DC600M 2.5” SATA Enterprise SSD - Support

This is common for flash storage, whether internal SSD or external USB storage. It is due in part to a variance in how flash memory vs spinning platter hard drive manufacturers calculate megabyte. Hard drive manufacturers calculate a megabyte (or 1,000x1,000 bytes) as 1,000KBs, whereas the binary calculation for flash-based storage is 1,024KBs.

Example: For a 1TB flash-based storage device, Windows will calculate it as having a capacity of 931.32GB. (1,000,000,000,000÷1,024÷1,024÷1,024=931.32GB).

Furthermore, Kingston reserves some of the listed capacity for formatting and other functions, such as firmware and/or controller-specific information, and thus some of the listed capacity is not available for data storage.

FAQ: KDT-010611-GEN-06

Yes, Kingston SATA drives are backward compatible with previous SATA generations. However, previous SATA generations will not allow for full SSD performance. SATA II is limited to approximately 280 MB/s, whereas SATA I is limited to approximately 145 MB/s.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-10

Usually, any SATA cables included with your motherboard, or system will suffice. Kingston recommends avoiding low-quality SATA cables, where possible.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-23

There are a variety of external enclosures available on the market. While Kingston aims to be compatible with all system types, occasionally, there may be an incompatibility. If you continue to have trouble with your external SSD enclosure, you may want to try a different enclosure.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-18

Yes, Kingston SATA drives are backward compatible with previous SATA generations. However, previous SATA generations will not allow for full SSD performance. SATA II is limited to approximately 280 MB/s, whereas SATA I is limited to approximately 145 MB/s.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-10

First, you should confirm that the SSD is seen within the system BIOS. Enter your BIOS (usually, Del, F2, F10, or F12 key) and navigate through your storage configuration menu(s) to see if the drive is correctly identified and present. If the drive isn’t present, power off the system, check the installation and connections to confirm the drive is seated and/or connected properly. 

If the drive is present in the BIOS, you may need to initialise the disk within the operating system.

For Windows:
Step 1: Confirm the drive is properly attached, and power on the system, then boot into Windows OS.
Step 2: Press Windows + X and choose Disk Management.
Step 3: If the SSD is new and not initialised, a popup will appear saying "Initialize Disk".
Step 4: Choose between: MBR (Master Boot Record): Suitable for drives under 2TB and older systems. GPT (GUID Partition Table): Recommended for modern systems and drives larger than 2TB.
Step 5: Click OK to initialize the disk.
Step 6: Once initialised, you'll see the SSD as "Unallocated". Right-click on it and select New Simple Volume.
Step 7: Follow the on-screen prompts (keeping all defaults is Okay)  to format and assign a drive letter to the SSD.

For macOS:
Step 1: Confirm the drive is properly attached, and power on the system, then boot into Mac OS.
Step 2: Open Disk Utility (you can find it using Spotlight with Cmd + Space and then typing "Disk Utility").
Step 3: In the left pane, select your SSD.
Step 4: Click on Erase.
Step 5: Provide a name for the drive, and under Format, choose: APFS for newer Macs and SSDs. Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for older systems or HDDs.
Step 6: Click Erase. Once the process completes, the SSD will be ready for use.

For Linux:
Step 1: Confirm the drive is properly attached, and power on the system, then boot into Linux OS.
Step 2: Open a terminal.
Step 3: Enter sudo fdisk -l to list all connected drives. Identify your SSD by its size and note the device name, e.g., /dev/sdb.
Step 4: Initialize the SSD using fdisk or parted. Here's a basic guide using fdisk: Enter sudo fdisk /dev/sdb (replace /dev/sdb with your SSD's device name). Press g to create a new GPT partition table. Press n to create a new partition. Follow the prompts to specify the size and type. Press w to write the changes.
Step 5: Format the new partition on the SSD (e.g., /dev/sdb1). You can format it with the filesystem of your choice: For ext4: sudo mkfs.ext4, For ext3: sudo mkfs.ext3 /dev/sdb1 /dev/sdb1, For FAT32: sudo mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb1
Step 6: Mount the SSD: Create a mount point: sudo mkdir /mnt/myssd, Mount the SSD: sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/myssd, Remember to replace /dev/sdb1 with your SSD's partition name.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-15

Certain motherboards restrict SATA ports when other devices are populated elsewhere on the motherboard. For example, a SATA connector may be disabled when using an NVMe or M.2 SATA-based SSD in the M.2 slot on your motherboard. Consult your motherboard support documentation and review the storage installation section and/or charts.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-17

