Setting up an SSD and HDD

potato58

potato58

potato58

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27 Jul 2011
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Hi guys.

I'm about to install my first SSD - a 64gb Crucial M4 - and could use a little advice. I'm running an i5 2500k on an Asus p8z68-v motherboard and will be using the SSD for Windows 7 and a WD 500gb Caviar Blue HHD for my data and programs. I've never had a system with two storage drives before so I'm a bit lost. Here's my plan so far:

1. Disconnect HDD and install SSD.
2. Change bios to IDE, flash SSD firmware, change back to AHCI.
3. Install windows 7.
4. Run Windows Experience Index
5. Install mobo drivers
6. Install all other hardware drivers.
7. Connect HHD.
8. Do a full format of the HDD.

And that's where I'm lost. What should I do from there, and how should I configure Windows to use the HDD for everything else by default - programs, media, libraries, browser cache etc? Any other advice also welcome.

Many thanks
 
Don't forget to install Intel Rapid Storage Drivers after you've done your windows install and put your chipset drivers on.

Other than that you will be fine doing it as you listed. To be honest you don't really need to disconnect the old Hard Drive and can still have that connected at the same time as the SSD.
If you have data on it that you want to keep and take off you could disconnect it to be on the safe side.

The only advantage I've seen of running WEI is the fact it enables the aero interface after a fresh install.
 
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Thanks - Windows installed on the SSD and very happy with the result.

Next week I'll connect my HDD. I still have to do some research about how to install certain things there (like Steam, games, data, media, itunes) etc.
 
I found this guide:

http://www.ssdfreaks.com/content/664/how-to-clone-hdd-to-ssd-with-windows-7s-own-software

How much of it is valid? All of it looks good to me although some of them obviously don't need to be disabled. I'll probably just Acronis my OS drive to the SSD then expand and thenleave be. Disable System Restore, Indexing etc before starting the imaging process :p

Also, regarding the 4K alignment, Win7 natively does this if the HDD was partitioned using Win7 during install:

Windows 7 creates its partitions aligned to the 4KB boundary and from my testing, the 4KB alignment remains after the backup and restore process. The only thing I haven’t check is what happens if the partition was not 4KB aligned, such as a Windows Vista installation that was upgraded to Windows 7, but when I get time to test this, I’ll report back.

A Windows 7 clean installation on a new hard disk or a hard disk that was previously partitioned by Windows 7 is 4KB aligned. The same with the majority of computers that are supplied with Windows 7.

To check whether the partition is aligned, download and run the AS SSD utility (link). Select the OS drive in the drop-down and look at the info that appears in the upper-left panel. If there is green writing ending in ” K – OK”, the partition is properly 4KB aligned. If the writing is red ending in ” K – BAD”, then the partition is not 4KB aligned and this could lead to the clone not being not 4KB aligned.
Click to expand...
 
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