How to use ssd with hdd

[guard052]

Hello, I have an Intel 120Gb SSD drive with a WD 1Tb HDD. I originally had the HDD as my only drive. I re installed Windows 7 64bit professional.

Basically I want to use my my SSD for only my OS, and some games that I use the most.

I need to know how to set that up because I am clueless on how to do that. I heard something about a registry edit but I tried that and it started loading a program that I had installed on my SSD, from my HDD.

In summary I want only some programs on my SSD and most others on my HDD an example is Crysis 2 is my on the SSD and I want Itunes to load from the HDD.

 

[cirdecus]

I would recommend doing a clean windows install onto your SSD and use it as the primary boot drive. If you have just recently installed windows on your 1TB drive, then there's really no way to move the OS to the SSD cleanly. You'll end up spending more time and money trying to move it and GHOST it than you would doing a simple reinstall onto the new SSD.

I would remove the 1TB drive and leave only the SSD installed in the PC. Then boot to your windows DVD media and do a fresh install onto the SSD. Once you're done installing windows, drivers, games and programs, then plug your old 1TB drive back in and delete all irrelevant files. I would use it to store your game saves, music, movies, pictures and documents.

 

[TDiT]

If your BIOS supports it, make sure AHCI mode is enabled for the SATA controller the SSD will reside on BEFORE installing Windows. You can map all Windows Explorer locations to the 1 TB HDD, including all user data and documents. Have a folder on the 1TB HDD specifically for ITunes and other applications that will take up too much space on the SSD (could have ITunes library external to the install folder as well). After installation make sure the defragmentation schedule is OFF for the SSD.

 

[guard052]

Here is how I did it, I did a clean install of windows 7 and then installed all drivers and various other important things. Then I installed all of the programs that i wanted to reside on the SSD. Then I wanted to access itunes from my other drive but I couldn't access it so I re installed then placed all of the music from my HDD onto the SSD so I could access it.

The question I had was how do you allow itunes to access music from a different drive.

 

[guard052]

So does anyone know how to set this up. I would very much appreciate it, because I kind of have half a system, I dont know what my next step would be.

Just for clarification and summary

I want only some games and my OS on the current SSD and the rest of my games music and other things on my HDD. I need to access itunes and its music from my old hard drive while within the new install of windows.

 

[raptorxrx]

Have you tried opening up itunes? Does it still work? Or is it not working properly. I don't quite understand where you are in this process. If I am correct you have all important programs/drivers/os on the ssd currently, and can't use itunes. If I'm right, I would do this. Go into Itunes, click edit, preferences, advanced, than under media folder location click change, than where your library is on your old drive. If that doesn't work you'll have to reinstall it and select your install location as the HDD in the first place.

 

[Energy96]

If there is anything currently on your SSD that you want to keep copy it over to a folder on your HDD.

Restart your PC, go into BIOS and make sure AHCI is set for the drive controller, not IDE or any other setting. Also make sure the SSD is set BEFORE the HDD in boot priority list.

Save and exit.

Put windows 7 disk in your drive and boot from it.

Install windows 7 on the 120gb SSD, formatting it if there is data on it.

After install process install any other games or software on the SSD that you use often or want the speed.

All your other stuff is still on your old HDD, including windows. You can either delete the windows folders on that drive or leave them. With a drive that big might as well just leave them. If you ever have an issue with your SSD you can pull it out and still load up windows from the old drive (though anything on the SSD will obviously not be there).

 

[guard052]

Ok so I get it, if I want to install programs on to the HDD then all I have to do is install it from windows on the SSD and send the program file location to the HDD. Do I have to make any folder for it or will it create one.

Thanks to everyone so far for your help. New technology always is rough when your an early adopter I haven't had to deal with such space limitations in a long time.

 

[cirdecus]

You don't want to install any programs on the HDD. That's what the SSD is for. You want to make sure your program, games and windows are all installed onto the SSD and that you're booting from the SSD.

If you want to keep your itunes library and other files on the HDD for high capacity storage, then you'll have to manually move them over there. Forget using the windows default containers like my pictures, etc. There are ways to change where those reside, but there's not much need.

As far as itunes, you can open the preferences and tell itunes where your music library is. All you would need to do is copy your music into a folder on your HDD and point itunes to it.

 

[guard052]

You don't want to install any programs on the HDD. That's what the SSD is for. You want to make sure your program, games and windows are all installed onto the SSD and that you're booting from the SSD.

If you want to keep your itunes library and other files on the HDD for high capacity storage, then you'll have to manually move them over there. Forget using the windows default containers like my pictures, etc. There are ways to change where those reside, but there's not much need.

As far as itunes, you can open the preferences and tell itunes where your music library is. All you would need to do is copy your music into a folder on your HDD and point itunes to it.

Thanks Everyone for your help! Cirdecus I unfortunately don't have that large of an ssd its 120Gb so I need to only install some programs onto the ssd and most others on the HDD.

I think it works if I specify the path of install to when the program install window pops up. I specified to go to the HDD in the program files x86 and it worked so I think that doesn't use the memory on the ssd but not sure.

 

[guard052]

Best answer selected by guard052.

 

[offtrack]

i you run , mw3 or any game with steam, the steam site shows how to run from "D;/games/steam"
to trim OS on SSD?

ill share my list, i just did it. (terse you can look each up)
1: use ccleaner and clean up C: fully
2: move the "c;/" pagefile to D: hdd. set it to 1.5x ram then set page file C; to disable, now reboot, page file is now gone on ssd.
look and verify that. (do so if space on C; is prime reason)
3: DL "s
http://nicbedford.co.uk/software/systemrestoreexplorer/
clean out all old resture ports, see it shrink?
4: move all games to "D;" or you can install the games , 1 by 1 and select, custom install, and send all games to
like "D ;"/games/


here is the link to move all steam games, idid it and it works great, just need to drag short cuts from all programs, games to desk top as old links to "that" steam game is no longer correct. (easy fix)

cheers.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

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