Please see our guide:
How to Install an Internal 2.5” SSD

Also note, you may want to clone the drive you are replacing. Please see our guide on cloning your drive with the included Acronis software.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-02

The easiest way to ensure that your new SSD appears as your boot drive is to ensure that it is the only storage device connected during installation. 
If this is not possible, or if you previously cloned your old data to your new drive, confirm that the new drive appears as a boot device in the system BIOS, then select it for booting.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-03

• AHCI stands for Advanced Host Controller Interface and is a technical standard that allows software to communicate with SATA devices. It offers features not available in older IDE modes.
• AHCI is important because it allows for increased SATA drive performance through Native Command Queueing (NCQ), reduced latency, and the ability to hot-swap drives connected to the SATA bus.
• To confirm that your SATA drive is running in AHCI mode, you need to enter your Computer’s BIOS (often Del, F2, F10, or F12), locate the SATA or Storage Configuration menu and confirm “AHCI” mode is enabled.
• If you have already installed your operating system, and your BIOS indicates that IDE mode is enabled, your SSD will still function, but may not be operating at peak performance.
• Kingston does not recommended changing from IDE to AHCI mode within the BIOS if your operating system is already installed, as this modification may cause the operating system not to boot.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-08

For best performance and reliability, Kingston recommends avoiding any power-splitting Molex cables, and instead using the standard 15-pin SATA connector which is usually directly connected to the power supply.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-09

SSD firmware is the integrated software within an SSD that manages its operations, including communication with the host system, data storage and retrieval, wear leveling, and error correction.

If your SSD requires new firmware, you will receive a notification when running Kingston’s SSD Manager software.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-11

Yes, Kingston SATA drives are backward compatible with previous SATA generations. However, previous SATA generations will not allow for full SSD performance. SATA II is limited to approximately 280 MB/s, whereas SATA I is limited to approximately 145 MB/s.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-10

• AHCI stands for Advanced Host Controller Interface and is a technical standard that allows software to communicate with SATA devices. It offers features not available in older IDE modes.
• AHCI is important because it allows for increased SATA drive performance through Native Command Queueing (NCQ), reduced latency, and the ability to hot-swap drives connected to the SATA bus.
• To confirm that your SATA drive is running in AHCI mode, you need to enter your Computer’s BIOS (often Del, F2, F10, or F12), locate the SATA or Storage Configuration menu and confirm “AHCI” mode is enabled.
• If you have already installed your operating system, and your BIOS indicates that IDE mode is enabled, your SSD will still function, but may not be operating at peak performance.
• Kingston does not recommended changing from IDE to AHCI mode within the BIOS if your operating system is already installed, as this modification may cause the operating system not to boot.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-08

Please see our guide regarding differences between these NVMe and SATA SSDs.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-19

Learn more about SSD hardware-based encryption.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-28

When cloning to a new drive larger than the source drive, the software may not properly scale partition size. When this occurs, you might end up with unused space. To avoid this please follow our cloning instructions.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-04

SSD firmware is the integrated software within an SSD that manages its operations, including communication with the host system, data storage and retrieval, wear leveling, and error correction.

If your SSD requires new firmware, you will receive a notification when running Kingston’s SSD Manager software.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-11

Kingston does not offer DOS-based firmware updates at this time.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-12

Unless explicitly indicated, no, an SSD update will not erase data from the drive. However, before performing any SSD firmware updates, Kingston recommends all data on the target drive be backed up before proceeding with the firmware update.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-13

While it may be possible to update your target drive’s firmware via USB storage enclosure, Kingston recommends against this. Proper update procedure involves having your target SSD directly connected to the system ports (SATA or NVMe, where applicable).

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-14

When cloning to a new drive larger than the source drive, the software may not properly scale partition size. When this occurs, you might end up with unused space. To avoid this please follow our cloning instructions.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-04

For best performance and reliability, Kingston recommends avoiding any power-splitting Molex cables, and instead using the standard 15-pin SATA connector which is usually directly connected to the power supply.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-09

• AHCI stands for Advanced Host Controller Interface and is a technical standard that allows software to communicate with SATA devices. It offers features not available in older IDE modes.
• AHCI is important because it allows for increased SATA drive performance through Native Command Queueing (NCQ), reduced latency, and the ability to hot-swap drives connected to the SATA bus.
• To confirm that your SATA drive is running in AHCI mode, you need to enter your Computer’s BIOS (often Del, F2, F10, or F12), locate the SATA or Storage Configuration menu and confirm “AHCI” mode is enabled.
• If you have already installed your operating system, and your BIOS indicates that IDE mode is enabled, your SSD will still function, but may not be operating at peak performance.
• Kingston does not recommended changing from IDE to AHCI mode within the BIOS if your operating system is already installed, as this modification may cause the operating system not to boot.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-08

