windows ssd install

[tjones9163]

Hello, I am ordering parts to build a gaming pc. Let's say that I have an SSD and an HDD and I want to install windows on the SSD and use the HDD to store games.
Would this be correct?
when I first put together the computer I will only plug in the SSD an leave the HDD off to the side for now.
I will also put in a bootable Windows 10 USB. Then power the PC. If I believe correctly, in some cases, windows will attempt to boot of the only drive plugged in, then from there, I follow the windows setup, to set up the drive??
Then after I plug in the HDD. go to device manager I think and initialize the drive if that is the correct terminology and then pick the setting that lets you make it a drive letter (ex) D:
Or what is the right order for all of this?
Thanks

 

[UsandThem]

Pretty much how you planned it, except you want to go into your BIOS, and select it to boot off of USB first (you can change it after you are done). I can't remember if you have a blank SSD that you try to boot from first, if it would stop the boot attempts or if it would then go to the USB drive. I've always just put the USB drive to be the first item to boot from.

It's been a while since I did an additional blank disc, but if Windows doesn't prompt you to initialize / format the 2nd disc when you add it, you go into disk management and do what you stated.

 

[bbhaag]

Yep UsandThem is correct. You have the right order for installing Windows on an ssd. One thing to look at while your in the BIOS is to make sure your SATA interface is set to AHCI not IDE or legacy.

I'm sure it is pretty standard at this point that most BIOS's are set to AHCI as default but it never hurts to double check while you're there any way setting the boot priority.

 

[VirtualLarry]

It used to be as @UsandThem stated, that you needed to go into BIOS and set the boot order to boot from USB first, after plugging in the pen drive, and then rebooting and saving changes, which would boot the installer, etc.

However, nowadays, it's preferable to leave the boot order as default, and then use the "boot menu hotkey" when booting, to select the boot drive (one time), and that also gives you the ability to select between UEFI and Legacy booting the USB pen drive, which controls whether or not you use GPT / UEFI on that drive or not. Secure Boot is only available for UEFI booting, as well, if your board supports that and you want it that way.

Many modern enthusiast-grade boards, still come default in the BIOS to boot "Legacy first", which means that if you DON'T use the "boot menu hotkey" and explicitly select UEFI booting the USB pen drive, if you instead simply plug it in and power-on, then it will likely boot legacy by default. I like to boot UEFI when possible. (Although, I just had a Toshiba with Win8.1 factory pre-installed, boot the Win10 USB pen drive in UEFI by default.)

If you do go into BIOS / UEFI, and set up the USB pen drive to be the FIRST boot device, then when booting the first time, it will go into the installer, etc., but then when the installer re-boots, it may boot into the installer again, rather than the HDD. At least, this was the case with non-UEFI BIOSes and Win7 64-bit. The key there was to pull the USB pen drive out after the first reboot, so that it could then boot the HDD/SSD.