By default, OS X only supports the TRIM command – a technology designed to keep SSDs running at optimum performance over a prolonged period of data writes and deletes – on Apple SSD drives. Trim Enabler is designed to extend this support to cheaper SSDs manufactured by third parties too.
Version 2.0 is a major rewrite of the original code, which was optimised for Snow Leopard users. Although marketed as Lion-compatible, the free app’s author (Cindori), has since admitted that the older version wasn’t optimised for use with Lion.
Previous versions of Trim Enabler replaced the existing SSD driver with an older version that supported TRIM. The new version simply patches whatever driver is currently installed with the necessary TRIM support.
Version 2.0 has also been completely rewritten from its original AppleScript in 100% Objective C, and features a new built-in SMART tool that will provide information about the drive’s physical health.
If you’re a Lion user upgrading from version 1, you’ll need to follow the advice posted on the Trim Enabler blog to restore your original SSD driver before installing the new version.
Trim Enabler 2.0 Beta 2 is a freeware download for Apple Macs with non-Apple SSDs running OS X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard) or 10.7.x (Lion). As it’s still classified as a beta release, we strongly urge caution using the software.
This article originally appeared at softwarecrew.co.uk
