Solved SSD for OS and some programs and HDD for data, programs, etc. How to?

[JVision1]

I am wanting to install my OS and some programs to my SSD and everthing else to my HDD. I have read several tutorials and forums related to this, but have not seen anything that addresses all of my concerns and questions.

1. I want to install windows 7 and a few games and programs to my 120GB SSD.
2. I want to put all or most of my user files and some programs on my HDD.
3. To some degree, I'm not sure exactly what I want. I need step by step help on how to do 1 and 2 but Im not exactly sure How I want to do it because I don't know what all the results and consequences will be!?

 

[AddRAM]

Do you know how to install an operating system ?

 

[FuturDreamz]

1. install as normally, making sure you select your SSD drive. i'd blast away any partitions on the SSD, so Windows can install the recovery partition. just make sure that the partitions belong to the SSD. the installer will identify which drive each partition belongs to.

2. go to your user folder. Right click on music, downloads, etc and click propertise. click on the "location" tab, then click "move..." you have to do each folder manually, but I reccommend keeping Contacts, favourites, links, searches, and maybe desktop on your ssd. you have a 128GB ssd so you aren't super squeezed for space, so really just documents, music, pictures, photos, and maybe downlaods need to be offloaded to the HDD. put them all in a "user/" folder for clarity (and put programs in "programs/", but with a 128gb that's not really neccissary.

 

[JVision1]

Yes. I have only made one attempt to install to a SSD and HDD. I followed a online tutorial. A temp user that tutorial instructed to create shows up at login along with mine. There are "glitches" that I have and I do not know if this is due to the way I did the installation or not.

Anyway, I have another system that I want to set up with with SSD and HDD like I described in 1st post, and then wipe my other one clean and re-install everything. All of my important files are on my laptop and external HDD. The specs of the one I want to do now are as follows:

*Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
*EVGA X58 FTW3 motherboard
*i7-950 processor
*Seagate Barracuda 500 GB HDD
*Mushkin Chronos 120GB SSD
*MSI Radeon HD R6950 2GB Twin Frozer 2 graphics card
*Corsair 850 watt PSU
*Kingston 6GB (6x1GB) or (2 3x1GB triple channel kits) DDR3 1066 ~ I have a Kingston Hyper X 12GB (3x4GB triple channel kit) DDR3 1600 XMP on the way.
*Hyper 212 EVO cooler
*NZXT Source 210 mid tower chassis


If I can figure out the correct way to do the installation then I can follow the same procedure for my Sandybridge rig.










ss

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Be SURE that the SSD is the only drive connected when you begin.

Connect the SSD to port 0 on your motherboard. You want the SSD to be Drive 0 when you are done.

Get Windows installed successfully to the SSD. After that is done, worry about where to install programs and setting up your user files as you want them.

I'd delete all partitions that may currently exist on the SSD during the install process.

You should end up with a very small System Reserved partition and a C partition covering the entire remainder of the drive.

 

[JVision1]

1. install as normally, making sure you select your SSD drive. i'd blast away any partitions on the SSD, so Windows can install the recovery partition. just make sure that the partitions belong to the SSD. the installer will identify which drive each partition belongs to.

2. go to your user folder. Right click on music, downloads, etc and click propertise. click on the "location" tab, then click "move..." you have to do each folder manually, but I reccommend keeping Contacts, favourites, links, searches, and maybe desktop on your ssd. you have a 128GB ssd so you aren't super squeezed for space, so really just documents, music, pictures, photos, and maybe downlaods need to be offloaded to the HDD. put them all in a "user/" folder for clarity (and put programs in "programs/", but with a 128gb that's not really neccissary.

Ok. I have read a lot about doing things with the Paging file, Hibernation file, System restore, and Index. An example of this would be the following article: Windows 7 and SSDs: Cutting your system drive down to size | ZDNet

What do you think?

 

[whs]

It is not quite clear whether you want to make a fresh installation with an installation disk or transfer an existing Win7 from a HDD.

A new installation is easy - just boot from the installation disk. When you are done with that, post back and we'll discuss the rest.

If you want to transfer an existing OS, Have a look at this tutorial: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/149969-ssd-install-transfer-operating-system.html

 

[JVision1]

Ok. Seems like you guys think that those registry hacks etc. are a bad idea or at least not necessary ( given that no body has mentioned them, and as I recall, I had to do some of that before windows was completely installed and/or in safe mode.) I am going to install windows, check back here and then go from there. Thanks!

 

[JVision1]

It is not quite clear whether you want to make a fresh installation with an installation disk or transfer an existing Win7 from a HDD.

A new installation is easy - just boot from the installation disk. When you are done with that, post back and we'll discuss the rest.

If you want to transfer an existing OS, Have a look at this tutorial: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/149969-ssd-install-transfer-operating-system.html

Sorry, didn't mean to be fuzzy. I am wanting to do a fresh install

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Ok. I have read a lot about doing things with the Paging file, Hibernation file, System restore, and Index. An example of this would be the following article: Windows 7 and SSDs: Cutting your system drive down to size | ZDNet

What do you think?

