Windows 7 sleep/hibernate issues with ssd

hibernatessdvertex-3windows 7

I have a 2 pc with ssd as system disks both with windows7.

First pc has vertex ssd drive and it has issues with hiber-sleep mode: windows started from scratch after hibernate sleep and don't pickup the hibernate state (as after shutdown).

If I select hibernate from win menu – the pc powers off and in a seconds turn on again with only black screen and underscoring cursor in the left upper corner. Then if I push power button on the box it will switch off completely and then if power button again – it starts normally from hibernate state.

So the situation is different only in hibernate-sleep mode: I leave the comp and go away, it then goes to normal sleep in 30 mins and lately (when windows decides itself) to hibernation and here I see where the problem is: after "hibernate sleep" – it fails to restore the state.

I've read that hibernate mode is bad for ssd drive, but I have different situation with my second pc with Intel ssd drive: it has no issues with hiber sleep window 7 mode and started after as expected with all hiber state restored!

So 3 questions:

  1. why hibernation fails in first comp? May there be some hardware disk protection utilites?
  2. why intel ssd is ok, are intel disks better optimized for this mode?
  3. and is really hibernation still very bad for modern ssd and you'll crash any ssd if e.g. using hibernation every day for a couple of years?

Configuration:

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System Information
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   Operating System: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.120503-2030)
           Language: Russian (Regional Setting: Russian)
System Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
       System Model: HP Compaq 8200 Elite CMT PC
               BIOS: Default System BIOS
          Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2400 CPU @ 3.10GHz (4 CPUs), ~3.1GHz
             Memory: 8192MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 8080MB RAM
          Page File: 5736MB used, 10421MB available
        Windows Dir: C:\Windows
    DirectX Version: DirectX 11

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Disk & DVD/CD-ROM Drives
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      Drive: C:
 Free Space: 47.5 GB
Total Space: 85.6 GB
File System: NTFS
      Model: OCZ-VERTEX2

      Drive: E:
 Free Space: 430.5 GB
Total Space: 476.9 GB
File System: NTFS
      Model: ST3500413AS

Best Answer

I am using hibernate on an SSD now for more than two years. As Windows only writes the used RAM to disk the total number of written data caused by hibernation is not as high as most people expect.

You can calculate the write usage yourself. A typical lifetime guaranteed by e.g. Intel is 35 Terabytes Written (TBW). Assuming a usage of five years that would allow you to write up to 20GB to the disk daily.

I don't know what you are doing with that PC. But, even if you would do a full hibernate of 16GB RAM this would leave you 4GB per day — a value that most users will not reach.

Update: If you really don't want to use the SSD for the hibernate you can move it to a special hibernate partition: Creating a hibernation partition on Windows 7 This partition can be created on a regular HDD. The funny thing is that Microsoft developed this function just for the opposite direction (operating system on HDD, hibernate on SSD).

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