Storage saving question

[K88]

I have a 970 EVO 500 GB m.2 that has my windows 10 OP system on it (C:) and a Seagate barracuda 2 TB HDD (D:) for all other downloads. I have changed dowload location on my chrome, on my system storage settings and on my file explorer dowload loc. To drive (D:) So I see the files on drive (D:) but then I search (C:) for the same file and they show up there too. I just built my 1st computer and I'm learning as I go, but this has me stumped. Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong?

[LIGISTX]

10 minutes ago, K88 said:

I have a 970 EVO 500 GB m.2 that has my windows 10 OP system on it (C:) and a Seagate barracuda 2 TB HDD (D:) for all other downloads. I have changed dowload location on my chrome, on my system storage settings and on my file explorer dowload loc. To drive (D:) So I see the files on drive (D:) but then I search (C:) for the same file and they show up there too. I just built my 1st computer and I'm learning as I go, but this has me stumped. Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong?

Are you sure the search is returning only things on C? Do you know for a fact the data is being duplicated? I would assume the stupid windows search is just returning the data wherever it is. Or, it’s possible the newest downloaded files are being cached to C and that’s what it’s showing. Either way tho, it’s like fine.

[K88]

2 minutes ago, LIGISTX said:

Are you sure the search is returning only things on C? Do you know for a fact the data is being duplicated? I would assume the stupid windows search is just returning the data wherever it is. Or, it’s possible the newest downloaded files are being cached to C and that’s what it’s showing. Either way tho, it’s like fine.

I think it is being duplicated in some instances. For example I downloaded steam to my D drive, then out of curiosity I opened file explorer and searched for steam in my c drive and it was there too but obviously with a different path name. I know it isn't anything serious. I just don't want to bog down the 500 GB m.2 in the long run is all. I didn't know if that was normal and was interested in what others thought was the reasoning for it. 

[RejZoR]

I'd go the caching route if space is the problem, but you want to keep the SSD speed. So you'll have 2TB total storage aided by SSD for acceleration through means of caching (essentially you'll have a 2TB SSD space and performance). Shuffling data around is the dumbest thing literally created by crappy small SSD boot drives. Especially since all variables including Program Files point at small SSD. And then you need to constantly decide what you want to use fast and have it on SSD and what you can wait and use it from HDD. With caching it won't even matter.

 

You basically have all the needed except something like PrimoCache. There are alternatives and are even free like StoreIM and Intel RST, but those are volatile methods and I don't like them at all because they essentially pair SSD and HDD in sort of RAID array that can't be decoupled in a non destructive way. PrimoCache can, at any time without losing any data.

[mariushm]

Chrome and firefox may default to creating a temporary file on C while a file is downloaded.

When the download is complete, the file is moved to the destination folder. If on same partition/drive , file may simply be renamed. I think firefox names such files  filename.extension.part or something like that.

Check the options for default download or temporary folder.

You can also type about:config in Firefox (not sure if it's same in Chrome) and then search for c:\  to see what options specify paths on your c:\ drive

As for Steam, again check options there's download folder paths and you can also create Steam library folders wherever you want, and you can move games between such library folders.

 

[LIGISTX]

9 hours ago, K88 said:

I think it is being duplicated in some instances. For example I downloaded steam to my D drive, then out of curiosity I opened file explorer and searched for steam in my c drive and it was there too but obviously with a different path name. I know it isn't anything serious. I just don't want to bog down the 500 GB m.2 in the long run is all. I didn't know if that was normal and was interested in what others thought was the reasoning for it. 

Wouldn’t you want your steam games to be on your SSD? I guess depending on how many you have they wouldn’t all fit on the ssd. But I’m pretty sure you can set up two steam library locations, so the games you play most often you can have saved to your ssd while others you can save to your hard drive. Why else have an SSD if your not going to use it... unless you do video or photo work and that is taking up all the SSD space or something.