How to ensure System Reserved partition is installed on C:\ with Win7?

I just reinstalled Windows 7 Pro x64 on my 2-drive system (SSD, HDD) and it went smoothly, thanks to the great tutorials on this forum.

To ensure the System Reserved "Active" partition was installed on the same drive (SSD) as the Win 7 operating system, I disconnected my internal HDD as the tutorials suggested.

In my PC, the HDD is always Disk #0 (first port on Mobo), and the mSata SSD is always Disk #1 (second port). In Disk Management, they are listed as:

Disk 0 = Drive D:\ = One "Primary" partition for data files.

Disk 1 = Two Partitions: #1 = System Reserved Partition (Primary). #2 = Drive C:\ (for Win 7 operating system) (Primary)

If I would ever need to reinstall Win 7 again, are there other methods to ensure the System Reserved partition is installed on the same SSD disk as the operating system.... without disconnecting the HDD?

1.) Reformat the HDD as a single logical partition? Can this be done without disturbing the data files?

2.) Add 3 primary partitions to the HDD so it has its maximum of 4 partitions? And then delete the extra partitions after reinstall?

3.) Or, will Win 7 installer see the System Reserved "active" partition is on the SSD (Disk #1) and reinstall everything there, without touching the HDD? (My preference, if possible.)

4.) I can change the boot order of drives in the BIOS, but I don't think I can disable the HDD there.

Just curious if anyone has experience doing this without disconnecting the hard drive.

What I've seen on forums that seems to work best and what I've done is plug the desired OS HDD or SSD into the first drive port on the motherboard, usually marked as 0 but on some may be 1. The OS tends to see the first drive found as the one to install on which again probably is the one on the 0 port. After the OS has created partitions as it needs and is running properly would be the time to attach any additional HDD or SSD drives.

If you cannot unplug the other hard drive, then your idea to format it Logical is best to avoid the boot files ever being derailed onto it. Having the SSD in DISK0 also provides some reassurance but is not failsafe like haviing data drives be Logical which cannot accept boot files.

As suggested you can also preformat the SSD from the installer's Command Line following the Diskpart commands given in Troubleshoot Windows 7 Installation Failures - Windows 7 Help Forums
to assure that the boot files go on C.

It makes no difference whatsoever whether you have the System Reserved partition or not, unless you use Bitlocker in which case its needed. I would not waste a minute's time trying to have or avoid it. But you're right to guard against boot files being derailed during Startup Repairs or Reinstall as we see that here all the time.

Thanks for the replies.

Is the System Reserved partition needed to access "Repair Your Computer" from the F8 boot menu?