Rookie question

[Modestvolta]

So I'm installing an SSD, but I'm having a hard time finding a tutorial that fits my situation (or maybe my paranoia of screwing up my computer is making me think I'm having a hard time...).

I'm adding the SSD to an existing build. Is there a guide for this out there? My current HDD will be going to a secondary drive and the SSD will be my OS drive with some programs/space on it. All the guides I've seen seem to be about installing a SSD into a new build and then setting up your HDD up after that.

And as a side question: if my SSD shows up as "Not Initialized" in Disk Management, will I need to initialize it before doing any OS installation? Or maybe there's a guide out there that covers everything I need.

Thanks!

 

[sminlal]

If you want the OS to be on the SSD then the answer is to install the SSD and then install the OS and your programs onto it just as if it was a new build. That's the cleanest and safest way to go.

You can use cloning programs to copy the OS partition to the SSD, but then you have to start worrying about whether or not the OS partition is properly aligned and whether the OS is optimally set up to run on the SSD. IMHO its best just to install from scratch. You'll find that the installation goes considerably faster onto the SSD.

Be sure to disconnect all of the other drives when you run the install onto the SSD - if you don't then Windows will put the boot partition onto one of the hard drives if it can find space for it.

 

[Modestvolta]

Cool - that should be easy enough. Will I need to initialize the SSD before the installation or will the process of installing Windows do that for me?

 

[sminlal]

When you boot from the Windows install disk you'll be able to create and format partitions on the SSD. If the SSD has never been used the default will be to use the entire thing for the OS (with a 100MB reserved partition for booting).

 

[Modestvolta]

Best answer selected by modestvolta.

 

[Modestvolta]

Thanks! Now I just need to tell Windows that the HDD should be the default for most program installations, but that's a project for another weekend.

 

[sminlal]

There's no way I'm aware of to change the default installation directory - you'll have to specify a directory on the hard drive when you install the software. You only need to install each piece of software once, though - so it shouldn't be too onerous.

 

[AlExAlExAlEx]

Actually I've read on google (never did myself, I'm not that lazy) that you can on windows XP do that.
By changing a line in the registry.

 

[sminlal]

Actually I've read on google (never did myself, I'm not that lazy) that you can on windows XP do that. By changing a line in the registry.

If you've got a link, that would be most useful.

 

[sminlal]

Here's the information you need to change the default program files folder, courtesy of JohnnyLucky:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/271517-32-solid-state-drives-worth#t1865610