Certain motherboards restrict SATA ports when other devices are populated elsewhere on the motherboard. For example, a SATA connector may be disabled when using an NVMe or M.2 SATA-based SSD in the M.2 slot on your motherboard. Consult your motherboard support documentation and review the storage installation section and/or charts.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-17

First, you should confirm that the SSD is seen within the system BIOS. Enter your BIOS (usually, Del, F2, F10, or F12 key) and navigate through your storage configuration menu(s) to see if the drive is correctly identified and present. If the drive isn’t present, power off the system, check the installation and connections to confirm the drive is seated and/or connected properly. 

If the drive is present in the BIOS, you may need to initialise the disk within the operating system.

For Windows:
Step 1: Confirm the drive is properly attached, and power on the system, then boot into Windows OS.
Step 2: Press Windows + X and choose Disk Management.
Step 3: If the SSD is new and not initialised, a popup will appear saying "Initialize Disk".
Step 4: Choose between: MBR (Master Boot Record): Suitable for drives under 2TB and older systems. GPT (GUID Partition Table): Recommended for modern systems and drives larger than 2TB.
Step 5: Click OK to initialize the disk.
Step 6: Once initialised, you'll see the SSD as "Unallocated". Right-click on it and select New Simple Volume.
Step 7: Follow the on-screen prompts (keeping all defaults is Okay)  to format and assign a drive letter to the SSD.

For macOS:
Step 1: Confirm the drive is properly attached, and power on the system, then boot into Mac OS.
Step 2: Open Disk Utility (you can find it using Spotlight with Cmd + Space and then typing "Disk Utility").
Step 3: In the left pane, select your SSD.
Step 4: Click on Erase.
Step 5: Provide a name for the drive, and under Format, choose: APFS for newer Macs and SSDs. Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for older systems or HDDs.
Step 6: Click Erase. Once the process completes, the SSD will be ready for use.

For Linux:
Step 1: Confirm the drive is properly attached, and power on the system, then boot into Linux OS.
Step 2: Open a terminal.
Step 3: Enter sudo fdisk -l to list all connected drives. Identify your SSD by its size and note the device name, e.g., /dev/sdb.
Step 4: Initialize the SSD using fdisk or parted. Here's a basic guide using fdisk: Enter sudo fdisk /dev/sdb (replace /dev/sdb with your SSD's device name). Press g to create a new GPT partition table. Press n to create a new partition. Follow the prompts to specify the size and type. Press w to write the changes.
Step 5: Format the new partition on the SSD (e.g., /dev/sdb1). You can format it with the filesystem of your choice: For ext4: sudo mkfs.ext4, For ext3: sudo mkfs.ext3 /dev/sdb1 /dev/sdb1, For FAT32: sudo mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb1
Step 6: Mount the SSD: Create a mount point: sudo mkdir /mnt/myssd, Mount the SSD: sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/myssd, Remember to replace /dev/sdb1 with your SSD's partition name.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-15

There are a variety of external enclosures available on the market. While Kingston aims to be compatible with all system types, occasionally, there may be an incompatibility. If you continue to have trouble with your external SSD enclosure, you may want to try a different enclosure.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-18

When cloning to a new drive larger than the source drive, the software may not properly scale partition size. When this occurs, you might end up with unused space. To avoid this please follow our cloning instructions.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-04

For best performance and reliability, Kingston recommends avoiding any power-splitting Molex cables, and instead using the standard 15-pin SATA connector which is usually directly connected to the power supply.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-09

• AHCI stands for Advanced Host Controller Interface and is a technical standard that allows software to communicate with SATA devices. It offers features not available in older IDE modes.
• AHCI is important because it allows for increased SATA drive performance through Native Command Queueing (NCQ), reduced latency, and the ability to hot-swap drives connected to the SATA bus.
• To confirm that your SATA drive is running in AHCI mode, you need to enter your Computer’s BIOS (often Del, F2, F10, or F12), locate the SATA or Storage Configuration menu and confirm “AHCI” mode is enabled.
• If you have already installed your operating system, and your BIOS indicates that IDE mode is enabled, your SSD will still function, but may not be operating at peak performance.
• Kingston does not recommended changing from IDE to AHCI mode within the BIOS if your operating system is already installed, as this modification may cause the operating system not to boot.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-08

