Do you think it's advisable to use a file shredder utility on an SSD? Is writes to the drive considered an issue in this case If I am correct, doesn't this only effect drives with no TRIM support?
I don't use file shredders or defraggers on my SSD. I have TRIM enabled on it, so I don't see much need erasing it. If you would really like to use it, use only one pass overwrite. One pass overwrite now and then probably won't hurt your SSD.
One pass overwrite is more than enough for all practical and proven theoretical purposes. I use SoftPerfect RAM Disk as well.
I use it also. I use it to set up Chrome's disk cache directory and to temporary save data which I don't want to be written to unencrypted disk.
Sorry all, I should have mentioned this in my original post... I am basically on the hunt for a good file encryption tool, but most of them contain file shredders that shred the file after encryption. Some of them aren't as specific in telling me how many passes are initiated after encryption. Anyone know of anything that is safe to use on an SSD? Possibly one that gives an option for how many passes are initiated?
Yes like in downloads folder, but only for sensitive data. @TyRizian I'm sorry but I don't have much experience with encryption tools (except TrueCrypt).
You do not need to overwrite SSD blocks for a TRIM enabled SSD to make the file unrecoverable. Any good file encryption software should be able recognize that the drive is a SSD and so it should not run an overwrite pass. Every time a SSD cell or a block is written to, it reduces the life of that cell or a block, so there is no need to needlessly overwrite a file to make it unrecoverable on a TRIM enabled SSD. See this article for additional clarification and choose a file encryption software that knows how to handle TRIM enabled SSDs.
You are welcome. This is one of the unintended drawbacks or benefit, (depending on the person's priorities), of SSDs. Many times it has happened to me that I have deleted a certain file and then realized that I had deleted it in error; on a regular HDD, it is trivial job of just undeleting that file. But with a TRIM enabled SSD, that file is gone for good. So for me this is a drawback of a SSD. But for someone like the OP, TyRizian, it is probably a benefit.