Program SSD #2 vs OS SSD #1 - MBR or GPT??

[jimusic]

Good day Gents,

Ok so I have Formatted, made a Simple Volume and installed Win 7 64 Bit on my smaller 64 Gig Crucial M4 SSD. Call it SSD #1.

Now following the advice of others on this site from previous posts, I would like to install my Programs on my second larger 128 Gig Crucial M4 SSD. Call it SSD #2.

When I prep SSD #2, I will be asked to choose between MBR or GPT along the way.

Since this will be for Programs only, shouldn't I go with GPT?
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Also I have 2 other drives - 1 Western Digital 1 TB HDD & the same only USB 3.0 external.

Right now the 1 TB HDD is divided into 2 equal Volumes with Win 7 64 Bit on both, running fine.

I plan to use the USB 3.0 1 TB External Drive for storage as it is basically empty, divided into 3 equal Volumes.

I've read that some suggest to move the 'MY Documents' and other Folders from the small 64 Gig SSD #1 to the storage drive.

How do I do that?

Thank you,

Jim

 

[foscooter]

My first suggestion is to K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid), as I found.

Second, 64GB should be plenty of room to install OS and programs. Just look at the size you are using now. Myself, I have only used 22GB of 120GB space: I have Win7 64, Office 2007 (all), Quicken, Norton, iTunes, and a few others.

Third, even if you install your "programs" on a second SSD, some of the files (drivers, *.dll, *.inf) will still be put on the OS drive anyway (drive #1). No way to change that.

Fourth, some programs will not allow you to install them on a differnet drive than the OS drive (i.e. "C:"). I said some, and I couldn't tell you which.

If you are concerned about running out of space, I'd install it all on the 129GB SSD, and use the 64GB SSD as a cache drive for the HDD (if you have a Z68 chipset mobo).

Finally, if you go your route, you are gettng a way to complex setup, with no real benefits. Compounded by the cost of a second SSD!

IMO, stick with 1-SSD: OS/Programs, 1-HDD: Libraries, 1-External HDD: Back Ups.

I would follow the SSD tweaks, but don't worry about it to much. I would keep the pagefile on the SSD, as you want to get the most bang for your buck, and still have the best/fastest system.

You want the benefits of a SSD, so use it.

 

[jimusic]

Second, 64GB should be plenty of room to install OS and programs. Just look at the size you are using now. Myself, I have only used 22GB of 120GB space: I have Win7 64, Office 2007 (all), Quicken, Norton, iTunes, and a few others.


Actually I bought the 128 G SSD because there wasn't enough room for everything on the 64 G one.

If you are concerned about running out of space, I'd install it all on the 129GB SSD, and use the 64GB SSD as a cache drive for the HDD (if you have a Z68 chipset mobo).

I do have a Z68 board.

Finally, if you go your route, you are gettng a way to complex setup, with no real benefits. Compounded by the cost of a second SSD!

Second SSD already purchased.

I would follow the SSD tweaks, but don't worry about it to much. I would keep the pagefile on the SSD, as you want to get the most bang for your buck, and still have the best/fastest system.

I did the tweaks, but I must say you're the only one that suggests keeping the pagefile.

Could you give a little more detail as to why or why not?

Thanks,

Jim

 

[foscooter]

If you have at least 6GB of memory, you (really) will not use the pagefile. But turning it off does have complications with some programs (i.e. Abode something-or-other).

On the OCZ website concerning SSD tweaks, they do say that will modern SSDs, most of the tweaks are unneeded, as they handle "stuff" much better now.

So if you leave the pagefile alone, it only uses up space. No real reads/writes happen as long as you have enough memory. And 6GB is plenty.

The true reason I leave it is: Wouldn't you want the fastest access to and from the drives? Why put something on a HDD when you have a SSD, other than for size (hence moving libraries to the HDD), or multiple (meaning thousands of) read/writes.

Alot of discussion about these topics are in here and abroad. Now I just like to keep it simple. I've had lots of experience otherwise. I once had a 2.1GB HDD, partitioned up into 5 parts: OS, Programs, IE, Downloads, SetUp/Back Ups. The read/write heads had to move all over the disk to run stuff! It was noisy, and actully slower.

BTW: One of the best benefits about having the OS on a SSD and your libraries (Document, Music, Pictures, eetc) on a HDD is if you ever need to re-install the OS, you won't loose all your "data" files. Yes, you'll have to install everything: OS, programs, and then set them up accordingly. Still, it's really good!

 

[jimusic]

Thanks so much for your time and advice on this foscooter.

I do have a lot of RAM - 16 Gigs in fact.

I do like the idea of having the OS on the SSD, so that if things do go for ***, I can reinstall it quickly & simply, while the other things are elsewhere.

2 questions, if I may before we close out this thread:

1. One of the recommended teaks is to turn off System Restore.

Would you leave on or turn off system restore, which has come in handy a number of times in the past for me?

2. Would you recommend installing my OS & Audio Editing Programs & their related 3rd Party Programs all on one SSD, or use the 64 Gig SSD for the OS, and the other 128 Gig SSD for the Programs, as other have suggested?

I know that you have suggested the first one earlier, and that some programs and/or files will still be installed on the OS SSD with the second option, but I'm just trying to make a decision because I've read both options, and wonder what would work best.

I'm leaning towards installing the OS & Programs on the 128 Gig SSD, and having the other things, libraries, etc on the HDD.

Thanks Bud,

Jim

 

[foscooter]

1. One of the recommended teaks is to turn off System Restore.

Would you leave on or turn off system restore, which has come in handy a number of times in the past for me?

Well, I turned mine off. This is one thing that does do multiple writes and rewrites to the drive. And uses ALOT of space.

But, if you use the 128B SSD for OS and Programs, you should be okay (for a while) to keep it. If you feel it has helped you in the past. I understand that!

When I prep SSD #2, I will be asked to choose between MBR or GPT along the way.

And to answer your original post, unless you have a drive larger that 2TB, go with MBR. It's the "default" in Windows. GPT is really for drives or RAID arrays larger than 2.2TB. But either will work, just MBR is the basic one.

I'm just trying to make a decision because I've read both options, and wonder what would work best.

In my opinion, simplicity is always the best. (hence K.I.S.S.)

But no harm will happen if you go OS on 64GB, Programs on 128GB, Libraries on HDD, and backups on external HDD. You'll just have to "monitor" the installations. And like I said before, some of the stuff from installations will still be put on the "root" or OS drive. And if you ever have to reinstall the OS, you probably still will have to reinstall al the "programs," even on the other drive, too.

Thanks for your praise.

Cheers.

 

[jimusic]

Best answer selected by jimusic.

 

[jimusic]

Well I ended up having the question about MBR vs GPT answered by force, if not by choice.

Windows message comes up, 'Windows cannot install on this ('x') drive because it is GPT.'

So I had to go with MBR anyhow.

Just thought I'd add this for others.

Jim