Users folder on SSD vs. HDD

[TheRyanator]

Ok, so I'm currently installing windows 7 on my first SSD (Intel X-25M 120gb).

I want to keep just apps and the OS on the SSD drive, and put everything else on my HDD to conserve space.

So this is my question: how important is it to have the AppData folders for a program on an SSD when it comes to loading performance?

I keep all my media in the Windows provided folders (Music, etc), and it is pretty easy to move the entire Users folder through a quick Regedit.

But this will move the AppData folders as well as Documents, Videos, etc. It's far simpler to move user folders when they're new and empty, which is why I'm asking beforehand.

Is having AppData on an HDD going to compromise my SSD-level program loading times/performance?

Followup question: What about the ProgramData folder? can I move that to the HDD without impacting performance?

 

[FishAk]

Sorry about the editing, and how everything runs together. My IP is banned, and I can only get here with a proxy server, so the editing tools don't work. Go to C>Users>username. Right click each folder you wish to move, (not AppData) and select Properties. Select the Location tab in the Properties pop-up window. Change the first letter of the current location to the letter of the partition you wish to move the folder to. example = change ((C)):\Users\anyname\My Documents to ((D)):\Users\anyname\My Documents Click yes and OK a couple times, and you are done. You can't move AppData this way, and I think you are better served with it and the ProgramData files in there normal place.

 

[Elganja]

Sorry about the editing, and how everything runs together. My IP is banned, and I can only get here with a proxy server, so the editing tools don't work. Go to C>Users>username. Right click each folder you wish to move, (not AppData) and select Properties. Select the Location tab in the Properties pop-up window. Change the first letter of the current location to the letter of the partition you wish to move the folder to. example = change ((C)):\Users\anyname\My Documents to ((D)):\Users\anyname\My Documents Click yes and OK a couple times, and you are done. You can't move AppData this way, and I think you are better served with it and the ProgramData files in there normal place.

I do this myself and keep my user folders on my NAS... works like a charm. Makes it real easy to keep a couple computers in sync (have 2 pc's in the house, one for surfing/chatting, other for gaming)

 

[TheRyanator]

Yea for whatever reason I had to add html "br" all over my initial post to make it actually add line breaks.

I know how to move the individual folders. I've done that before.

I hesitate to do that though because of the state that it leaves the base "MyUserName" folder. There are still links to it all over Windows Explorer (on the side), but it doesn't go to where you want after you've moved the Music, etc folders.

I add a "Torrents" folder to my Users folder, and it was really annoying to not be able to click on the "MyUserName" link on the left of explorer and get to the right folder where I could go to either Music or Torrents or whatever. (Not to mention the default Start Menu link.)

Thanks for the feedback on AppData, that's really my main question. Does it matter that much? I'm leaning towards putting it on the HDD partition, not the SSD one, so that I can move the entire Users folder.

 

[God Mode]

Just use it as-is IMO. Whats the point of getting a SSD and micromanaging everything to a magnetic drive? Unless you have huge user files, I think keeping it standard is best for performance. The only thing I occasionally use a different drive for is extensive downloading and storage.

The SSDs I have are used regularly since I anticipate that they'll be obsolete by the time I need to replace them.

 

[tweakboy]

It's smart to have the OS and Apps on the SSD.

But what about project files,, or pictures or videos etc,, u wont have room for that.

Lets say your working on a Adobe Premiere or Photoshop,, your data files would be on a HDD thus the only advantage is loading times for OS and Apps which isn't a big deal.

Or like me workin on DAW.
Some of the reason why Im not SSD bound yet is because of this. I want my whole users folder and data files to use the SSD too, but 120GB is not enough. Soo Im waiting on a 320GB SSD for a good price not 400 dollars or something then Ill pull the trigger.

Can you tell us what you do as far as apps you use etc... I mean if your gonna edit a video or edit a pic it would be on your HDD not SSD ,,, soo its pointless in a way. I mean after all even with a HDD everything loads into RAM anyhow,, and apps launch fast, all this so the OS boots up in 20 seconds compared to 45 sec to 1min,,

 

[LokutusofBorg]

Sorry about the editing, and how everything runs together. My IP is banned, and I can only get here with a proxy server, so the editing tools don't work. Go to C>Users>username. Right click each folder you wish to move, (not AppData) and select Properties. Select the Location tab in the Properties pop-up window. Change the first letter of the current location to the letter of the partition you wish to move the folder to. example = change ((C)):\Users\anyname\My Documents to ((D)):\Users\anyname\My Documents Click yes and OK a couple times, and you are done. You can't move AppData this way, and I think you are better served with it and the ProgramData files in there normal place.

Use the [ noparse ]xxx[ /noparse ] bbcode to allow disk paths and stuff to not be parsed into smileys:

e.g. C:\Program Files and D:\Documents

For the OP:

There is a way to move the entire Users folder structure to a different drive, but it is a pain to manage and I wouldn't recommend it. I have been moving just my Documents, Pictures, Videos, etc. folders to my second drive the way FishAk describes for a long time, just for the sake of easy reinstalls. There's no reason to move any of them for performance reasons. Space reasons, maybe, but performance no. You'll get nothing from moving AppData and the like unless you've bought a really, really small SSD.