When you have an SSD and HDD...

[Anomaly1964]

Okay, so on my new build I got an SSD for my OS and for 1 or 2 games I may be currently playing at the time and then an HDD for storage...

When I install stuff like Word, Photoshop, other "programs," can they be installed to the "D or E" drive and function or will all programs basically go to c:/programs(x86) to function "through" windows...?

 

[mv2devnull]

Yes, they can be installed elsewhere.

Btw, that is one way to avoid VirtualStore/UAC too -- for better or worse.

 

[Burner27]

If you do a custom install, you can point it to whatever drive you want. The program may still install some DLLs or other files on the C drive under your profile and in other places (i.e. - 'hooks'), but the bulk of the program will be installed where ever you direct it to. The only issue i can see with this is if your C drive crashes, and you didn't create an image for it. Then those 'hooks' back to the C drive that the program may have insert (your profile as i mentioned) will not be there and the program may not function.

 

[Anomaly1964]

Yes, they can be installed elsewhere.

Btw, that is one way to avoid VirtualStore/UAC too -- for better or worse.

Is there anything special I have to do to make them function from the HDD?

Can I move my AVG virus from the C drive and have it work properly?

 

[Anubis]

you cant simply MOVE things but you can uninstall/reinstall things to a different location

 

[jim53]

Okay, so on my new build I got an SSD for my OS and for 1 or 2 games I may be currently playing at the time and then an HDD for storage...

When I install stuff like Word, Photoshop, other "programs," can they be installed to the "D or E" drive and function or will all programs basically go to c:/programs(x86) to function "through" windows...?

:\I was thinking the same thing too. Can i install programs on the hdd instead of the ssd and would there be a shortcut on the desktop to the installed programs on the hdd.
Trying to decide if i should install Quicken and OpenOffice on the ssd or hdd.
Sucks being a newbi:'(

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I wouldn't install an antivirus on another drive. Antivirus programs are slow enough as it is. I like having mine on my C drive (ssd) and you can't even tell it's there. I bet your boot times would go through the roof if you put your antivirus on a mechanical drive.

 

[stargazr]

What programs you put on the SSD has to do with drive size. I have an Intel 120 GB with Win 7 and have loaded all programs on it, and it's only about 2/3 full. I try to keep from filling it up. If you do run out of room on the SSD, nothing special is required to load programs on a data drive. Simply change the default location during beginning of install process. Don't bother with trying to move anything already installed, especially anti-virus. It's not taking up much space anyway. What you can do is move your My Documents folder and Downloads folders to data drive. There's an easy way with Windows to do this, navigate to C\Users\your account\My Documents - Right-Click menu - Properties\Location. Select desired new drive location. The Downloads folder is in the same Users folder, move it the same way. This way, most new saved data will go straight to the data drives, conserving space and minimizing writes and deletes on SSD. If you use a different browser like Firefox etc, you also should realize the default download folder is on C.

 

[maniacalpha1-1]

If you do a custom install, you can point it to whatever drive you want. The program may still install some DLLs or other files on the C drive under your profile and in other places (i.e. - 'hooks'), but the bulk of the program will be installed where ever you direct it to. The only issue i can see with this is if your C drive crashes, and you didn't create an image for it. Then those 'hooks' back to the C drive that the program may have insert (your profile as i mentioned) will not be there and the program may not function.

Is there a way to put everything on the HDD? Game installs even on the HDD are eating away bytes at a time at my SSD

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

:\I was thinking the same thing too. Can i install programs on the hdd instead of the ssd and would there be a shortcut on the desktop to the installed programs on the hdd.
Trying to decide if i should install Quicken and OpenOffice on the ssd or hdd.
Sucks being a newbi:'(

Just install the programs just like you would normally except choose the mechanical drive as the location you want it installed. You won't know the difference and it even creates shortcuts on your desktop just like if you installed it on C drive.

 

[jim53]

Thanks guys. Have another question.
Being that i have a ssd is it ok to run CrapCleaner?

 

[Anomaly1964]

Great answers guys...thanks!

 

[sticks435]

I thought over in the SSD sticky, Zap was talking about how he just moved his games from the HHD to the SSD to test level loading speed, and if it didn't improve, he just moved them back to the HHD, without reinstalling. I think windows is smart enough to update all the hooks and links, save the shortcut to start it.

 

[alaricljs]

I thought over in the SSD sticky, Zap was talking about how he just moved his games from the HHD to the SSD to test level loading speed, and if it didn't improve, he just moved them back to the HHD, without reinstalling. I think windows is smart enough to update all the hooks and links, save the shortcut to start it.

Untrue.

This is only really possible with most games since most games have so little to do in the OS. That and a lot of the devs make their startup binary smart enough to look at where it's being started from and update the installation if the path is in a new location (in my experience).

Any non-game app installed on windows will generally crap itself if you move it and try to run it.

