Clean Up and Optimisation of Win 7 on whole system ssd/nvme/hdd

[Perhaps]

Hi hello to all on Seven Forums and Thank You in Advance

Current set up is below

Windows 7 on 500 Gb sata ssdMbr boot ( 130 Gb free)

Large Docs/ User files and backup media files files on 16 tb hdd
( currently intended as back up drive for all media and docs ) 8tb used.
ie. about 7 Tb media duplicates and 1 Tb single copy of user files (which has no back up)

4 x 4tb hdd majority media files.
( 2 are virtually full and 2 have about 1.7 gb each free)

1 x 1tb nvme pcie m2 in a x 4 slot (currently active but not used)
2 x 2tb nvme pcie m2 on a bifurcated card (currently undecided on formatting ie separate or striped) unused.
1 x 2tb nvme m2 left over but no slots left as wi fi card is on 3rd slot.

Motherboard is Gigabyte Z77 dual uefi
Cpu i7 3770 K
16 Gb Ram

Ideally wanted to convert to GPT boot from 1 tb nvme pcie m2 ( appears this may be problematic on bios ability & opinions seem divided.
Have a windows 10 disk but in reality never want to go there.

Main requirement of this PC is for my Music CD Archive/Library and Music video on ssd for hifi playback of same + general everyday computing .

Plus a clean install of windows 7 with my current software programs.

Apologies for SO so much info ! ( but describes my story)

Perhaps

 

[SIW2]

Motherboard is Gigabyte Z77

As I recall, that mobo doesnt come with nvme boot support.

You could use a bios that does have nvme support.

Probably find it here:
Forum - [READ-ONLY, PLEASE GO TO winraid.level1techs.com] Offers: Already modded special BIOSes

Otherwise, you could ask someone there to do it for you.
BIOS Modding Requests - Win-Raid Forum

Or you can do it yourself
Forum - [HowTo] Get full NVMe support for all Systems with an AMI UEFI BIOS

 

[Megahertz07]

Z77 MBs don't have M.2 slot. Do you intend to use a NVMe on a PCIe card adapter?

Why do you want to use a NVMe as a boot drive? You won't see any difference, only on the benchmark test.

 

[file3456]

Your board (all Revs) only have mSATA onboard support. mSATA is not NVMe compatible. So, if you wanted to boot your PCIe M.2 drive it most likely wouldn't work due to the BIOS not supporting NVMe in the first place due to lack of a NVMe compatible interface on the board its self.

Does that make sense?

Besides, you indicate your PC is for overall general use and some media. Booting from an NVMe compatible drive isn't going to be a noticeable one. You're better off keeping the configuration you have now with the use of M.2 drives in the PCIe slots.

Do note the following from the motherboard Specs.

The PCIEX4 slot shares bandwidth with the PCIEX1_2/3 slots. The PCIEX1_2/3 slots will become unavailable when a PCIe x4 expansion card is installed.

Meaning that if you use the PCIe 4x slot, you'll lose all but one PCIe 1x slot.

Also note that unlike the PCIe 16x slot that is the 3.0 standard, the PCIe 4x & PCIe 1 x slots are 2.0 standard.


As to your WiFi dilemma. It doesn't have to be. You have USB 3.0 so use USB with an Alfa USB WiFI adapter like these.

You also have two legacy PCI slots and I'm sure eBay or other auction website may have WiFi cards for this interface, but expect them to go up to no more than 802.11g. Not 802.11n or 802.11ac. I'd be very surprised if a legacy PCI WiFi card was ever made for 802.11n let alone 802.11ac. So with that, just go USB. Better yet, go Ethernet if you can. WiFi can and will be problematic and has a lot of overhead. I only use WiFi for the devices that can only use WiFi. Like smart devices and laptops. Both Alfa and Panda make great USB WiFi adapters.

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Do note that MBR can support up to 2 TB of HDD storage...

