On 05/14/13 00:04, Clint Pachl wrote:
I would like to reinstall a fresh system on an SSD that contains an
existing installation. From my limited knowledge of SSDs, I wonder if
the drive controller may "retain" data from the old filesystem,
unaware that there is a new filesystem put in place.
Is this a concern? If so, how does one "reset" a used SSD for optimal
operation with a fresh install?
I've done a fresh install of OpenBSD over top of OpenBSD (and other
OSes) many times across many SSDs and I've never had a problem.
But I'm not entirely sure what you mean...
1) Do you mean your new installation will see files "left over" from a
previous install? No, it won't.
2) Do you mean there could still be data residing on unused parts of
the SSD? Yes, it can happen.
SSDs have their own way of wear-leveling. What the filesystem considers
to be cylinder X, head Y and sector Z will probably not be the same
*physical* cells on the SSD twice in a row. That's not a function of
the OS, but the SSD itself.
Do a little googling and you'll see what I mean: There's no guaranteed
way to erase an SSD. I've read stories of people that have had SSDs
crap out on them and instead of sending them back to the manufacturer
for warranty repair/replacement, they just chuck them out and buy new
ones. Why? Because there's no way to guarantee your private data has
actually been erased.
--
Scott McEachern
https://www.blackstaff.ca
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin
