SSD Maintenance

This section describes best practices to ensure that your SSDs continue to provide reliable storage and fast data rates. Following these best practices may prevent your SSD from becoming fragmented, which can lead to data integrity errors.

• The only files that should be saved from your computer to your SSD are Preset files, Firmware Upgrade files, and LUTs. DO NOT save other files, folders, or applications to your SSD.
• DO NOT back up your hard drive to the SSD. If using a Mac, the system may ask if you want to back up your files to the SSD using Time Machine; DO NOT use the SSD as a backup disk.
• DO NOT delete clips off of your SSD using a computer. Delete clips only by formatting your SSD in-camera. For more information about formatting your SSD, go to Eject and Format Media.
• DO NOT format your SSD using a computer, unless the SSD cannot mount to the camera. For more information, go to Format Media In-Camera.
• When ejecting the SSD from a computer, ensure that the SSD icon has completely disappeared from the Finder window (Mac) or Windows Explorer (Windows) before removing the SSD. Sometimes, the pop-up saying that the SSD has been ejected displays too early.

Indexing on a Mac

Most newer versions of the Mac OS automatically index all external drives when mounting them, including RED SSDs. Indexing makes the mounting process take longer. While the SSD mounts, DO NOT remove the SSD during this process.

Indexing writes hidden files to the SSD. When you mount the SSD to the camera after it has been indexed, it may take the camera a while to recognize the hidden files and mount the SSD. While the SSD mounts, DO NOT remove the SSD or turn off the camera during this process. After the SSD successfully mounts, perform a Secure Format to remove the hidden files. For more information, go to Secure Format Media.