Encrypted solid state drives utilize the hard drive security command available on most business class computers and motherboards. It is accessed through the BIOS. This will allow you to create a password for many HDD’s and SSD’s and to securely erase the drives if needed. Some computers will not have this feature. If this is the case, the drive can still be used, just without these security features. Be sure not to confuse BIOS password with the hard drive security password.

FAQ: KSD-011411-ENC-01

No, the standard drivers for any HDD will support Kingston SSDNow drives as plug and play components, such as those bundled with Windows or MacOS.

FAQ: KSD-011411-GEN-04

SSDs do not require defragmentation. Since there are no physical disks, there is no need to organize the data in order to reduce seek time. Therefore defragmenting an SSD is not effective. Also, defragmenting an SSD can put undue wear on specific areas of the drive. SSDs are designed to write data as evenly as possible over the entire drive to reduce undue wear to any one location. Nonetheless defragmenting your SSD drive a couple of times will not harm it. However if it is done continuously over a long period, it may reduce the life of the drive.

FAQ: KSD-011411-GEN-03

Over time, most of the storage locations on an SSD get written to. When they get written to again, they need to be conditioned in order to accept new data. This can cause a delay and is seen as a reduction in drive performance. Garbage collection is a function built into a SSD that reconditions empty storage locations so when new data is written to the drive, there are locations on the SSD ready to accept data.

Although Garbage Collection function is built into most SSD drives, some drives do a better job at it than others. TRIM resolves this issue by letting the operating system tell the drive when to perform this function. At this time, only Windows 7, Server 2008, MacOS 10.7 and newer versions of Linux use TRIM. Also, there are no RAID configurations that support TRIM no matter what operating system is used. All of Kingston’s MLC based SSDNow drives are TRIM compatible. Some of our first generation SSDNow drives are not TRIM compatible. 

FAQ: KSD-011411-GEN-13

First, open an Elevated Command Prompt window.

To open an Elevated Command Prompt window: Click on Start Orb > Type "CMD.exe" in Search box > Right click on "CMD" and select "Run as Administrator" (If you receive a prompt confirmation, click YES)

To verify the TRIM command is enabled, type the following and press enter in the Elevated command:

fsutil behavior query disabledeletenotify

The results will be as follows: DisableDeleteNotify = 1 (Windows TRIM commands are disabled) DisableDeleteNotify = 0 (Windows TRIM commands are enabled)

To enable the TRIM command, type the following and press enter in the Elevated command:

fsutil behavior set disabledeletenotify 0

To disable the TRIM command, type the following and press enter in the Elevated command:

fsutil behavior set disabledeletenotify 1

FAQ: KSD-072211-GEN-18

Performance decrease has been reported on some of the SSDNow drives. If you have an older SSD drive that does not have effective Garbage Collection, SSD drive performance will drop over time. This is due to the way the system overwrites data that has been flagged for deletion.

Try using the Secure Erase tool like HDDErase to wipe the drive and restore it to original condition.

FAQ: KSD-011411-GEN-12

You can but you first must disable the security for the drive in the original computer. Then you can enable it again in the new computer.

FAQ: KSD-011411-ENC-02

Open the control panel, open administrative tools and then open computer management. Click on Disk Management and see if the SSD drive is seen in the right window pane. If it is, right click on where it is labeled as disk 1, disk 2, etc and select "Initialize disk" (this may come up automatically when you go to Disk Management).

In XP, right click on the area to the right of that and choose "New Partition". Then choose "Primary Partition" in the partiton wizard. Continue with the wizard by choosing the size, drive letter and formatting of the partiton.

In Windows Vista and 7, right click on the area to the right of the disk label and choose "New Simple Volume". Continue with the wizard by choosing the size, drive letter and formatting of the partiton.

In MacOS, a "disk insertion" window will appear. Click on the "initialize" button. This will take you to the disk utility. Select the Kingston drive from the list of drives on the left side of the Window. From the actions available, choose partition. For the "Volume Scheme", choose "1 partition". For the format, choose MacOS extended for a permanent drive. Choose ExFAT for an external drive (available on MacOS 10.6.6 and above). Click Apply. A warning windows will appear stating you will erase all data from the drive. Click on the partition button at the bottom.

FAQ: KSD-011411-BUN-01

No. If you forget the password for this drive, it cannot be accessed. Be aware that forgetting your password is not covered under Kingston’s warranty.

