How can I install Windows 10 in my SSD but make it invisible so it's only for the OS and not for the programs

[_ApeX_]

Hello guys!
So this is my first thread here in Tom's Hardware as I couldn't find any solution to my problem.
So a few months ago I bought a new laptop (ASUS R752L) with Windows 10 installed, it has 25GB SSD for the OS and 1TB HD for the other stuff. So when I bought it everything worked fine, meaning that I would only see my HD on ''This PC'' and everything that I would install would end up there (HD) taking no space at all from the SSD that was OS only. (So the OS was installed on the SSD and every windows update and every other app would automatically install on the HD drive which was letter C: and was the only one i could see in ''This PC'') Since then i have reformatted my PC and reinstalled Windows 10 and it works perfectly with all the drivers, BUT the problem is that when I reinstalled Windows 10, I did install it on the SSD (with 25GB) space but after that now it has barely any space left and I can see both the SSD and the HD on ''This PC'', so now i have very few space left on my SSD and I have to be very careful installing any programs that would use the /AppData/ Folder for example as it is located on the SSD but before it wasn't, only the core of the OS was installed on the SSD i think and now I can't even use Windows Update because I will run out of space.Although I install every program to the D: drive (1TB HD) their settings for example will automatically install on the SSD but before even with programs that wouldn't allow to change their installation path would automatically install on the HD.
This was when i bought the Laptop i few months ago, and it was setup like that which I would love to be like that again since I don't have to worry about apps saving their settings in the SSD or not being able to use Windows Update, before I could do all this and as I said before (because I want to make this very clear) even for the programs that changing the installation path wasn't an option they would automatically install on my HD and not SSD. Now I can't install any programs that don't have that option.


I can provide additional information if needed, sorry if it is a bit confusing but i couldn't find any solution on the Internet.

With respect Andy.

 

[Mujona]

Something you could try-

1. Got to the Start Menu
2. In the search bar at the bottom left type in Disk Managment
3. It should bring up a list of your hard drives, right click on your C: (the SSD)
4. Click on Change Drive letter and Path
5. Click on your C: drive and then click Remove
6. Next click on your 1TB HD (the other drive that should be listed) and click change
7. It is going to ask you to Assign the following drive letter change that to C
8. Click OK then OK again

If everything was done correctly, you should no longer see your SSD on Computer and your 1TB HD should now be your C: drive.

IMPORTANT (read first): Be sure to transfer any files you want off your SSD onto your 1TB HD before doing these steps, it could cause errors if you leave them on there and try to use them.

Plan B: If you run into any issues, or it wont let you remove the Drive letter, you can just do steps 6 to 8. But this time change your C: drive (the SSD) to another letter like E or F, then change your 1TB HD to the C: drive.

 

[Colif]

25gb? why are Asus still making laptops with such small drives.

If I had that I would install win 10 on hdd and use ssd for any games that would fit in 25gb. Its too small to be taken serious though I know people squeeze windows onto small drives. 120gb ssd are to small already, you really need a 250gb and then you wouldn't need to worry about moving files around as much.

Some programs have to run from c, such as drivers. they are written to assume they are on C

 

[_ApeX_]

Something you could try-

1. Got to the Start Menu
2. In the search bar at the bottom left type in Disk Managment
3. It should bring up a list of your hard drives, right click on your C: (the SSD)
4. Click on Change Drive letter and Path
5. Click on your C: drive and then click Remove
6. Next click on your 1TB HD (the other drive that should be listed) and click change
7. It is going to ask you to Assign the following drive letter change that to C
8. Click OK then OK again

If everything was done correctly, you should no longer see your SSD on Computer and your 1TB HD should now be your C: drive.

IMPORTANT (read first): Be sure to transfer any files you want off your SSD onto your 1TB HD before doing these steps, it could cause errors if you leave them on there and try to use them.

Plan B: If you run into any issues, or it wont let you remove the Drive letter, you can just do steps 6 to 8. But this time change your C: drive (the SSD) to another letter like E or F, then change your 1TB HD to the C: drive.

