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IT Support & Hardware · Intermediate

TRIM

An OS command that tells an SSD which blocks are no longer in use so it can erase them in advance.

Definition

TRIM lets the SSD controller perform garbage collection efficiently, maintaining write performance and reducing wear. Windows runs TRIM through the Optimize Drives tool, and Linux uses fstrim or the discard mount option. Defragmenting an SSD is unnecessary and adds wear.

Example

fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify returns 0 when TRIM is enabled on Windows.

Exam tip

SSD maintenance = TRIM/optimize; HDD maintenance = defragmentation.

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