Can I boot from SSD, but use my other drive as primary?

maxman190 · Dec 5, 2014

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but is it possible to use my slave drive as primary (like using E:\users\name\desktop) on start up? I just bought an SSD for my laptop and the freaking boot up speed was just so ridiculously fast and I think it's about time to upgrade my desktop. My desktop is using a 2tb 7200rpm and boot up takes 10+ minutes.

If that isn't possible, can I clone my drive onto an ssd? Or data from disk platter aren't compatible with data from flash?

canadianvice · Dec 5, 2014

maxman190 :

How it usually works is you put windows and some programs you want to start quickly on the SSD, and then put your user folders on the main HDD.

This is very easy to do in Windows 7. Simply install on the SSD with Windows, and then before you get to downloading things and whatnot, you simply go to each user folder's properties and change the location to be on the main HDD. You can set up a separate steam library here if you want space for games, and for anything particularly stubborn (though not recommended) there's MKLINK.

Oh, and don't clone your current drive onto an SSD. That's just asking for trouble with partitioning and whatnot.

ThatVietGuy · Dec 5, 2014

The fact that you want to boot from the SSD already makes it the primary drive - there's no way around that.

The primary drive could be considered the one with the OS and that will be on the SSD, so...

Entomber · Dec 5, 2014

yes, you can boot from SSD and use a HDD to store things on. I'm not sure what you mean by "primary" since you can only boot an OS if it's installed on the SSD.

Install your OS on your SSD and use it as your boot device, and the HDD can be used to store other files or programs on.

APassingMe · Dec 5, 2014

canadianvice :

You can do this, and I recommend it. However having a 10+ min start-up with 7200 rpm HD suggests you have some problems going on. It should only take about 2 min max from power on to fully started with an average 7200 rpm drive. Check your start-up programs, AV, and consider a fresh install... your current hard-drive might be on the way out too so look into that and eliminate that possibility first.

USAFRet · Dec 5, 2014

Fresh install on the SSD. That will then become the C drive.
OS and whatever applications will fit into 80% of the SSD space.

Other things go on the HDD. Music, movies, games, etc.

A 10 minute boot process suggests other things going on, so a clone from HDD to SSD is NOT recommended.

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Can I boot from SSD, but use my other drive as primary?

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