 

[_ApeX_]

Thanks for helping, but my goal is not to transfer all the files from the SSD to the HD as that would make my system boot slower and feel a bit slower in general and leave the SSD unused.The point is when i got my laptop new the system was installed on the SSD but i could not see it on This PC and therefore everything i installed on the PC, including windows updates went directly to the HD, but the OS was installed on the SD and it didn't show up on This PC, but i'm really sure that it was installed there, plus it was like that from factory.

 

[_ApeX_]

So now i either re-install windows 10 to my HD drive (as i have backed up, my programs, pictures, vids etc to an external drive) and leave the SSD empty and used it only for important apps (such as video editing that i often use, so it will load faster) but then again the system would boot slower and that was kinda the point of having the SSD drive in the first place.I don't how to make it like it was when i got it a few months ago and i paid 1000 euros and it came with a 25gb SSD

 

[USAFRet]

That 25GB drive is not meant to be its own drive. But rather as a cache for the HDD.
25GB is too small for the OS. It will install, but good luck running WIndows updates.

Attempting to force change the default application install location is not a good idea. Some things WILL choke.
Additionally, the /Users/ folder is still on that C drive, and you really, really should not move that.
http://www.zdnet.com/dont-move-your-windows-user-profiles-folder-to-another-drive-7000022142/


Personally, I would redo the whole thing, and use it as intended.
The 25GB as a cache for the 1TB, and the whole drive space as one chunk.

 

[USAFRet]

Something you could try-

1. Got to the Start Menu
2. In the search bar at the bottom left type in Disk Managment
3. It should bring up a list of your hard drives, right click on your C: (the SSD)
4. Click on Change Drive letter and Path
5. Click on your C: drive and then click Remove
6. Next click on your 1TB HD (the other drive that should be listed) and click change
7. It is going to ask you to Assign the following drive letter change that to C
8. Click OK then OK again

If everything was done correctly, you should no longer see your SSD on Computer and your 1TB HD should now be your C: drive.

IMPORTANT (read first): Be sure to transfer any files you want off your SSD onto your 1TB HD before doing these steps, it could cause errors if you leave them on there and try to use them.

Plan B: If you run into any issues, or it wont let you remove the Drive letter, you can just do steps 6 to 8. But this time change your C: drive (the SSD) to another letter like E or F, then change your 1TB HD to the C: drive.

This won't work.
An application will default install to where the OS is, not the C.
If, for some reason, the OS was on a drive labeled Q...that's where things would try to install.


If you simply swap the drive letters around, you have now borked up every single shortcut and registry entry that talks to the C drive.

 

[Mujona]

Thanks for helping, but my goal is not to transfer all the files from the SSD to the HD as that would make my system boot slower and feel a bit slower in general and leave the SSD unused.The point is when i got my laptop new the system was installed on the SSD but i could not see it on This PC and therefore everything i installed on the PC, including windows updates went directly to the HD, but the OS was installed on the SD and it didn't show up on This PC, but i'm really sure that it was installed there, plus it was like that from factory.

So now i either re-install windows 10 to my HD drive (as i have backed up, my programs, pictures, vids etc to an external drive) and leave the SSD empty and used it only for important apps (such as video editing that i often use, so it will load faster) but then again the system would boot slower and that was kinda the point of having the SSD drive in the first place.I don't how to make it like it was when i got it a few months ago and i paid 1000 euros and it came with a 25gb SSD

If you read my instructions they were just that, it had nothing to do with transffering files. I just added that as a warning.
If your Operating system is installed on your SDD, then my instructions should work just fine, it will make your SSD not appear anymore while still having the OS installed on it. And it will have all your files automatically installed to the 1TB HD.

 

[USAFRet]

Thanks for helping, but my goal is not to transfer all the files from the SSD to the HD as that would make my system boot slower and feel a bit slower in general and leave the SSD unused.The point is when i got my laptop new the system was installed on the SSD but i could not see it on This PC and therefore everything i installed on the PC, including windows updates went directly to the HD, but the OS was installed on the SD and it didn't show up on This PC, but i'm really sure that it was installed there, plus it was like that from factory.

You couldn't 'see' the SSD as an individual drive because it was not an individual drive.
Just the cache for the 1TB HDD.
Just like with a hybrid drive (SSHD) the system firmware learns what files are used the most, and those specific files end up on that SSD space. You, the user, have no control over which specific files those are.

