I want to encrypt my OS that is on an SSD (Windows 7, x64, mbr partition style).
From what I know Veracrypt will encrypt the whole disk, not only the actual data.
Not only! it will "fill" the empty space (inside the decrypted disk) with random data to allow hidden OS/containers.
This means that the SSD will think that the SSD is full and wear leveling will be limited, thus decreasing the life and speed of the SSD.
Can a solution be to write in the encrypted disk a very big file that fills the disk and then delete it so that trim will run and mark again most of the disk as empty? Will it be one trim operation or more probably many many trim operations (one per sector) that might fill the trim buffer and failing?
Does Windows 7 defragmenting also retrim the disk by sending trim operations at slow speed to allow the disk to process them?
Or do I have to do nothing and Veracrypt will notice that it's an SSD and encrypt only data and not the whole disk?
Can someone point me to a solution inside the Veracrypt guide?
I'm not interested in hidden containers (that anyway will not work/be hidden over an ssd).
The solid state drive, though encrypted, reported the appropriate amount of storage space
I'm sure that the os will report correct disk size and used/free percentage, my question is does the ssd know that most of the disk is empty (thanks to trim)? or it will think that is full? if trim doesn't work speed will degradate and wear leveling too, thus decteasing the ssd life. so i want to be sure that trim is working and know how to retrim the disk after encrypting which i think it's necessary since veracrypt encrypt also free space. How can i be sure that trim works after encrypting? is it necessary to do something after encrypting? if yes how do i trim the disk? will the trim function be permanently broken because veracrypt encrypt also free space so the ssd will think that is 100% full all the time?