SSD to HHD? Help!

Yease

Yease

Yease

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Hi there.

I have a 64GB SSD that i want to install my OS on but then i want to switch to my 1TB HDD for everything else, probably put a few things e.g games on the SSD down the line. How do i switch between the two? My OS is Windows 7 Professional 64bit.

Thanks
 
So your SSD is new, unformatted? ARe you installing from scratch or do you want to attempt to 'clone' an existing hdd?
The 1TB is gonna be used for purely storage? with no OS on it?
 
Sorry, should have specified more clearly.

This is my first build and i'm very much a newb when it comes to all things PC, only just getting to grips with the basics..

I haven't started building yet so the SSD and HHD are brand new. I want to use the SSD to boot the OS so all the programs are faster etc then use the HHD for everything else e.g games, music etc. Would i need the OS on the HHD too? I just want it on the SSD for a faster boot up.
 
Build your pc, and for ease, just connect the SSD and install the OS to that.
64gb will give you Windows 7, office and a 'few' games and apps, but not loads.
Once all that is done, turn the pc off and connect your 1tb hdd to another sata connector. Boot up.
When you go into start > 'computer' you should see yout 1tb hdd mounted say for example as E: 1tb.
If it doesn't show up (if the 1tb drive is unformatted), then you need to go into computer management and initialise it, create a simle partition and format it. It will then show up in 'computer.

You DO NOT need to install any OS or software on your 1tb drive.
You CAN install software on there if you run out of space on your SSD if you like.
 
You only install the os on one drive. Installing it on the ssd will give the speed boost you are after. You can redirect most user file folders to the hdd, eg, my documents, music, videos etc as those don't really benfit from being on an ssd. Personally this is what i have done and also install almost all programs to the ssd except steam, as with the games i have downloaded the steam folder is about 200gb.
 
jak731 said:
You only install the os on one drive. Installing it on the ssd will give the speed boost you are after. You can redirect most user file folders to the hdd, eg, my documents, music, videos etc as those don't really benfit from being on an ssd. Personally this is what i have done and also install almost all programs to the ssd except steam, as with the games i have downloaded the steam folder is about 200gb.
Click to expand...

Yep....i've done this too. No point having docs on the ssd really.
 
Thanks for the fast replies guys, most helpful.

Ok got it, so just fix up the HHD after i've installed OS onto SSD.
One more question if you don't mind.. in the future, i'll want to put a game or two onto the SSD. Do i have to change from the SSD to the HHD to install? even so, how do i switch between the two? Oh, and how do i put the documents you advised onto the HHD?

Thanks again guys.
 
If there's room on your SSD then install your game onto that. If not then when you install just change the install path from "C:\Program Files\..." to the drive letter of your 1tb disk,
For redirecting your documents, right-click 'Documents' > properties.
add a folder location and 'set save location'. You can do this with other doc folders that reside on the OS partition as default (music, pics, downloads etc)
 
Banzai_Joe said:
If there's room on your SSD then install your game onto that. If not then when you install just change the install path from "C:\Program Files\..." to the drive letter of your 1tb disk,
For redirecting your documents, right-click 'Documents' > properties.
add a folder location and 'set save location'. You can do this with other doc folders that reside on the OS partition as default (music, pics, downloads etc)
Click to expand...

I think there is a registry key to change so installers will default to the D drive.
 
Yes, there is, but with the OP's limited experience i though it better off not mentioned. :)
Plus, you don't want every install going to one drive or another, you want the option each time (even though you can simply change the path yourself regardless of default).
 
So guys in your experience is solid state drives the way to go? Im about to do my first build in 6 years and was wondering if ssd drives are worth the extra £150ish for a 128gb. Want to keep costs to a minimum and maybe get a ssd in 1-2 years when the prices have dropped or does windows 7 work so much better if using a ssd?
 
dalehitchy1 said:
youll get faster boot up times and quick loading programs
Click to expand...

yep....quicker file access, quicker file writes too, although that depends on what you are doing as to whether you'll notice a difference.

I've said it many time in previous threads, i personally think its the best single upgrade you could to do a pc to get a noticeable difference out of it.
 
Yease said:
Sorry, should have specified more clearly.

This is my first build and i'm very much a newb when it comes to all things PC, only just getting to grips with the basics..

I haven't started building yet so the SSD and HHD are brand new. I want to use the SSD to boot the OS so all the programs are faster etc then use the HHD for everything else e.g games, music etc. Would i need the OS on the HHD too? I just want it on the SSD for a faster boot up.
Click to expand...

What mobo have you got?
If it's a z68 model maybe it would be best to use that small 64gb ssd as cache (Smart response technology) you could then use your 1tb hdd as the primary drive and never have to worry about limited space.
This will also increase loading times by upto 4x faster than a machanical hdd alone.
That means faster Game loading, faster boot times....hell faster everything.
You could then at some point later add a second ssd for games only.

If you decided to go down this route then just remember to change the Sata mode in the bios to Raid before installing windows.
 
you can also use the mklink -J (junction) command to 'shortcut' folders onto a hardrive. For example, steam games (either from the HDD to the SSD, or vice versa).

For user folders (downloads, My Documents, My Pictures...) best do it the proper way, you have an option in the properties to do that.

Then you can setup apps generally to do that as well (itunes, ect...) and also move the swap file, onto the hard drive.
 
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