[iCobalt]

Okay, So i finally got both Hard drives installed.( I have been using only the SSD for the Past 3 months )And now i installed the 500GB Hard drive.
BUT, I want to set it up so that all of the Programs, Windows,Games And BIG STUFF, Open up on my SSD, and My photos, Videos, Music, Documents Etc. open up on my 500Gb Hard drive is this possible? Im pretty sure it is, i just now its kind of complicated. If anyone can help me it would be greatly appreciated!

[mjd420nova]

Usually within the software are the options to choose where to store your music, photos and such. I always add a second drive to any machine I buy or build. This makes back-ups really simple and efficient. The OS and programs go on the C: dirive and files for any programs go on the D: drive.

[LiveBrianD]

iCobalt, on 03 March 2012 - 09:12 AM, said:

Okay, So i finally got both Hard drives installed.( I have been using only the SSD for the Past 3 months )And now i installed the 500GB Hard drive.
BUT, I want to set it up so that all of the Programs, Windows,Games And BIG STUFF, Open up on my SSD, and My photos, Videos, Music, Documents Etc. open up on my 500Gb Hard drive is this possible? Im pretty sure it is, i just now its kind of complicated. If anyone can help me it would be greatly appreciated!

If you click start, your username, you can change the location of things like the Documents folder to the hard drive instead of the SSD. You can also put shortcuts on the SSD that link to the folders on the hard drive. For games and programs, change the path it installs to during installation to a folder on the hard drive, not the default on the OS drive (SSD).

This post has been edited by LiveBrianD: 03 March 2012 - 12:42 PM

[LincolnSpector]

iCobalt, on 03 March 2012 - 09:12 AM, said:

Okay, So i finally got both Hard drives installed.( I have been using only the SSD for the Past 3 months )And now i installed the 500GB Hard drive.
BUT, I want to set it up so that all of the Programs, Windows,Games And BIG STUFF, Open up on my SSD, and My photos, Videos, Music, Documents Etc. open up on my 500Gb Hard drive is this possible? Im pretty sure it is, i just now its kind of complicated. If anyone can help me it would be greatly appreciated!

Yes, it can be done. I discuss it in TheBest of Both Worlds: An SSD and a HDD.


However, that article doesn't give specific advice on moving your data files from C: to D:. For that, see Move Your Data to a Safer, Separate Partition, Part 1: XP, Part 2: Vista, or the Windows 7 version. Of course, you can ignore the instructions about partitions, and only follow the ones about moving your data.

Lincoln

[iCobalt]

Can someone Please simplify how to move the items under User, such as videos pics music documents etc. can be moved to second hard drive?

[LiveBrianD]

[LincolnSpector]

iCobalt, on 05 March 2012 - 08:03 PM, said:

Can someone Please simplify how to move the items under User, such as videos pics music documents etc. can be moved to second hard drive?

Which version of Windows are you using?

Lincoln

[gmnelson2009]

here are 2 different ways to do what you want: my way seems to be the easiest, see my post (#11) at the end of this thread:

http://forums.pcworl...47-pc-clean-up/

it also allows you to put more than just the 'users' folder data on the hdd. (works for both vista and w7)
--------------
the other way is the posts (#4 and #9 together) by 'waldojim' in this thread:

http://forums.pcworl...416#entry561416

as you can see from the add-on info in post#9 you have to do tricks in the registry to get this one to work. this one is also for vista & w7.
-----------
if you have XP somebody else will have to answer as MS changed the file system when they moved to vista.

[gmnelson2009]

gmnelson2009 said:

LiveBrianD, on 03 March 2012 - 12:42 PM, said:

iCobalt, on 03 March 2012 - 09:12 AM, said:

Okay, So i finally got both Hard drives installed.( I have been using only the SSD for the Past 3 months )And now i installed the 500GB Hard drive.
BUT, I want to set it up so that all of the Programs, Windows,Games And BIG STUFF, Open up on my SSD, and My photos, Videos, Music, Documents Etc. open up on my 500Gb Hard drive is this possible? Im pretty sure it is, i just now its kind of complicated. If anyone can help me it would be greatly appreciated!

If you click start, your username, you can change the location of things like the Documents folder to the hard drive instead of the SSD. You can also put shortcuts on the SSD that link to the folders on the hard drive. For games and programs, change the path it installs to during installation to a folder on the hard drive, not the default on the OS drive (SSD).

brian, the only problem I have found with changing the default installation of a program to another drive is if/when you have to do a system re-install you will have the program files but the program won't work because all of it's registry keys vanish with the OS (unless it happens to be a 'portable' program that does not make registry entries). however if a program has modules that can be pointed to outside storage folders (saved games, for bit torrent the download in-progress & completed folders, etc.) these can be re-located to the hdd data drive.

[coastie65]

gmnelson2009, on 10 March 2012 - 02:44 PM, said:

gmnelson2009 said:

LiveBrianD, on 03 March 2012 - 12:42 PM, said:

iCobalt, on 03 March 2012 - 09:12 AM, said:

Okay, So i finally got both Hard drives installed.( I have been using only the SSD for the Past 3 months )And now i installed the 500GB Hard drive.
BUT, I want to set it up so that all of the Programs, Windows,Games And BIG STUFF, Open up on my SSD, and My photos, Videos, Music, Documents Etc. open up on my 500Gb Hard drive is this possible? Im pretty sure it is, i just now its kind of complicated. If anyone can help me it would be greatly appreciated!

If you click start, your username, you can change the location of things like the Documents folder to the hard drive instead of the SSD. You can also put shortcuts on the SSD that link to the folders on the hard drive. For games and programs, change the path it installs to during installation to a folder on the hard drive, not the default on the OS drive (SSD).

brian, the only problem I have found with changing the default installation of a program to another drive is if/when you have to do a system re-install you will have the program files but the program won't work because all of it's registry keys vanish with the OS (unless it happens to be a 'portable' program that does not make registry entries). however if a program has modules that can be pointed to outside storage folders (saved games, for bit torrent the download in-progress & completed folders, etc.) these can be re-located to the hdd data drive.

Good point to bring up about the reinstall.