The only exception to this is using a master or administrative password for the drive. The BIOS would have to support this and it would have to be enabled at the time you initiated the ATA security for this drive. Using a master password would allow an administrator to reset the drive.

FAQ: KSD-011411-ENC-03

FAQ: KGF-022811-GEN-02

Open the control panel, open administrative tools and then open computer management. Click on Disk Management and see if the SSD drive is seen in the right window pane. If it is, right click on where it is labeled as disk 1, disk 2, etc and select "Initialize disk" (this may come up automatically when you go to Disk Management).

In XP, right click on the area to the right of that and choose "New Partition". Then choose "Primary Partition" in the partition wizard. Continue with the wizard by choosing the size, drive letter and formatting of the partition.

In Windows Vista and 7, right click on the area to the right of the disk label and choose "New Simple Volume". Continue with the wizard by choosing the size, drive letter and formatting of the partition.

In MacOS, a "disk insertion" window will appear. Click on the "initialize" button. This will take you to the disk utility. Select the Kingston drive from the list of drives on the left side of the Window. From the actions available, choose partition. For the "Volume Scheme", choose "1 partition". For the format, choose MacOS extended for a permanent drive. Choose ExFAT for an external drive (available on MacOS 10.6.6 and above). Click Apply. A warning windows will appear stating you will erase all data from the drive. Click on the partition button at the bottom.

FAQ: KSD-011411-GEN-14 (edit 5/24)

No. If you forget the password for this drive, it cannot be accessed. Be aware that forgetting your password is not covered under Kingston’s warranty.

The only exception to this is using a master or administrative password for the drive in addition to the user password. Using a master password would allow an administrator to reset the user password.The system BIOS would have to support a master password and user password for hard drives and it would have to be enabled at the time you initiated the user hard drive security password. Using a master password would allow an administrator to reset the drive.

FAQ: KSD-011411-BUN-02

This program, used to clone your existing hard drive to your new SSD does not run in Windows. In order to use this software, you must boot the computer from this CD.

You will see a menu where you can choose to boot into Windows or Run the Acronis True Image software.

FAQ: KSD-011411-BUN-03

Yes.

The SSDNow is compatible with the USB enclosure included with the bundle kit that Kingston offers.

However, internal testing shows that the cloning process (in some systems) may not copy the Master Boot Record (MBR) properly when the SSDNow (destination drive) is attached via the USB enclosure.

Even though the cloning process will appear to have completed successfully, the system will fail to boot when the drive is later configured as the boot device.

Visually, the user will experience a blinking cursor at boot up.

For the best user experience, Kingston recommends that you install the hard drive (source drive) into the external enclosure and the SSDNow (destination drive) into the notebook for the purpose of a successfully cloning process on a consistent basis.

FAQ: KSD-030111-BUN-04

Yes. The SSDNow is compatible with the USB enclosure included with the bundle kit that Kingston offers. However, internal testing shows that the cloning process (in some systems) may not copy the Master Boot Record (MBR) properly when the SSDNow (destination drive) is attached via the USB enclosure.

Even though the cloning process will appear to have completed successfully, the system will fail to boot when the drive is later configured as the boot device. Visually, the user will experience a blinking cursor at boot up.

For the best user experience, Kingston recommends that you install the hard drive (source drive) into the external enclosure and the SSDNow (destination drive) into the notebook for the purpose of a successfully cloning process on a consistent basis.

FAQ: KSD-030111-BUN-04

The system isn't freezing. It is the keyboard and mouse not working. Enable legacy keyboard and mouse support or USB legacy support under Integrated Peripherals in the BIOS.

FAQ: KSD-051911-BUN-05

No. Acronis True Image will not work in a Mac.

FAQ: KSD-052411-BUN-06

The current version of Acronis may not be compatible with some USB 3.0 controllers. The solution is to use a USB 2.0 port during the cloning process. Once this is done, the enclosure can be used in USB 3.0 ports.

FAQ: KSD-071811-BUN-08

Cloning can be performed with Bootable disc utility or directly within the OS as seen below.

Note: You can utilize this same procedure in cloning drives on a laptop with the enclosure. The SSD can be placed in the enclosure when cloning, the HDD does not have to be removed until the cloning is complete.

1. Access “Utilities”

2. Select “Disk Utility”

3. Select startup volume (this will be the system’s bootable, primary volume) and click on the “Restore” tab

4. Drag Startup Volume “Macintosh HD” to “Source” location

5. Drag Mounted Volume “Macintosh HD” (this should be located directly under the SSD Volume, see above image) to “Destination” location.

