Advice Request Want Windows 7 on SSD and Program Files on HDD--how do I proceed?

Please provide comments and solutions that are helpful to the author of this topic.

conceptualclarity

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I'm setting up a new computer that will have a 250 GB Samsung EVO 850 SSD and two 1 TB Seagate hard drives. I want the SSD to be the boot drive and have the Windows folder with the operating system (Windows 7 Professional 64 bit). I also want to have a few programs on the SSD: browsers, email, and VLC Player. I prefer to have a lot of software programs. (That's just me. I have my reasons; don't waste your time trying to talk me out of it.) I don't want to overcrowd the SSD. I want to keep the great majority of programs and of the application data folders on one of the Seagate drives. I guess you could say I basically want a big Program Files folder on a Seagate drive and a mini-Program Files folder on the SSD.

What's the proper way to proceed? Install the whole system drive package, with Program Files and user profiles/accounts as well as the actual OS (which I assume is synonymous with or subsumed in the Windows folder) on one of the HDDs, and then migrate just the Windows folder to the heretofore blank SSD and set the SSD as boot drive in the BIOS?

Or should I install Windows 7 to the SSD and then create parallel Program Files and application data folders on the Seagate hard drive? Or maybe move Program Files to the Seagate if possible, and just have my small number of programs on the SSD in their own folders there?
 

BoraMurdar

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You can either buy a bigger SSD and keep all your programs on your SSD drive or install Windows 7 and essential software on your SSD but create a separate partition from your HDD and whenever you want to install some new software chose that path upon program installation.
 
F

ForgottenSeer 72227

Personally I think the easiest and simplest solution would be to install Windows fully on to the SSD, along with any programs that you want on the SSD. After that, I would just create a folder on the HDD, call it programs, or what ever you want to call it and just install all the remaining programs there.
 

AtlBo

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Personally I think the easiest and simplest solution would be to install Windows fully on to the SSD, along with any programs that you want on the SSD. After that, I would just create a folder on the HDD, call it programs, or what ever you want to call it and just install all the remaining programs there.

Nice idea. Maybe you could limit yourself to your top 20 programs on the SSD or whatever, along with anything that is performance sensitive. With a large HDD, you will be able to install hoards of programs there...things you use sometimes, whatever else...
 

Vasudev

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Nov 8, 2014
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I'm setting up a new computer that will have a 250 GB Samsung EVO 850 SSD and two 1 TB Seagate hard drives. I want the SSD to be the boot drive and have the Windows folder with the operating system (Windows 7 Professional 64 bit). I also want to have a few programs on the SSD: browsers, email, and VLC Player. I prefer to have a lot of software programs. (That's just me. I have my reasons; don't waste your time trying to talk me out of it.) I don't want to overcrowd the SSD. I want to keep the great majority of programs and of the application data folders on one of the Seagate drives. I guess you could say I basically want a big Program Files folder on a Seagate drive and a mini-Program Files folder on the SSD.

What's the proper way to proceed? Install the whole system drive package, with Program Files and user profiles/accounts as well as the actual OS (which I assume is synonymous with or subsumed in the Windows folder) on one of the HDDs, and then migrate just the Windows folder to the heretofore blank SSD and set the SSD as boot drive in the BIOS?

Or should I install Windows 7 to the SSD and then create parallel Program Files and application data folders on the Seagate hard drive? Or maybe move Program Files to the Seagate if possible, and just have my small number of programs on the SSD in their own folders there?
Whilst installing any application choose C: or D: to install it to! I do that for all my games incl. steam. Also, I move Docs,pictures,videos and downloads folder to D:\some folder etc...
 

show-Zi

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I use 80GB small SSD and 1TB HDD together. Install only system and AV software and software that cannot change the path on SSD. General software puts a portable version together in the d drive. HDD is divided into d and e, and e drive is used for system backup.

At the same time as saving SSD capacity, the burden of recovery is reduced.
キャプチャ.PNG
 

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