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SSD WriteWear? What is this?

A

ApplesAOranges

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 7, 2011
335
3
I just got 12-core Mac Pro and I noticed this strange text file called WriteWear on my second SSD. It was about 1GB large, but it had nothing on it, didn´t even open. So I threw it in the trash (haven´t yet emptied the trash though).

Then I was transferring data from external HDD to the SSD and this WriteWear popped open a text edit program and a window with strange figures.

Should I be alarmed about this?

:eek:
 
I too am wondering.
Ive deleted the lot from a 4xSSD Mac Pro already.
Didnt seem to hurt it.
Curious thats all ;)
 
I was bored so I called Apple Support.
The tech there knew nothing of it and claims its the hard-drive vendor.
I told them to hold on to the claim number and consider it open.
I want an answer :)
 
mBox said:
I was bored so I called Apple Support.
The tech there knew nothing of it and claims its the hard-drive vendor.
I told them to hold on to the claim number and consider it open.
I want an answer :)
Click to expand...

So who made the SSD? Call them.
 
ApplesAOranges said:
I just got 12-core Mac Pro and I noticed this strange text file called WriteWear on my second SSD. It was about 1GB large, but it had nothing on it, didn´t even open. So I threw it in the trash (haven´t yet emptied the trash though).
Click to expand...

Well don't throw the SSD in the trash, I'll take it! :)
 
derbothaus said:
So who made the SSD? Call them.
Click to expand...
Haha not sure but I wont. Ill let Apple deal with it.
They sold me the computer ;)
Does kinda worry me about the shelf life of SSDs.
Just have to budget for new SSDs in a year or two.

----------
ActionableMango said:
Well don't throw the SSD in the trash, I'll take it! :)
Click to expand...
LOL! Man they make great FCPX data drives ;) So fast compared to 7200RPM drives.
 
mBox said:
I was bored so I called Apple Support.
The tech there knew nothing of it and claims its the hard-drive vendor.
I told them to hold on to the claim number and consider it open.
I want an answer :)
Click to expand...

And people wonder why Apple is so resistant to licensing OS X onto 3rd party hardware....

It sounds like a file that is left over from some QA diagnostics run on the drive. (e.g. either used to drive a wear test or a metadata dump of some kind padded out to 1GB).

It might not show up on drives that Apple images with the OS but would on a "empty" drive. If Apple has the vendor ship them an HFS formatted drive then it made be some funky file from the drive vendor. Or Apple's QA process is sloppy.
 
derbothaus said:
So you bought Apple branded SSD's? LIke the kind you get when you add "SSD Option" at the store?
Click to expand...
Purchased a half dozen Mac Pro's with SSDs loaded.
Each SSD has this WriteWear file and its about 1.05GB large.
I was curious about the file so I dug a little deeper.
Found nothing but did run into this post in MacRumors as well as others concerning SSD and its wear and tear problems.
Its my first SSD since Im born and bred 7200RPM for Digital Video and Animation :)
I honestly dont even know what TRIM is all about.
I guess father Google will answer that soon enough for me ;)
 
mBox said:
Purchased a half dozen Mac Pro's with SSDs loaded.
Each SSD has this WriteWear file and its about 1.05GB large.
I was curious about the file so I dug a little deeper.
Found nothing but did run into this post in MacRumors as well as others concerning SSD and its wear and tear problems.
Its my first SSD since Im born and bred 7200RPM for Digital Video and Animation :)
I honestly dont even know what TRIM is all about.
I guess father Google will answer that soon enough for me ;)
Click to expand...

It's probably what keeps Apple's SSD's from performing even close to what is currently available. It's a speed "guvnor". ;) "Not too fast now" that is for next year's bump.
 
derbothaus said:
It's probably what keeps Apple's SSD's from performing even close to what is currently available. It's a speed "guvnor". ;) "Not too fast now" that is for next year's bump.
Click to expand...
LOL!
According to Black Magic Speed Test, Im getting 165mb per sec :)
 
mBox said:
Damn I still cant find "WriteWear" in any of those links.
Now after reading a bit about this, Im hoping my drives dont die too early on me.
Im constantly feeding R3D and ProRes files of all variants to one single 512 drive.
Click to expand...

Sorry you wont find much most likely. It is probably a combination of low level interactions based on the 2 links I posted. Let your mind wander. I couldn't find anything either not is their a man page for it in OS X. So Apple probably wants it secret like so many things. I wouldn't worry about it though as others with Apple branded SSD's are reporting the same file being present.
Your drives should last just fine. Much of the info is out of date or not relevant anymore. Besides you have a good warranty. Don't let it change your workflow.
 
derbothaus said:
sorry you wont find much most likely. It is probably a combination of low level interactions based on the 2 links i posted. Let your mind wander. I couldn't find anything either not is their a man page for it in os x. So apple probably wants it secret like so many things. I wouldn't worry about it though as others with apple branded ssd's are reporting the same file being present.
Click to expand...
deleted ;)
 
Please don't fret about the file! It's nothing whatsoever to be concerned about, and it actually contains just data patterns used for testing. You can safely delete it if you find one, though there should be less and less of them in the wild these days :)

(don't ask me how I know this! :D )
 
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