Solution: How to Safely Free Up Space on Your SSD

Updated by

Tracy King 

Written by

Linda 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

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Why do you need to erase an SSD?

Did you know that all the files you delete might still exist on the SSD's free space? Yes, deleted files do exist, and others can easily recover all the files you've deleted before. In this case, you must stay safe and it's best to wipe the free space to prevent all your deleted data from being recovered.

Also, if you're wondering “Why erase free space on SSD,” we have the answers for you!

1. Prepare the SSD for another user
2. Resell the SSD
3. Clean the SSD for alternative use or purpose
4. Remove malware or viruses from the device

Is it safe or helpful to clean up free space?

When it comes to freeing up SSD space, the first question that pops into users' minds is, “Is it safe to clean up free space on SSD?” Well, if you ask us, cleaning up free space on an SSD is absolutely safe, provided that you don't want to recover any of the deleted storage data!

By performing "Erase SSD Free Space," you can prevent third parties or other users from accessing your private information or data. However, it's worth noting that you don't need to constantly erase the free space on your disk, as this can contribute to increased wear on your SSD and shorten its lifespan.

Now that you know that freeing up space on your SSD won't hurt, let's look at how to do it properly.

How do I securely erase free space on an SSD?

If you're looking for effective solutions on “How to Clear Idle Space on SSD,” this section will be of great help!

For most users, freeing up SSD's unused space seems like a daunting task, but it's not that difficult! Yes, with the right tools, clearing up the unused space on an SSD is a quick and hassle-free process!

When it comes to the process of cleaning up the free space on an SSD, there are two possible solutions, depending on whether the TRIM function is enabled or not. To find out how to check the status of TRIM, follow these steps!

Tip: How to Check if TRIM is Enabled or Disabled?

While Windows 7 and later are set to enable TRIM on SSDs automatically, you can easily check if it's turned on following these steps:

Step 1: On your computer, click the "Start" menu and search for "Command Prompt."

Step 2: Right-click the Command Prompt shortcut and select "Run as administrator."

Step 3: Now, in the Command Prompt window, run the fsutil behavior query disabledeletenotify command.

You should see two results! If it says disabledeletenotify = 0, that means TRIM is enabled. If it says disabledeletenotify = 1, that means TRIM is disabled.

Solution 1: If TRIM is enabled

If TRIM is enabled automatically, your SSD will take care of clearing the free space for you. In fact, when TRIM is on, Windows sends a command to your SSD every time you delete a file. This way, the SSD can automatically get rid of everything related to that file. This helps maintain your SSD's speed.

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Does your SSD take 30 seconds to 2 minutes to boot in Windows 10? Seems like you're encountering slow SSD boot issues. Try any of the comprehensive solutions we provide to solve the problem of long SSD boot time.

Solution 2: If TRIM is disabled

On the contrary, if TRIM is disabled, you have to manually erase the available space on the SSD! For this purpose, you can use a fantastic third-party partition manager tool, such as Partition Master, which works wonders when it comes to managing disks on your computer. With this tool, you can perform various functions like merging partitions, deleting partitions, migrating OS to SSD/HDD, resizing partitions, optimizing SSD with 4K alignment software, and many other operations.

Alright, let's see how to clean up the free space on SSD with Partition Master!

How to Wipe an SSD When TRIM is Disabled

AOMEI Partition Assistant is a powerful partition magic tool that can meet your various disk needs. After installing this excellent software on your computer, it only takes you a few minutes to wipe the available space of SSD. With this tool, you can permanently delete data on SSD and make it unrecoverable. Therefore, when you want to sanitize SSD and restore its performance, AOMEI Partition Assistant is always a good choice.

To learn more about how the Partition Master tool works, refer to the following! This is a step-by-step guide on how to wipe SSD free space using the Partition Master Tool!

We have two options for clearing your data. Please choose the one you need.

Option 1. Erase the partition

- Right-click on the partition you want to wipe and select "Wipe." - In the new window, set the time you want to dedicate to wiping the partition, then click "OK." - Click "Perform 1 Task" in the bottom right corner to review your changes, then click "Apply."

Option 2: Erase the disk

Select HDD/SSD, then right-click "Erase Disk". Choose the number of times you want to overwrite the data (up to 10). Then click "OK". Click "Perform 1 Task" and then "Apply".

That's it for cleaning up free space on an SSD with Partition Master Tool. The time this takes will depend on the size of your SSD, but it'll take longer than simply deleting files due to the extra overwriting process.

Did you wipe the SSD?

That's it – the free space on your SSD has now been securely wiped! Wiping the free space of an SSD safely deletes all data that could otherwise still be recovered from the SSD, even after you've deleted it. It's therefore recommended to always wipe the free space of an SSD before reselling it or repurposing it.

In addition, when it's necessary to wipe free space effortlessly, Partition Master Tool will definitely come in handy. With this tool, you can not only easily “Erase SSD Free Space,” but also back up the entire disk before cleaning!