New SSD questions

linnemeyerhere · 12 Aug 2010

Hello all,
Just installed my first SSD a Crucial Real SSD 64 gb Sata III. I have a couple of basic questions for those whom have installed OS and most of their software to a SSD with all the data backing up to a HHD.

1) How do you pin icons to the SSD start menu and or open programs not residing on the SSD. As well is there a strategy to any new data saved/backed up to the data source HHD and not the SSD ?

I currently have 4 drives:
SSD 64 gb with Win. 7 Ult 64 OS bit and most software
HHD 1 TB with Win. 7 Ult 64 bit OS and all 64 bit software and data
HHD 1 TB with Win. XP Pro 32 bit OS and all 32 bit software and data
HHD 1 TB with all lossless Flac & WAV file audio

2) When booting I have 4 choices:
Earlier Windows versions (XP Pro 32 bit and installed 64 bit but removed)
Windows 7 (top is SSD)
Windows 7 (center is HHD)
Windows 7 (dead/wont boot or point to a drive)

Question: Can I remove the last dead Windows 7 choice and possible in Earlier Windows versions the XP Pro 64 bit which is also dead/removed ?

I hope I've made the two questions clear enough, if not please ask for clarification.
Cheers and thanks in advance !

Wishmaster · 12 Aug 2010

Im unsure I understand what you mean about pinning the shortcuts.

It really is no different than if the OS drive was a Spinning disk.
If you install a game or program to a spinning disk, the shortcuts will still be installed to your, All Programs lista, as well as destop shortcuts if you want them.

You can then just browse to the item in the start menu and choose Pin to Start menu or taskbar as you normally would.

I would suggest installing all of your application and software on the SSD.
Then Move all your DATA folders (Music, Videos,Pictures, maybe even Documents) to a spinning drive.
As well as most Games. I would however, if installing games to a spinning disk, format a partition for them at the very front of that disk for best performance.

Im assuming you done a clean, fresh instal of Windows to the SSD?

You should be able to go to your Disk management and delete the OLD Windows 7 partitoon, and the 100MB partition, then recreate/format a new one for additional DATA Storage partition.

Im not very familiar with multiple boot systems however, so hopefully someone that is will be along soon to better answer the the start up option question..

linnemeyerhere · 12 Aug 2010

Wishmaster, What if some of the software resides on the HHD, can I then pin it to the start menu on the SSD? Most all the software that fits will go on the SSD but there could be several that I wont want to load on the SSD but will want to use from time to time. So far though my boot time is blazing fast at just over 30 seconds and once opened programs when closed for the first time load in a blink...very cool indeed!

Wishmaster · 12 Aug 2010

Apps that do not need to be installed Yes.
Simply right click the exe and choose Pin to start menu or Pin to taskbar.

If the app needed to be installed, you may need to re-install since re-installing windows. It may not work otherwise.

If you do need to re-install the app, where you choose to install it makes no difference. It can be on the SSD or any other HD.
You can then make your shortcuts from All Programs, OR by right clicking the executable.

As an example, my AS SSD benchmark tool resides on another drive and is simply an executable in a folder.
As you can see, you can still pin them. location doesn't matter.

As I mentioned, the only issue is if you have a folder of a program & its files on another drive, and it needs to be installed (for registry entries etc)

pparks1 · 12 Aug 2010

linnemeyerhere said:

Wishmaster, What if some of the software resides on the HHD, can I then pin it to the start menu on the SSD?

You would have to either copy the files from the HDD to the SSD or reinstall the applications onto the SSD to run them from that drive and pick up the speed benefits.

linnemeyerhere said:

Most all the software that fits will go on the SSD but there could be several that I wont want to load on the SSD but will want to use from time to time.

Yeah, you have to balance what goes on where with an SSD since you are limited by disk space. I put my OS, apps and 1 or 2 games that I might be playing on the SSD...everything else goes on my spinning drive. (internet downloads, browser caches, pictures, music files, etc).

linnemeyerhere · 12 Aug 2010

Thanks so much. I've loaded about 90 percent of my apps. and I still have just over 30 percent free space. It looks like I will have a little space to grow. I hear that SSD's shouldn't be defrag'd as it's unnecessary or harmful. Also I hear something about trim. What do you know about these points? Is there maintenance you need to perform on SSD's to have them remain at optimal performance?

pparks1 · 12 Aug 2010

You don't want to defrag an SSD because of increased wear and tear writing the data back contiguously. It's not necessary as an SSD has extremely fast access regardless of where the data is located. So, keeping it all together has very little benefit.

Trim is a technology to recover and reuse unused blocks that would otherwise be unavailable until the entire block of pages was deleted . Here is a nice writeup. TRIM - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

madtownidiot · 12 Aug 2010

And really I think about 90% of computer owners fall into one of two categories, people who never worry about defragging their HDDs and people who do so way too often

pparks1 · 12 Aug 2010

I rarely defrag any hard drive.

linnemeyerhere · 12 Aug 2010

WISHMASTER, PPARKS1 AND MADTOWNIDIOT,
Cheers to you all. I won't defrag the SSD and I defrag my HHD's only after deleting a lot of data or part of a quarterly or biannual maintenance. I have to say I'm a total SSD convert and I can only imagine having a SSD Raid setup like 2 or 3 32gb slc's in raid, wow. I have to say the write & read performance is stellar as but I'm using a PCIe adapter to 2 Sata III ports internal and 2 USB 3's external card as my mobo didn't have those features available ! I'll now sit patiently for the capacity's to grow and the prices to fall and then move this 64gb to my laptop and run whatever I can afford in a year or two in it's place. Again thanks this Windows 7 forum rocks !!