[SOLVED] Recommendation on what to do with small SSD 24gb now?

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Jmusic88

Jmusic88

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I have a small removebale mSATA Sandisk SSD 24GB in my laptop. This SSD has never been used for caching, or really for anything and its health is PERFECT (S.M.A.R.T) and maybe less than 2 hours of actually being written.

My current setup is SSD (OS & Applications) + HDD (storage only). As you can see I do not really need this 24 GB for caching. But I want to utilize it for something and not waste 24 GB for nothing.

Wanted to reach out this community and see if any one has some good, smart recommendations on what can I use it for? Please note, I am not looking to replace it with a larger drive, as I do not require more space.

Some things that I have thought so far but still wanted to see what others think:

  • Move my pagefile to this SSD, maybe hiberfile.sys if possible.
  • Use it for temporary files
  • Use it for any downloads (small downloads, pictures, install files, etc mostly from internet browsers)
  • EDIT: Store backup image (Whoops, forgot for a second that images take a bit more than 24 GB lol)
Was not sure if I should create this thread as a question or a discussion, but anyone with any concurrence or smart idea, or what how you utilize your own small SSD, please voice your opinion!
 
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USAFRet
Right. That 24GB mSATA thing would have originally been a cache drive for a larger HDD.
If you take it out and the system still works perfectly, delete whatever is on it and proceed on.

Use it for a cache location for video/photo/cad applications.
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mdd1963

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If you already have your OS on an SSD, there is nothing to be gained by moving temp/page/or even downloads folder to it, IMO...

(One could keep a small library of downloaded apps on it for rapid access in the even a nuke and pave were necessary in the future; or, install a secondary Linux OS to it....; boot from it/use it when bored and wishing to tinker!)

Find someone who needs it (or save it ) for a FreeNAS boot device... :)

As for backup images, it's hard to fathom 24 GB being large enough for a backup image, save for OS-only, with all apps being installed elsewhere...
 
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Jmusic88

Jmusic88

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mdd1963 said:
As for backup images, it's hard to fathom 24 GB being large enough for a backup image, save for OS-only, with all apps being installed elsewhere...
Click to expand...

Yeah I kind of “forgot” my own question with regards to the 24 GB lol. I tried to edit it before someone saw it :). My last image was definitely larger than 24 GB lol.


Hmm... interesting idea with regards to the LinuxOS though!
 
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Jmusic88

Jmusic88

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popatim said:
i like the freenas boot drive idea.
I was going to suggest using it for your backup software recovery media.
Click to expand...

That also seems like a good idea to my list. Keep it coming please! :)

That SSD, I just enabled it yesterday because it's been disabled for a whole now. (it has 0 MB written in it, and it's 8 years old lol). However, it has an hibernation partition on it. Taking up about 8 GB I think. Do you think it's safe for me to delete it? I wasn't sure if it is somehow tied to my Windows since it was suppose to be used as a cache ssd?

My current primary SSD however doesn't have any hibernation partition as such, nor it had on my HDD (but I did clone it so it explains why). I obviously haven't used this drive for a while so im assuming it'll be safe. Maybe do a partition clone and move it to my primary SSD?
 
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Jmusic88

Jmusic88

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USAFRet said:
"hibernation" does not require of get its own partition.

Instead of deleting what is on there, test first.
Disconnect it and see what happens.
Click to expand...

Will do. I know physical disconnect is obviously different than a software disconnect (disable) . But this drive has been disabled for quite some time. If I had any issues with any "hibernation", wouldn't I see it by now?
 
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Jmusic88

Jmusic88

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USAFRet said:
Probably.
But where did that partition come from? How was it created?
Click to expand...

No idea to be honest. I think it came like that when I bought the laptop. I think at one point I did have it as a drive and I erased it, but that was when I had Windows 7. It could of been created when I upgraded it to Windows 10? Not sure guessing right now at this point. All I know is that I didn't create it and I disabled it when I started using Windows 10 which was a few years ago.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Right. That 24GB mSATA thing would have originally been a cache drive for a larger HDD.
If you take it out and the system still works perfectly, delete whatever is on it and proceed on.

Use it for a cache location for video/photo/cad applications.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Jmusic88 said:
Yeah I'll do that for sure.

Just to confirm, when you say use it as a scratch disk for for photo/video you mean Adobe Photoshop/Premiere right?
Click to expand...
Yes. Whatever applications you use.

For instance, my Lightroom install:
Mehsf54.png


K is an older SSD.
My other photo/video/CAD applications have similar space on that drive.
 
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