The easiest way to ensure that your new SSD appears as your boot drive is to ensure that it is the only storage device connected during installation. 
If this is not possible, or if you previously cloned your old data to your new drive, confirm that the new drive appears as a boot device in the system BIOS, then select it for booting.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-03

Please see our guide:
How to Install an Internal 2.5” SSD

Also note, you may want to clone the drive you are replacing. Please see our guide on cloning your drive with the included Acronis software.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-02

First, you should confirm that the SSD is seen within the system BIOS. Enter your BIOS (usually, Del, F2, F10, or F12 key) and navigate through your storage configuration menu(s) to see if the drive is correctly identified and present. If the drive isn’t present, power off the system, check the installation and connections to confirm the drive is seated and/or connected properly. 

If the drive is present in the BIOS, you may need to initialise the disk within the operating system.

For Windows:
Step 1: Confirm the drive is properly attached, and power on the system, then boot into Windows OS.
Step 2: Press Windows + X and choose Disk Management.
Step 3: If the SSD is new and not initialised, a popup will appear saying "Initialize Disk".
Step 4: Choose between: MBR (Master Boot Record): Suitable for drives under 2TB and older systems. GPT (GUID Partition Table): Recommended for modern systems and drives larger than 2TB.
Step 5: Click OK to initialize the disk.
Step 6: Once initialised, you'll see the SSD as "Unallocated". Right-click on it and select New Simple Volume.
Step 7: Follow the on-screen prompts (keeping all defaults is Okay)  to format and assign a drive letter to the SSD.

For macOS:
Step 1: Confirm the drive is properly attached, and power on the system, then boot into Mac OS.
Step 2: Open Disk Utility (you can find it using Spotlight with Cmd + Space and then typing "Disk Utility").
Step 3: In the left pane, select your SSD.
Step 4: Click on Erase.
Step 5: Provide a name for the drive, and under Format, choose: APFS for newer Macs and SSDs. Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for older systems or HDDs.
Step 6: Click Erase. Once the process completes, the SSD will be ready for use.

For Linux:
Step 1: Confirm the drive is properly attached, and power on the system, then boot into Linux OS.
Step 2: Open a terminal.
Step 3: Enter sudo fdisk -l to list all connected drives. Identify your SSD by its size and note the device name, e.g., /dev/sdb.
Step 4: Initialize the SSD using fdisk or parted. Here's a basic guide using fdisk: Enter sudo fdisk /dev/sdb (replace /dev/sdb with your SSD's device name). Press g to create a new GPT partition table. Press n to create a new partition. Follow the prompts to specify the size and type. Press w to write the changes.
Step 5: Format the new partition on the SSD (e.g., /dev/sdb1). You can format it with the filesystem of your choice: For ext4: sudo mkfs.ext4, For ext3: sudo mkfs.ext3 /dev/sdb1 /dev/sdb1, For FAT32: sudo mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb1
Step 6: Mount the SSD: Create a mount point: sudo mkdir /mnt/myssd, Mount the SSD: sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/myssd, Remember to replace /dev/sdb1 with your SSD's partition name.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-15

Certain motherboards restrict SATA ports when other devices are populated elsewhere on the motherboard. For example, a SATA connector may be disabled when using an NVMe or M.2 SATA-based SSD in the M.2 slot on your motherboard. Consult your motherboard support documentation and review the storage installation section and/or charts.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-17

While it may be possible to update your target drive’s firmware via USB storage enclosure, Kingston recommends against this. Proper update procedure involves having your target SSD directly connected to the system ports (SATA or NVMe, where applicable).

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-14

Unless explicitly indicated, no, an SSD update will not erase data from the drive. However, before performing any SSD firmware updates, Kingston recommends all data on the target drive be backed up before proceeding with the firmware update.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-13

Kingston does not offer DOS-based firmware updates at this time.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-12

SSD firmware is the integrated software within an SSD that manages its operations, including communication with the host system, data storage and retrieval, wear leveling, and error correction.

If your SSD requires new firmware, you will receive a notification when running Kingston’s SSD Manager software.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-11

Yes, Kingston SATA drives are backward compatible with previous SATA generations. However, previous SATA generations will not allow for full SSD performance. SATA II is limited to approximately 280 MB/s, whereas SATA I is limited to approximately 145 MB/s.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-10

There are a variety of external enclosures available on the market. While Kingston aims to be compatible with all system types, occasionally, there may be an incompatibility. If you continue to have trouble with your external SSD enclosure, you may want to try a different enclosure.

FAQ: KSD-012010-001-18