SSD and HDD combination

[ArgusMercenary]

So I just got an SSD and I would like to make it my main boot drive. After looking through countless tech forums I found out that it is better to do a clean install for windows 7 instead of cloning my HDD. Aside from that I have steam and a lot games in there and I would like to install steam on my SSD but I want to keep my games on my HDD. Can that be done? If so, how do I do it without deleting all my saves and other data. I've also heard that any program I had on my HDD, will not be useable once I reinstall windows 7 on my SSD, is there a way to just move some of those programs to my SSD, or continue using them from my HDD.

One final question, once I install windows to my SSD, how do I get rid of it on my HDD? Also if anyone has any instructions on how to work all this out I would be grateful, this the second time I have ever messed around with these things.

 

[RealBeast]

Yes youu can just drag and drop the STEAM file, unlike other games. Here is their how to: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7418-YUBN-8129

So do the clean Windows 7 install on the SSD without the HDD connected, then connect the HDD and move the folder.

Everything else, games and programs needs a re-install.

 

[manofchalk]

It is (finally) possible to have steam on the SSD and the games located on a different drive. When you download a game it will give you the option of which drive you want to put it on. How to drag the game files onto a non-C: drive and then link them back to Steam I am not sure on though.

Yep, you should re-install games and programs with the new Windows install. Though to be honest I haven't had problems running programs off drives that have been pulled straight from other rigs, sometimes even with a different OS like Vista.

You could re-format the drive if its contents aren't worth keeping/already backed up.
Or just follow the advice dog's recommendation and just outright delete the Windows folder on the other drive. Thats what did.

 

[dingo07]

TONS of great information here - http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/270102-32-useful-articles-part

 

[ArgusMercenary]

So basically, I just need to move the steam.exe and the steamapps folder to the SSD and then choose the other drive as my install location right?

 

[RealBeast]

Yup.

 

[ddpruitt]

Best approach for fewest issues:

Do fresh install of windows to SSD
Install any other programs to SSD
Fresh Install Steam to SSD (but don't download games)
Copy old steamapps to new steamapps on SSD
Have Steam verify gamecache files
Use HDD for mass storage (movies, pictures, etc)

 

[ArgusMercenary]

It is (finally) possible to have steam on the SSD and the games located on a different drive. When you download a game it will give you the option of which drive you want to put it on. How to drag the game files onto a non-C: drive and then link them back to Steam I am not sure on though.

Yep, you should re-install games and programs with the new Windows install. Though to be honest I haven't had problems running programs off drives that have been pulled straight from other rigs, sometimes even with a different OS like Vista.

You could re-format the drive if its contents aren't worth keeping/already backed up.
Or just follow the advice dog's recommendation and just outright delete the Windows folder on the other drive. Thats what did.
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk99/zkaiser/Advice Dog/th_Advice_dog_system_32.jpg

Well there's a lot of crap in that drive that I'd like to keep, however if I delete system 32 will it cause problems with those files.

Just another thing, so I think I'm done with this whole SSD business, however, my profile in windows is set as administrator, for some reason windows thinks I'm not an administrator, any way to fix that. I'd also like to get rid of my old user on my old hard drive.

I don't suppose its a good idea to delete my program files (x86) on my hdd right?

 

[manofchalk]

Deleting the Windows folder on the HDD (while you are running windows off the SSD) wont cause any issues I can think of. You wont be able to boot off that drive later, but that's not really an issue since the whole point was to get Windows on the SSD.

There shouldnt be a user on the SSD from the HDD installation.

Not if you want to keep the programs on your HDD.

 

[nukemaster]

Due to how steam works. After a re-install(and install of steam), you can either create a junction to link steam(its folder) to the hard drive and ALL games will still work(ALL games are on the hard drive)

You may also just pick what games you want on the hard drive or SSD.

That takes a bit more work

You would redirect folders to what ever location you want.

So if steam is on the SSD and most games are, you can redirect some games to the hard drive or the other way around. Have steam on the hard drive and redirect games to a location on the SSD.

A little guide I wrote just for that reason
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/294557-32-guide-move-software-games-drive-reinstalling

Please post any comments or questions you have about that guide as it is rather new still.

In my SSD/HDD setup I have this.

SSD 1 and 2 Windows/Games/Programs. Since I had cloned over from a hard drive system, games and programs are spread across 2 ssds
HDD desktop/docs(images,vid,ect)/some appdata/ramdisk image/Steams downloading folder as well as screenshots ect.

My other HDD/SSD system

SSD. Windows/some games/all programs
HDD ALL files(mostly Media Center related)/Some games(includes some steam games moved over)/Ramdisk image to load with the system and save on shutdown(browser and cache. I had ram to spare).

 

[ArgusMercenary]

Well what I'm interested in doing is just moving Steam to my SSD but leaving my games in HDD since I don't have enough space for all the mods and games I have to move them to my SSD.

 

[nukemaster]

Maybe I have it wrong, just steam, or steam and games

If steam and games, then read on if not, just skip ahead a bit.

Just install steam to the SSD(this creates any needed registry entries) then copy the full thing from the hard drive over it self. All games should work as normal. Save games may be saved in the My Documents folder. so back those up or move them as needed. Games with steam cloud will download save games from the internet.

When you install a game(non steam), just select the hard drive.

If it is steam and not its games, should not be too bad. Just create a link(junction) to the steamapps folder on the hard drive(steamapps on the SSD needs to be empty. As soon as you make a junction, all the files will look like they are on the SSD). You can do the same for Userdata(screens and whatnot go here).

Other things you may want to do

Use the library's(easy way to just include and set default or right click a folder and use the Location tab to move it) in windows to set desktop/documents/pictures/videos ect to the hard drive as well.

Some unreal based games may have problems saving with the custom locations, if you have problems, add -nohomedir to the games shortcut.

So like

d : \games
d : \Documents
d : \Pictures
ect

 

[ArgusMercenary]

I guess option number 2 is what I want. However let me get it right because I think I'm starting to misunderstand. I need to create a link to the hard drive but steam will be fooled into thinking that the games will be on the SSD. Is that right?