Windows 7 on ssd boot drive and user files program files on normal HD

[Old Paul]

Currently use WD 1 TB Drive, .5 GB Partitions, for Windows 7 (64 Bit), programs and data (Slowest part of my system).
Am buying 120 GB Corsair SSD, drive.
Want to put Windows 7 on SSD drive, but keep data and most programs on original drive, now D:\.
How do I get Win 7 to recognize, use programs, and store data on original disk, now D:\?

 

[David 617]

your going to have to install a fresh copy of windows on the ssd. then wipe the first partition on ur TB hd. lastly, create shortcuts to anything you want to access in partition 2 (for ex, a shortcut to "Documents on D.")
WARNING! alot of programs must be re-installed if you install a new windows. especially paid programs such as MS Office.

 

[HugoStiglitz]

Moving your documents and pictures to D:

1. Open your start ment
2. Right click on my documents
3. Click include a folder (somewhere on ur D drive)
4. remove the other folders

as for programs. i would leave them on the SSD, windows and programs are where your going to see the best performance gains in using a SSD.

However when your running through the installation of a program it will ask where do you want to install this to? (Default is C:\Program Files)

you cannot change your already installed programs easily as they will have registry entries pointing to C: even if you manually move them to D

 

[nikorr]

Yeah, do that.

"How do I get Win 7 to recognize, use programs, and store data on original disk, now D:\?"

U better do a clean install + all frequently used programs use C:\ + page file

Move Docs to HDD, this is how http://www.tweakhound.com/windows7/tweaking/5.html

When installing large game, just select to install in D:\ directory. (make empty partition on front of the drive for faster access)

 

[Old Paul]

your going to have to install a fresh copy of windows on the ssd. then wipe the first partition on ur TB hd. lastly, create shortcuts to anything you want to access in partition 2 (for ex, a shortcut to "Documents on D.")
WARNING! alot of programs must be re-installed if you install a new windows. especially paid programs such as MS Office.

I have 170 GBs on my current C:\ drive, and the new SSD is only 120 GB, so wanted to start by only re-installing Windows on the new SSD, and using the existing programs and data on the old drive, which I think will become D:\, and storing new data, and programs on the D:\ drive too, so as to not Max our the smaller C:\?
If that will not work, not sure where to go from here?

 

[nikorr]

U are buying SSD for the high performance. Get advantage of it.

Install Windows, browser, CS5 kind programs, Anti Virus kind, firewall, Audio video kind, programming tools and all kind that u use often.

HDD Drive - u can name it x drive if u feel like it. U need to install the programs and update them again and make backups of C and X drive.

(make an empty partition on front of the drive for faster access and name it X:\ or else...)

If C:\ or X gets corrupted, u don't have to do anything else, just restore. And u dont loose any Docs since u moved them to another drive or portion.

http://www.tweakhound.com/windows7/tweaking/5.html

Worked for me for long time, since WinXP. But feel free to do what u thing is best : )

 

[Old Paul]

Thanks for the information.
Obviously, I can't move 170 GBs from current drive onto a 120 GB SSD, so I am trying to figure out if these is any way to continue using progras and data on the old drive, while only putting part of them on the new SSD?
If there turns out to be no other way, then guess I will be re-installing most eveything, but hoped to find another way?

 

[Hawkeye22]

Currently use WD 1 TB Drive, .5 GB Partitions, for Windows 7 (64 Bit), programs and data (Slowest part of my system).

Windows 7 x64 requires 20GB, it will not fit on your .5GB partition unless that's a typo and should read .5TB.

 

[Old Paul]

Sorry for the confusion.
The 1 TB is partitioned into 2 500 GB parts, so I have all my current stuff on the first partition now.

 

[Hawkeye22]

You might be able to get awy with using junctions/symlinks. It works in Vista and 7.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/using-symlinks-in-windows-vista/

 

[shanky887614]

easiest way

use steam mover
http://www.traynier.com/software/steammover

install to ssd, then after you have installed each program (if you cant change where it install's to in the installation window

you can move it with steam mover, it will keep the structure and it



i use it on my hdd to keep backups small, 100gb of games on another partition that i hardly ever backup

 

[Old Paul]

You might be able to get awy with using junctions/symlinks. It works in Vista and 7.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/using-symlinks-in-windows-vista/

Thanks, I tried the link, and it looks interesting, but I've never heard of, or used these before, so I will have to try and figure out whether they can do what I need, a d if so, how to use them?

 

[Old Paul]

easiest way

use steam mover
http://www.traynier.com/software/steammover

install to ssd, then after you have installed each program (if you cant change where it install's to in the installation window

you can move it with steam mover, it will keep the structure and it



i use it on my hdd to keep backups small, 100gb of games on another partition that i hardly ever backup

Thanks, I tried the link, and that software looks interesting too, although I haven't used it either, but if it will work for regular programs and data, I'll try to learn how to use it, and give it a try.

 

[Hawkeye22]

Thanks, I tried the link, and it looks interesting, but I've never heard of, or used these before, so I will have to try and figure out whether they can do what I need, a d if so, how to use them?

I know people here in the forums have used junctions/symlinks to move their steam folder to another drive so their games aren't using up all the space on their OS drive. It works, but I don't know what the caveats would be.

 

[Old Paul]

Thanks, I am going to look into it.