if the drive supports TRIM.

[Montala]

True... but if you have an SSD installed and are running Windows, it will quickly tell you whether TRIM is active, or not... won't it?

[holmes4]

I think so, yes, but if it says no, then you don't know why.

[skimpot]

Originally Posted by Montala

Hi Steve,

I think you can also check whether or not TRIM is enabled by accessing the Command Promt (running as Administrator); then go to C:\Windows\system32 and enter:

> fsutil behavior query disabledeletenotify

The result will be one of the following:-

DisableDeleteNotify = 1 (Windows TRIM commands are disabled)
DisableDeleteNotify = 0 (Windows TRIM commands are enabled)

Hope this helps someone!

Just wanted to throw my 2-cents in here and thank Montala for saving me time. I was just setting up a new system that has 2 SSD's in RAID 0 - obviously can't change the mode to AHCI. I check in device manager and was not seeing the AHCI controller, so I thought I was in for some trouble. I ran Montala's query and it showed that TRIM was already enabled, so I'm done!

Fresh install Windows 7 Pro, AMD Phenom II X6 1055T, 4GB DDR3
The SSD are two of Adata's 32GB 500 series.

Thanks Montala.

[Montala]

No problem... we aim to please!

[highaltitude]

so let me get this right, if it says = 0 then TrIm is enabled. But how do I know for sure then if the drive actually supports it? It wouldn't be enabled if the drive doesn't support it right?

[holmes4]

Unfortunately not - it may report 0 even if the drive does not support it. Try the method I describe in the first post. However, the 10v does not support AHCI and therefore you won't get TRIM from Windows 7.

[FlankerB]

I used intel ssd toolbox and the command prompt method to test for trim, and Hard Disk Sentinel still claims trim supported but disabled.