TRIM is an ATA command for SATA SSDs that instructs the Windows operating system to delete the pages from the SSD data block selectively.

The command may improve the performance of your drive, but there are times when it can cause more harm than good. So today, we'll discuss why and how you should disable this command.

Why You Need to Disable the TRIM Command

The TRIM command significantly improves the performance of SSDs by eliminating the need to relocate the pages from the data block and restore them after removing the deleted pages. However, it makes the deleted data unrecoverable.

Therefore, in case of accidental loss of data from the SSD, you will be unable to recover it even with the help of automated data recovery tools. Therefore, if you habitually delete files before backing them up, this command should be disabled.

How to Disable the SSD TRIM Command

Before disabling the TRIM command, it is crucial to check whether the command has already been disabled. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. Type "cmd" in the Windows search bar.
  2. Right-click on the Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
  3. Type the following command and press Enter.
    fsutil behavior query disabledeletenotify
Checking the Status of TRIM Command in Windows Command Prompt

If the command returns DisableDeleteNotify = 1, the command is already disabled. If the command returns DisableDeleteNotify = 0, the command is enabled, and you need to disable it. Here's how to do it:

  1. Type "cmd" in the Windows search bar.
  2. Right-click on the Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
  3. Type the following command and press Enter.
    fsutil behavior set disabledeletenotify 1
Disabling the SSD TRIM Command By Enabling Disabledeletenotify in Windows Command Prompt

It's important to reboot your computer once the command has been disabled to allow the change to take effect.

Disable TRIM to Keep Deleted Data Retrievable

By now, you should know why you should disable TRIM and how to do it. Even though it gives you peace of mind that accidental data loss will be recoverable, you should turn it back on if disabling it bogs down your drive's performance.