 

[Perhaps]

SIW2
Thank you for your prompt reply
Will go away and research your web info sources offered.
Seems like i have a bit to learn and comprehend.

As i have nvme pcie m2 storage recognised through a hotfix already i make the assumption (with my 64 bit windows ultimate )
that the first two zip files at the bottom would not be needed.

USB3 / Dism / NT6 repair i will broach how to understand and utilise after the web reading.

Will get back to you.
Much appreciated
Perhaps

 

[SIW2]

I have bios with nvme support for for gigabyte b75m d3h and gigabyte z77m d3h if anybody needs them.

If there isn't one ready made, you could ask somebody, or do it yourself:
[OFFER] Gigabyte GA-Z77-DS3H NVMe Mod - #35 by Lost_N_BIOS - Offers: Already modded special BIOSes - Win-Raid Forum

 

[Perhaps]

Megahertz 07

Thank you for your quick reply/ offer of help/ and questions.

Sorry i may not have emphasised my set up fully enough or what i am trying to achieve or actually have working.
Mostly Media/Media as in Music A LOT (flac lossless and 24 bit hi res) .

Yes i do intend to use card adaptors and have actually got 2 installed and working already.
One with a chip on board from ablecomm that lets me use dual m2 's
So it is installed in the top x 16 pcie slot and recognised (just haven't done partitioning yet )

Which as i understand it from my motherboard manual and general research lets me have a striped set up @ 8 x's with my pcie 3
or as 2 drives @ x 4 speed .
My second card has one Pcie m2 nvme installed and formatted and recognised by windows as well. @ x 4 with pcie

This is my reasoning or aims should i say.

Current C drive is too small and as i have a LOT of docs have had to hive off to another slow response time separate hdd.
Windows has a wierd set up with docs in two places
I want to get it back with windows on the 1 Tb nvme m2 pcie.
Plus i want programs to operate faster. ie. work with video conversion or audio and other intensive operations.


Second is i am looking to go wholly ssd ( eventually) and use hdd 's as general storage and back up.
It is a Hi Fi thing through (non mechanical sounds in replay) with ssd. on to my separate external DAC
Plus the benefits flow on through a good external amplifier and quality speakers.
Boot time is an added bonus at nvme speeds.

There are are other speed performance issues or inefficiencies because i have ( at boot)
Microsoft security essentials/emet/realtek/dell monitor program/ acronis active protection/Sound blaster panel/dac/wireless keyboard/internet.
etc . etc.
So i am looking to unclutter my set up eventually as well.

Hope this helps your queries.
This is just the start of my tune up journey.
Feel free to comment.
And thanks again.

Perhaps

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Ps to all concerned
Motherboard specific model is
Gigabyte Z77 UP5 TH rev 1 ( fully updated current published Gigabyte Drivers)
If this helps.

All appreciated

Perhaps

Perhaps

 

[Megahertz07]

Z77 MBs don't have M.2 slot. Do you intend to use a NVMe on a PCIe card adapter?

Why do you want to use a NVMe as a boot drive? You won't see any difference, only on the benchmark test.

My question regarding a NVMe as a boot drive is that you have to apply some tricks and a 2.5" SSD will do the job and you won't see any difference, only on the benchmark test.

Perhaps, there is no doubt you should use a SSD for the main drive. I have a small SSD for windows and programs since 2013.

