Swapable booting SSDs, recommend reliable SSD please

[penguin32]

Hi all

A couple of years ago I built, with your help the system below for video work. Now I want to be able to use a second SSD with the original OS cloned on to it so i can then install different programs for other uses.

Would this:
www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-005-ID
allow me to swap between the SSDs?

And will cloning to the new SSD work if it is a different model / size SSD?

System components

Seasonic G360 80+ Gold £48
i5-4570 £157, with HD4600 graphics
Asus B85M-G £61
2x4GB 1600MHz Corsair Vengeance-LP £50
Samsung 840 120GB SSD £75
WD Caviar Green 2TB £70 (runs quiet, and fast enough for any video storage duty)
Lite-On DVDRW £13
Cooler+Master+Elite+342+Black+Micro-ATX £25 (instead of Fractal Design Arc Mini £60 ( I have a CM and it does the job and is compact))
microsoft-windows-7-home-premium-64-bit £70

 

[lehtv]

What stops you from installing all the programs you need on the same operating system? Too little disk space? You can just use another SSD as a data drive to install additional programs on.

With two Windows installs, you'd need two activation keys. I'm guessing you only have one activation key.

 

[penguin32]

Hi lehtv,
At the moment i use the machine while connected to the web.
The second SSD would never be used when connected to the web as i do not want to risk loosing work data.

 

[Homerboy]

Why would you lose data when connected to the internet?

 

[corkyg]

Security concerns aside, yes, you can clone the OS SSD. I have 4 of them for my T510. 2 for Win 10 and 2 for Win 7.

 

[JackMDS]

This fit in the front case - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&cm_re=vantec_nextstar-_-17-986-003-_-Product

Accommodates two SSDs mounted in this frame.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&cm_re=vantec_nextstar-_-17-986-004-_-Product

You can choose at boot which one to be the OS Boot, or plug all the way in the one to use, and leave the other sitting few mm out.

 

[VirtualLarry]

If you clone the OS drive to another drive, you SHOULD NOT boot the clone, with the other drive attached at the SAME TIME. Windows will get "confused" (due to the duplicate Disk Signature), and use both at the same time.

Btw, even if you had two separate, individually-installed Windows OSes, on two drives - as long as both drives are physically attached, any malware that gets into one of the OSes, can get onto the other OS install as well.

Your only real solution to this, is removable drive caddies (such that only one OS is both bootable, and physically present in the system), or two separate PCs altogether.

 

[penguin32]

Thanks for the replies

My problem with loosing data is I have a work e-mail address that was on my website that produces a lot of spam/attacks and malware. I do not want to change the address for fear of loosing valuable contacts and buisiness.

The work I want to do on the cloned SSD takes a lot of time and I cannot afford to loose it or have it corrupted.

I would only have one SSD plugged in al a time through a front loader caddy system.

 

[penguin32]

Hi

I plan to go ahead and buy the 2.5/3.5" HDD caddy:
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/icy-dock-mb971sp-b-duoswap-25-35-sata-hot-swap-drive-caddy

can anyone recommend a good 128GB SSD from the same site

many thanks

 

[corkyg]

... My problem with loosing data is I have a work e-mail address that was on my website that produces a lot of spam/attacks and malware. I do not want to change the address for fear of loosing valuable contacts and business...

I have found a decent solution for that problem. I use Mailwasher Pro by Firetrust. It looks at all my email accounts and lets me see all mail on the P"OP server without downloading. I can mark some for blacklist, and even for bounce. No unwanted mail ever reaches my PC. It's worth a look.

 

[penguin32]

Thanks for that Corkyg,

Just changed my email address today and it is no longer visable on my website as well so hat should cut out moast of the unwanted mail.

Bought the caddy and second SSD and all seems to work fine. Although the eject for the SSD does not work for 7mm thick SSDs! You can slide the SSD out easy enough if there is no 3.5"drive in it.