Worry about that after you get Windows up and running.

My ideas:

Turn hibernation off if you don't use it. That will save an amount of space equal to the amount of RAM you have.

Adjust maximum space allotted to System Restore to 7 to 10 gigs, good enough for 10 or 15 restore points dating back several weeks or more.

Page file: do nothing or set it to 1024 mb minimum and 2048 mb maximum. If you have a lot of RAM, it will otherwise be quite large.

Indexing: turn it off if you search for files ONLY by name, not by contents.

 

[JVision1]

Ok, windows is installed, but that is all I have done. When should I install drivers, any bios updates that may be needed, windows updates etc.? Should I move user files 1st? In other words, what order should I do all of this in and how do I control which programs go to which drive?

The HDD/mechanical drive is still bare/ has not been formatted. I'm guessing it needs to be partitioned into at least 2. One for programs and apps and the other for data files etc.

 

[FuturDreamz]

1. install as normally, making sure you select your SSD drive. i'd blast away any partitions on the SSD, so Windows can install the recovery partition. just make sure that the partitions belong to the SSD. the installer will identify which drive each partition belongs to.

2. go to your user folder. Right click on music, downloads, etc and click propertise. click on the "location" tab, then click "move..." you have to do each folder manually, but I reccommend keeping Contacts, favourites, links, searches, and maybe desktop on your ssd. you have a 128GB ssd so you aren't super squeezed for space, so really just documents, music, pictures, photos, and maybe downlaods need to be offloaded to the HDD. put them all in a "user/" folder for clarity (and put programs in "programs/", but with a 128gb that's not really neccissary.

Ok. I have read a lot about doing things with the Paging file, Hibernation file, System restore, and Index. An example of this would be the following article: Windows 7 and SSDs: Cutting your system drive down to size | ZDNet

What do you think?

You can disable those if you wish, but with 128gb it's not a necesity. unless you have 50 GBs of applications, your entire disk usage should be less than 30gb.

i wouldn't reccommend registry hacks, as you risk the chance of an update or installation undoing or corrupting the hack.

In fact, you could possibly leave everything intact and only move videos to your external hard drive.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Ok, windows is installed, but that is all I have done. When should I install drivers, any bios updates that may be needed, windows updates etc.? Should I move user files 1st? In other words, what order should I do all of this in and how do I control which programs go to which drive?

The HDD/mechanical drive is still bare/ has not been formatted. I'm guessing it needs to be partitioned into at least 2. One for programs and apps and the other for data files etc.

You already have most if not all drivers simply by installing Windows. Look in Device Manager and see if there are any errors.

I'd do Windows Updates immediately and get anti-virus going.

Make sure all your hardware works. Printer, etc.

Do some basic Windows configuration--get sound going, set screen resolution, inspect page file, inspect system restore, etc.

Decide where you are going to put programs. Normally, put them all on the SSD unless you have a major space problem.

I'd try to put all programs on SSD and most or all data on HDD. You can put some data on SSD and some on HDD, but that is pretty much pointless and will complicate your backups.

I wouldn't put user files at the top of my list of stuff to do.

 

[FuturDreamz]

Ok, windows is installed, but that is all I have done. When should I install drivers, any bios updates that may be needed, windows updates etc.? Should I move user files 1st? In other words, what order should I do all of this in and how do I control which programs go to which drive?

The HDD/mechanical drive is still bare/ has not been formatted. I'm guessing it needs to be partitioned into at least 2. One for programs and apps and the other for data files etc.

windows updates, then drivers that Windows does not automatically install (unless windows does not find the network driver). bios update aren't always reccommended if there's nothing that needs to be fixed.

I'd reccommend making the HDD into one big partition, so you don't find yourself with one partition completely full and the other nearly empty. When you install applications, one of the steps should allow you to choose a installation path. Assuming that your HDD has drive letter D, change "C:/Program Files" or "C:/Program Files (x86)" to "D:/Program Files" or "D:/Program Files (x86), respectively.

I'd reccommend having the following folders in your HDD:
Program Files/
Program Files (x86)/
Videos/ (media folders such as videos, music, or pictures should be in root)
User/ (use this folder for anything you think should outsource to the HDD, such as torrent download folder)

 

[gregrocker]

I would install my programs to the SSD since they write to the registry which integrates them into the OS, and should be included in it's image which is the modern way to handle reinstalls.

You can link your User folders or entire User profile to another HD, but an easier method is to set up a similar file system on the HD and then simply rightclick to add those folders to the related Library. Done.

User Folders - Change Default Location
User Profile - Change Default Location
Library - Include a Folder - Windows 7 Forums

Adapt the steps given here to get a perfect install and setup, including using the drivers given by installer and optional Windows Updates without changing any out unless performance dictates doing so: Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7