Fix Slow SSD Read Or Write Speed On Windows 11/10

Many users are slowly migrating from using HDDs to SSDs, the reason is simple – SSDs start up a computer quickly. But slow SSD read/write speed problems are very much real. If your device contains a Solid-State Drive (SSD), you perhaps noticed that as it fills up, its performance falls dramatically. You would notice that opening applications and copying files will take longer than usual, and sometimes this will also cause freezing issues making your device tougher to use.

SSD is the short-form for a solid-state drive; it is a storage device that gained immense popularity in recent times. It adopts integrated circuit assemblies to help people store data for good. Yet, several reasons can be responsible for slow SSD read or write speed on Windows 10 or other operating systems, these include:

Low Space
TRIM command is disabled or doesn’t exist
AHCI mode is disabled
The Boot sequence is incorrectly configured
Computer or SSD is infected with viruses
BIOS/firmware is outdated
Something is wrong with the SATA port or cable
Low RAM.

Among others, these were the most common reasons for the declination in the speed and performance of the SSD.

TIP: Test your Read-Write speeds using CrystalDiskMark or Parkdale.

Slow SSD Read or Write Speed on Windows 11/10

It can be hard to pinpoint the exact problem that your system could be facing, we will be listing down some tips that will hopefully get your SSD up and running again.

Free up space to improve performance
Make sure the TRIM command is running
Enable AHCI mode
Choose high-performance mode
Optimize your SSD
Update Firmware of the SSD
Configure correct Boot order
Check your SATA port
Check your SATA cable.

Let us look at these solutions in more detail.

1] Free up space to improve performance

The less space on your SSD, the slower it will perform. If your SSD is at 90 percent capacity or higher, and you notice some performance issues, at this point you should first try and clear up some space. The most obvious thing that you can try is to start deleting unnecessary files and folders from SSD that may be occupying the space.

Another idea that works is to disable hibernation, as this could free up a lot of disk space for you. Follow these steps:

Open ‘Command Prompt’ from ‘Windows Search’.
Type ‘cmd’
Right-click on the top search result and choose command prompt with administrative rights i.e., select the option ‘Run as administrator’
Type ‘powercfg -h off’
Hit ‘Enter’

Once you followed the steps mentioned above to clear off some space in your SSD. Check if there have been any improvements in the SSD read/write speed. If it didn’t work, move on to the next solution.

2] Make sure the TRIM command is running

An SSD drive will run slow if the TRIM command is not running. Follow these steps to make sure the TRIM is enabled.

Click ‘Start’ and type ‘cmd’
Right-click ‘Command Prompt’ and hit ‘Open as Administrator’
Copy and paste the command – “fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify”
Press ‘Enter’
Now, if you get ‘0’ as the result, it means TRIM is enabled and if you get ‘1’ it means disabled. Move on to the next step if you get ‘1’ in the result.
Type fsutil behavior set DisableDeleteNotify 0
Hit Enter.

This will enable TRIM command on your system.

NOTE: If you run the command now in Windows 11, you will see it displayed as follows – but it means the same thing.

The value 0 has been described as Allows TRIM operations to be sent to the storage device.

3] Enable AHCI mode

The Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) specifies the operation of Serial ATA (SATA) host controllers in a non-implementation-specific manner in its motherboard chipsets. The specification describes a system memory structure for computer hardware vendors to exchange data between host system memory and attached storage devices. This mode is very crucial for you to get the best out of the SSD; if it’s not enabled, your SSD will run slow. You can easily enable AHCI in Windows 10.

4] Choose the Power high-performance mode

This is a quick potential fix. Try changing to the Power high-performance mode by following the steps below:

1] Search for ‘Power & Sleep settings’ in the ‘Start’ menu

2] Scroll down the right-side options and click on ‘Additional power settings’ under ‘related settings’

3] In the ‘Power Options’ window click on ‘Create a power plan’ appearing on the left-side menu

4] Now select ‘High Performance’ and click ‘Next’

In Balanced Power Plan, your SSD doesn’t receive the full power it needs to run at its best capacity, on the other hand, the High-performance plan favors performance.

Read: Do you need to defrag SSD?

5] Optimize your SSD

After some time of using an SSD, especially after installing many applications, it is recommended to optimize SSD. Follow these steps:

Search for ‘Defrag’ in the ‘Start menu’
Select Defragment and Optimize Drive
Select the SSD drive and click ‘Optimize’

Optimizing it from time to time helps bring it back to its original state.

Read: Optimize and speed up your SSD drive using Tweak-SSD.

6] Update Firmware of the SSD

Just like other hardware, SSD manufacturers release patches and updates periodically for SSDs too. The firmware of SSDs is essential for running them smoothly and efficiently, so remember to keep checking for a firmware update. To update your SSD, follow these steps:

Press ‘Win + R’ keys to open the ‘Run’ dialog box.
In the ‘Run’ dialog, type ‘devmgmt.msc’
Hit ‘Enter’
In the ‘Device Manager’ windows locate ‘Disk drives’ and click on the arrow and expand it.
Right-click on the SSD and click ‘Update Drivers’
You will be prompted for options on ‘How do you want to search for drivers?’ Click on ‘Search automatically for drivers’.

Windows will now search for any new updates available for your SSD and install them. Once the process is completed. check if your issue is resolved.

Read: SSD Optimization Tips for better performance.

7] Configure correct Boot order

Another reason an SSD drive is slow could be that the boot sequence is wrongly configured. If the first priority is given to the hard drive, instead of SSD, the computer will run slow. This Windows guide will show how you can boot into Windows 10 firmware settings (UEFI/BIOS), and change the boot order easily.

8] Check your SATA port

These days most motherboards contain SATA 3Gbps/ SATA 6Gbps ports. The speed of the port stands heavily on the SSD’s performance. It can be difficult to identify the SATA Port, hence you must refer to the motherboard’s manual to determine it correctly. Typically, motherboards made on Intel chipsets contain an Intel SATA controller. This controller specifically has the highest speed. So, the boot device should be connected to this one only.

Read: Increase Data Transfer Speed in External Hard Drive

9] Check your SATA cable

One more reason contributing to a poor SSD performance is poor quality or defective SATA cable. So, have a check to confirm if the state of the cable is fine, also it is advised you purchase a SATA cable only from a well-known manufacturer.

Along with the above, you could try increasing your RAM or have a complete format of your SSD – these tricks also help in fixing slow SSD read or write speed on Windows 10.

Your SSD can become slow for various reasons, but when that happens act immediately and rescue your data because the SSD may corrupt at any time and you may lose all your valuable data.