 

[Colif]

I didn't think of drive caching, all I know is he will need to leave SSD as unallocated space and its done through intel drivers? I assume you install win 10 to hdd and set it up after the fact?

 

[_ApeX_]

So USAFRet how can I make my 25GB SSD drive as a cache and then used the whole 1TB as one drive? Because i think it probably was like that when i bought it, it makes sense, especially because before I could install Windows Updates without any probs, even the big ones.

 

[Mujona]

Something you could try-

1. Got to the Start Menu
2. In the search bar at the bottom left type in Disk Managment
3. It should bring up a list of your hard drives, right click on your C: (the SSD)
4. Click on Change Drive letter and Path
5. Click on your C: drive and then click Remove
6. Next click on your 1TB HD (the other drive that should be listed) and click change
7. It is going to ask you to Assign the following drive letter change that to C
8. Click OK then OK again

If everything was done correctly, you should no longer see your SSD on Computer and your 1TB HD should now be your C: drive.

IMPORTANT (read first): Be sure to transfer any files you want off your SSD onto your 1TB HD before doing these steps, it could cause errors if you leave them on there and try to use them.

Plan B: If you run into any issues, or it wont let you remove the Drive letter, you can just do steps 6 to 8. But this time change your C: drive (the SSD) to another letter like E or F, then change your 1TB HD to the C: drive.

This won't work.
An application will default install to where the OS is, not the C.
If, for some reason, the OS was on a drive labeled Q...that's where things would try to install.


If you simply swap the drive letters around, you have now borked up every single shortcut and registry entry that talks to the C drive.

That is odd, I had just done this while reformating a company laptop, and it worked just fine. On week 3 now and still no issues.

 

[_ApeX_]

I didn't knew that the SSD was used for caching only, i had no idea, that's what confused me.

 

[USAFRet]

So USAFRet how can I make my 25GB SSD drive as a cache and then used the whole 1TB as one drive? Because i think it probably was like that when i bought it, it makes sense, especially because before I could install Windows Updates without any probs, even the big ones.

How did you make it 'not a cache'?

 

[_ApeX_]

I made it ''not a cache'' just by simply installing the whole windows 10 OS there (which after that it just let me 3gb of free space) Just a normal clean Windows 10 install from the DVD.

 

[USAFRet]

I made it ''not a cache'' just by simply installing the whole windows 10 OS there (which after that it just let me 3gb of free space) Just a normal clean Windows 10 install from the DVD.

Does the original Factory Reset partition still exist on the system?
If so, run that, and it will probably redo everything as it was from the store.

Of course, any personal docs and applications will be wiped out.

 

[_ApeX_]

And now that i think of it, when i firstly installed Windows 10, I didn't see my SSD come up and i thought that that was a problem, and i don't remember exactly how but i managed through CMD to format that SSD to an NTFS format and then install the OS there.

 

[_ApeX_]

No, I formatted everything and i was left with the SSD and the HD and after that just installed the OS normally to the SSD but not much space left ofc. I don't have any factory partition or anything, just a SSD drive that probably was ment to be used as a Hybrid for the HD and the HD as another normal partition (D)

 

[USAFRet]

No, I formatted everything and i was left with the SSD and the HD and after that just installed the OS normally to the SSD but not much space left ofc. I don't have any factory partition or anything, just a SSD drive that probably was ment to be used as a Hybrid for the HD and the HD as another normal partition (D)

Can you post a screencap of your Disk Management window?

 

[_ApeX_]

http://imgur.com/a/koDhC

 

[USAFRet]

http://imgur.com/a/koDhC

Bummer.

Possibly pg 82 in your user manual
http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/nb/X551MA/0409_E8717_X451_X551MA_B.pdf?_ga=1.226269401.2130615911.1403354023

Reset your PC

I am unsure how that will work with the changes you have made.

 

[_ApeX_]

Pressing, tapping or holding F9 doesn't work anymore.

 

[USAFRet]

Pressing, tapping or holding F9 doesn't work anymore.

Possibly call Asus support and see what they suggest.