6. Check “Erase Destination” and select “Restore”

7. Select “Erase”

8. System will start calculating estimated time and copying files

9. Drive should be bootable once file copying is complete.

FAQ: KSD-052411-BUN-07

The current version of Acronis may not be compatible with some USB 3.0 controllers. The solution is to use a USB 2.0 port during the cloning process. Once this is done, the enclosure can be used in USB 3.0 ports.

FAQ: KSD-071811-BUN-08

Systems Affected:
HP Proliant DL, BL and ML series servers that utilize the HP p400i, p410i,, p420i RAID Controller or any HP RAID Controller that features the "Predictive Failure Technology" built into the RAID controller.

Cause:
HP RAID controllers with "Predictive Warning Technology" are designed to monitor the ATA SMART attributes on hard drives and solid state drives to alert the user of a potential drive failure prior to complete failure of the device. This monitoring system built into the RAID Controller is reading a SMART attribute on the Kingston SSD's (listed below) incorrectly and triggering a false "Predictive Failure" warning message in the HP SMART Array RAID Management Utility.

Kingston is currently testing and working with it's suppliers to find the root cause of the issue and ultimately a permanent fix. Please check back periodically for updates.

Kingston SSD's Affected
KC100 all capacity's
VP200 all capacity's
HyperX all capacity's
HyperX 3k all capacity's

There is a compatibility problem between older Macbook and Macbook pros with SATA II ports and LSI (Sandforce) based SSDs. There is no update a user can download to resolve this at this time.

Try the other SATA ports on your motherboard. Make sure you have the latest BIOS updates for your motherboard. Disable the AHCI feature in the BIOS. If you cannot find this setting in your BIOS, please refer to your manual or contact your motherboard or computer manufacturer. If none of this helps, please contact technical support for help.

FAQ: KSD-011411-GEN-11

Any of our SSDs can be used in RAID. But due to endurance specifications, only certain part numbers should be used in RAID. For servers, please contact Kingston to determine the best Kingston SSD to use for your workload.

FAQ: KSD-052511-GEN-17

Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) is a built-in monitoring capability in hard drives and SSDs. It can allow users to monitor the health of a device. It does this through monitoring software designed specifically for the S.M.A.R.T. feature. All of our SSDNow drives support S.M.A.R.T.

FAQ: KSD-011411-GEN-10

The Windows Experience Index (WEI) merely measures the relative capability of components. The WEI only runs for a short time and does not measure the interactions of components under a software load, but rather characteristics or your hardware.

Thus the WEI does not measure performance of a system, but merely the relative hardware capabilities when running Windows 7. An article about the WEI can be found here: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/e7/archive/2009/01/19/engineering-the-windows-7-windows-experience-index.aspx

In Vista, the WEI scores ranged from 1.0 to 5.9. In Windows 7, the range has been extended upward to 7.9.

FAQ: KSD-011411-GEN-08

SSDNow drives are tested and validated to work on the latest notebook AND desktop platforms.

FAQ: KSD-011411-GEN-07

Kingston realizes the importance of keeping our customers’ personal data and information confidential and secure. Kingston takes measures to ensure the security of all of our customers’ personal information when a Solid State Drive (SSD) is returned to our RMA facility for warranty replacement or repair. When an SSD reaches our repair center, it will undergo a thorough testing process. During the first phase of testing, an ATA Secure Erase is performed on the SSD which erases all data and information. ATA Secure Erase is federally-approved by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST 800-88) for legal sanitization of confidential user data. If the SSD is not in a functional state and not capable of undergoing an ATA Secure Erase, the SSD is dismantled and the NAND Flash Memory is destroyed.

FAQ: KSD-022411-GEN-15

No. The cloning software will fail to execute if a password is enabled on the source hard drive. Passwords should be disabled prior to the cloning process.

FAQ: KSD-030111-GEN-16

If your computer has an Intel based system, you may need to disable the Intel RST driver and revert back to the Microsoft default AHCI driver and then run the toolbox. On an AMD based system, the AMD AHCI driver may be blocking the toolbox.

The Windows AHCI driver must be loaded. To do this, right click on Computer and choose manage. Go to IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers>AMD SATA Controller or Intel SATA Controller. Right click on this and choose Update Driver software. Select Browse>Let me pick. Choose "Standard AHCI" from the list. Then reboot the computer. Then you should be able to run the toolbox.

FAQ: KSD-100812-LSI-02