 

[jim53]

What programs you put on the SSD has to do with drive size. I have an Intel 120 GB with Win 7 and have loaded all programs on it, and it's only about 2/3 full. I try to keep from filling it up. If you do run out of room on the SSD, nothing special is required to load programs on a data drive. Simply change the default location during beginning of install process. Don't bother with trying to move anything already installed, especially anti-virus. It's not taking up much space anyway. What you can do is move your My Documents folder and Downloads folders to data drive. There's an easy way with Windows to do this, navigate to C\Users\your account\My Documents - Right-Click menu - Properties\Location. Select desired new drive location. The Downloads folder is in the same Users folder, move it the same way. This way, most new saved data will go straight to the data drives, conserving space and minimizing writes and deletes on SSD. If you use a different browser like Firefox etc, you also should realize the default download folder is on C.

Ok, i have a ? about this don't know if i messed up.
I followed the above steps to move the documents folder from
the c: (ssd) to the f: hdd. I don't see a My Documents folder listed under
the f: (hdd) i was expecting to see a my documents folder created under the f: drive because it disappeared under users/jim. I do see documents under libraries. When i right click on documents and choose properties it does show f:
Is that the way it's suppose to be?
Or, do i need to create a users folder/jim and then create folders under that before i move the My Documents, Downloads, My Music, My Pictures,
My Videos.
I want to move Downloads next but don't want to do it if i am doing it wrong.
Thanks

 

[alaricljs]

Did you notice that the current location was C:\Users\username\Documents? Did you set that to F: or F:\ ? If so then you took the *contents* of that folder and moved them to F: or F:\ or whatever you put in the box.

"You can change where files in this folder are stored to another place..."

It doesn't say "Where this folder is located"

 

[XLNC]

Just thought of something. Say you're done with a game and won't be playing it for a while, but don't want to uninstall. Is it possible to move it to the secondary HDD and make a symbolic link to it at the original location? Like:

C;\Game moved to E;\Game. And in it's place, there's C;\{Symoblic link to game}.

If I'm right, the game shouldn't see a difference at all. I'd like to test this but I currently have only one drive in my rig. Anyone tried this or want to test it out?

 

[alaricljs]

You'd be better off using an NTFS junction point (requires Win7 or similar).

 

[jim53]

Did you notice that the current location was C:\Users\username\Documents? Did you set that to F: or F:\ ? If so then you took the *contents* of that folder and moved them to F: or F:\ or whatever you put in the box.

"You can change where files in this folder are stored to another place..."

It doesn't say "Where this folder is located"

When it asked me for the new location i just selected f:
Should i have typed in F :users\jim\my documents ?
Since users\jim\my documents did not exist on the F : would windows create that on the F: drive?

 

[alaricljs]

When it asked me for the new location i just selected f:
Should i have typed in F :users\jim\my documents ?
Since users\jim\my documents did not exist on the F : would windows create that on the F: drive?

It will put "files in this folder" exactly where you tell it to. If you put F: it'll just stick whatever was in that folder into F:\ If you tell it a folder, well I dunno since I don't feel like screwing with my Windows install, but I'm sure the worst it'll do is tell you the folder doesn't exist and that you need to create it. Otherwise I'm sure it'll just do it.

 

[stargazr]

When it asked me for the new location i just selected f: Should i have typed in F :users\jim\my documents ? Since users\jim\my documents did not exist on the F : would windows create that on the F: drive?

It looks like you successfully moved the contents of My Documents, but to Windows the whole F: drive is the My Documents folder.

Go to Computer\F right-click menu\location\ Type F:\My Documents apply It should say no folder exists, want to create? click yes apply ok

Edit: the smiley is supposed to be a backslash

 

[beginner99]

Just install games on your HDD. They don't really profit from an ssd anyway so it's pretty bad usage of space.
I have everything (expect games) I use often on the ssd, meaning anti-virus, Browser, Email and some other apps.

Steam folder can be moved pretty easily. just Google for it. I did that too, because games just take too much space. Load times seem pretty much the same.

 

[sticks435]

Just install games on your HDD. They don't really profit from an ssd anyway so it's pretty bad usage of space.
I have everything (expect games) I use often on the ssd, meaning anti-virus, Browser, Email and some other apps.

Steam folder can be moved pretty easily. just Google for it. I did that too, because games just take too much space. Load times seem pretty much the same.

I would venture to guess that games with slow texture streaming systems would benefit. Things like Fallout 3 with high resolution texture mods, etc.

 

[Zap]

You'd be better off using an NTFS junction point (requires Win7 or similar).

With Win7 you don't have to jump through hoops for My Documents (or the other My... folders). You can just move the folder and Windows changes the pointers to it automatically. I've tried this multiple times and it seems to work as intended. I do this right after installing Windows, find the c:\users\USERNAME\My... folders and move them to another drive. Note that this does it on a per-user level. If multiple users are created on the system, each one will have to have their stuff moved this way.

IIRC it didn't work with the Downloads folder. Had to change the pointer in the folder properties.

 

[alaricljs]

With Win7 you don't have to jump through hoops for My Documents (or the other My... folders).

That junction point dealie was a direct reply to post XLNC's post 17, on the other hand I have done the junction point thing on c:\Users and like the results.