 

[SIW2]

[SUCCESS] Booting 950 Pro NVMe on GA‑Z77X‑UP5 TH | tonymacx86.com




https://www.tonymacx86.com/attachments/z77xu5th-f12-zip.209771/

 

[Perhaps]

F22 Simpilot

Thank you for your reply and research on Z77 Family Chipset. Much Appreciated.
Bios Comment does make sense.
NVME M2 was a cost/speed benefit for me with no need for graphics card and unused overhead in vacant slots.
In OZ 4Tb sata ssd is virtually same $'s as 4 Tb nvme m2.
You just need a card.
Reading my replies to SIW2 and Megahertz 07 would give you some more valuable background as well.
Got my replies away to them yesterday but unfortunately ran out of time to get worthwhile response to you.
Sorry about that. Hope you can bear with me on my persistence and specific endeavours.
My Motherboard is specifically an Gigabyte GA-Z77-UP5-TH rev 1.0 and it came with a Gigabyte GC-WB300 Wireless card
Bluetooth 4.0 IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n.
I only installed wireless card for Logitech MK850 keyboard and mouse because it didn't work with windows 7 as claimed via usb quick connect.
Would have no wireless and everything cables for all things in the home if i could.
You refer to problematic overhead issues with wireless and am thinking i should go back to new cabled mouse and keyboard.
IBM keyboard from year 2000 was playing up. It payed it's way.
Drawing a long bow here but if you had a copy of that M'board manual it would help our conversation here.
Feel free to laugh and ignore that if i go to far in wishing.
My CPU is i7 3770 K with 16 Gb Ram installed
So as i understand it the 3 (off) x16 Pcie slots on board all retain PCIE Express 3.0 standard.
Could have 2x 8 or 1x8 + 2 x4
The Wireless card which is in a PCI Expess 1 (label2) position .So lets assume a mouse and keyboard will be replaced.
Going down my board from the top this is my in situ installation.
First occupied slot is the top x 16 one which has an Ableconn Dual NVME M.2 SSDs PCIe Carrier Adaptor.
It has 2 (off) 2 Tb Samsung Evo ssd's ie. 4 Tb which are recognised by windows due to my installing hot fix for nvme recognition.
This has not been partitioned yet so can be one striped drive @ x8 lanes or 2 x 4 lanes separate drives.
It has a chipset that supports non bifurcated boards.
Next down is the wireless board in PCI exp 1 label 2 position. Going most likely.
Second Pcie x 16 slot has a Startech card to support usb 3.1 A type and C type.
Primarily for my external DAC which i thought would require speed for Hi Resolution audio.
I do not use my realtek audio on board for audio playback except for say you tube playback videos etc.
Front side usb on my mid tower case always say ( it could work faster if !!! ) Lost on that one.
Either way USB speeds with windows 7 are a mystery to me.
So usb speeds and what i have natively are up for discussion.
The last x 16 slot has a card with 1 (off) 1 Tb Samsung 970 Pro which shows up as 2 drives for some reason.
Thats me for tonight Simpilot
Like your humourous Sign off ( reminds me of a David & David Song " a black belt in the art of babble "
In this case Techno babble perhaps. you're too good for me.
Its a full moon in Australia in about 4 hours time.
If i am still awake i will send out a howl for you.
Regards
Perhaps

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SIW2 thank you for your latest ( solved) nvme boot for my board.
This is very complex stuff for me and in fact i have seen it before.
I do appreciate and perhaps i should not have previously discarded.
The fact that he was using it to make a Hackintosh muddied the waters for me somewhat at the time.
Will now revisit and try to more closely understand.
I thought his using Clover was perhaps off the Windows applicable useage.
Most definitely appreciated though.
Will try to make more sense of the attachments.
But give me time please
Regards
Perhaps

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SIW2

Am having trouble in posting as my last reply to you got tacked onto my reply to Simpilot instead of directly to you.
Dont know how to fix it.
This is the only forum i have been on so inexperienced.
Help some one.
Perhaps

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Test 123

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SIW2 testing of posting methodology by perhaps

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SIW2

and other members contributing to my initial post with offers of ideas /help.
A big thank you.
All help is gratefully received.

Having tried to unsuccessfully resolve my methodology in individual thread replies i now make a third attempt to fix.
SIW2 i repeat
Please refer to last F22 Simpilot commentary for my actual reply and thank you to as an individual (SIW2) which got tacked onto his in error.