OS and Data on separate drives

[bluedragon]

Hi, attached are the screenshots and some commentary.

This the disks and the setup.
This shows the drive where the data is located under users.
These are the folders and the way i list them on the Separate data drive.

Since I already have the data in the folders on the second drive, all i need to do is change the location of Windows User folders, by following the info provided by the Tutorial: User Folders- Change Default Location! Right???
OR should i go ahead and make the folders in Win 7 and just transfer the docs, music, pictures etc. into those folders. I know this seems like i am complicating matters, but To some who know how to do this, it might seem easy, but iam not(or i don't consider myself) a tech guy, i am just a user!, so Might i suggest that is might be a good idea if someone consolidate the guidance provided into a step by step sticky for this issue. Thanks to all !! Regards, BD

 

[bluedragon]

For Karlsnooks: You said "Use the power of Win 7 libraries to add the folders on your data drive to the appropriate library." Exactly what power are you referring too!! If i am in Libraries, can't i just right click and add another folder???
For Nahtimu, you said, "you may have to configure settings of other misc apps to point to your data drive / folders" can you be more specific.
Sorry but people assume that i know how to just zoom around within the OS!!

Regards, BD

 

[karlsnooks]

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/585-library-include-folder.html

 

[Barman58]

BD

You are correct - follow the tutorial to relocate your user folders to the second Drive

Moving these folders using the locate feature will also move them in the default library set-up, you can then add additional folders to libraries if you need to

Libraries are great if you have data spread all over multiple drives / locations, which is what they are designed for. The more organised you are as the user to start with the less useful the libraries become.

Certain older apps may initially look for it's files in specific places which do not follow the win7 system, you may have to change settings in these apps to point to the win7 location

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello again BD.





Once you have moved or made back-ups of anything on the "Disk 0" you want to keep, you can indeed us the method in this tutorial to do a "clean all" to the HDD for a clean slate to install to.

Surely you can understand our concern over the interchangeability of the term "drive" you used.


SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

 

[bluedragon]

Gentlemen, thanks for the help. Ok, I am still a little unsure about some of the exact meaning in some of the posts from some of the people here, but I am going to give it a shot. The worst that can happen is i start all over again.
For Barefoot Kid, I understand your concern, but that's the only term i know.
Regards, BD

 

[eldinv]

I am missing something, if you re-install the OS in one partition the data on the other partition will be fine. It the data is one a completely different drive, even better! Unplug it during the installation.

 

[eldinv]

Once you finish the installation the folders like music and documents located under the C/User will have nothing.

Because the data is one your second drive!

If you want to change the path of the folder lets say Documents from its original location - C/Users/YourUserName/MY Documents.

Right click on that folder, and go to the location tab click move folder and located the location you want to change to. In your case probably- Dragon1/Users/bluedragon/My Documents.

Do the same for all the folders you want to move.

Now when you save documents they will save to that new location by default.

Hope that cleared things up!

 

[eldinv]

Any luck?

 

[bluedragon]

Eldinv: I am in Japan and at work, I plan to try this, tonight. I will post the results when complete. Thanks. BD

 

[bluedragon]

Eldinv: No luck, I screwed something up. I was able to transfer the My docs folder from C: to F:, but then I couldn't find the desktop folder and tried to create one in C: first, and the it went down hill from there. Here is a screen shot of the error message i got, I think i should restore to earlier time and start over. Also, I used back slash i.e. Fragon1\Users\ etc. vice your post using forward slash/. Don't think that's the problem though??

 

[Barman58]

Bd,

when looking for the Desktop folder on c: make sure you have hidden files and protected system files visible

 

[Nahtimu]

For Nahtimu, you said, "you may have to configure settings of other misc apps to point to your data drive / folders" can you be more specific.
Sorry but people assume that i know how to just zoom around within the OS!!
Regards, BD

--------------------------------
Hi BD,

Sorry mate, what I meant is: You want all your data information stored on your data drive/disk (i.e. not the OS drive)...
You may have say a photo enhancing application and you want to save the files to your 'data drive'. Most applications have the option to set the default output or read folder - it is in that section you'd want to set the default folders to point to your data drive. This way when you are in that application, and you click Open, it will open the folders on your data drive. If you click Save it will save it on your data drive, etc.

Gee I hope I haven't confused matters further... Scrub all this if I have

Cheers...

 

[eldinv]

So you were able to do all the other folders like Pictures, Music, My Documents, My Videos, except the desktop folder.

It might be because that folder should be set in the root section of that partition. Try creating that Desktop folder in the following path:

K:\Desktop or K:Users\Desktop

 

[bluedragon]

Nahtimu, I think i understand. For example, i install MS Word and during the install it asks me which drive to install on i.e. C:, then i have to configure MS Word to save the data it generates to my other drive, right? What i don't know is how to make MS Word save that data (documents) to the other drive.?? Actually, i think documents go directly to the default My Documents folder. But not sure how to get my misc apps to do that.
For eldinv, I just reinstalled the OS, and formatted the 2nd Hdrive, so that i have a clean drive to move the folders too. I am thinking to try the tutorial that Brink layed out, but there are two options and reading through the comments in Option 1, there seem to be some problems!!. What i really need is one simple option. Your solution seems the simplest to implement, but my question is what path should i take to get to the folders location (1)If i go to start, then on the right is my user name, clicking on that then opens a box with the user folders. Or (2)should i go to my computer then C:drive, then user name. then the folders. Once i get to the folders i then change the folder location to my other drive. yes/no/maybe??Also, i tried to send you a private message but you have receipt turned off. Regards, BD

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello again.





There is this tutorial at the link below to set the default save location for MS Office.


MS Office Word : Set Default Save Location

 

[eldinv]

(1)If i go to start, then on the right is my user name, clicking on that then opens a box with the user folders. Or (2)should i go to my computer then C:drive, then user name. then the folders. Once i get to the folders i then change the folder location to my other drive. yes/no/maybe??Also, i tried to send you a private message but you have receipt turned off. Regards, BD

Go to My Computer> C:\> Username> Folders. Right click each folder go to location tab and set new path as already directed.

 

[bluedragon]

Gentlemen, success!! I was able to move the folders. Thanks, much for you patience.
Regards, BD.

 

[eldinv]

No problem!!! Good job!

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello again BD.





Glad to see you got it working and thanks for the update.