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How to SSD

FlamingEagle978
By FlamingEagle978
in Storage Devices
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Go to solution Solved by Spotty,

To install windows I highly recommend a fresh install, not using cloning software to copy your old install. You will lose your registry edits, but you won't carry over or cause any issues that may occur when cloning the drives.

 

Install new SSD. Unplug HDD. Use windows install tool USB (follow instructions for that process) to install windows on to the SSD.

 

Shut down and plug in the HDD and then enter bios and ensure the boot priority is set to the SSD.

 

Boot in to windows and copy and files you want on your SSD over from the HDD.

 

If there's any files in your HDD you don't want on your SSD (or game files that are too big), you will need to copy them over to an additional HDD for now.

 

When you have copies of all the data you want to save off the hard drive, using disk management in windows reformat the HDD to remove the old windows install and wipe the drive. The drive is now 'empty' and any data on it would be lost.

 

Copy the data you backed up previously back on to the HDD.

 

 

Don't bother with partitioning the SSD for OS/files. It gives no benefit and will only cause issues if one of the partitions fills up.

 

Typically you install steam.exe on to the SSD, and then install the games themselves to the HDD. There is an option in steam to assign another HDD/folder as the default games folder so any new games will default to being installed on the hdd.

If you have plenty of space left on the SSD after the OS and programs have been installed, you can install a couple of your favourite games on to the SSD to help give a little boost to their load times. Some games benefit, some don't. Depends on the game.

Posted

Okay before you read, I will highlight what is most important for those of you who don't care to read everything, I tried to be thorough but most of it is probably just me rambling but just mainly look for anything in bold or italicized or however something sticks out :D I may skip a small amount and bold something further down in the question so please try to look for that if you can :D Thanks again.

 

I recently just bought the WD Blue 500Gb SSD, and I want to use it as a boot drive for windows, (I have several questions so if you can please try to answer them all but if you can' anything is appreciated :D) I already have a pc with Windows 10 with my games and software and all already on a WD Black 1 TB harddrive, (Question One)  I would love to move windows and my windows' settings to the ssd and delete it from my harddrive but I dont know how to do that (besides using a mirror software because I dont want any games or other files on the drive) Should I install windows onto the SSD and then delete windows off the harddrive? I can just delete all my games and hardware and just use a mirror software to migrate my windows settings and all to the ssd and just reinstall the games ( I dont really have too much but my primary focus is keeping windows with all of its custom settings, without other files or games, as I've changed a lot more with windows and in the registry than I care to do again, and I only have a couple games and I can just reinstall those if I need to, that isnt a problem.) I just need a way to take my windows 10 and only windows 10 and slap it on my ssd and remove it from my hdd while keeping all the custom settings. If the personal files or games cause any issue with a mirror software then just let me know and Ill remove everything and then just use a mirror software ( if thats the solution please explain the procedure of doing that because it will be my first time trying it or even setting up two harddrives on one pc)

 

Second Question: Should I make a partition maybe 50GB or 75GB and reserve that solely for windows on my ssd, and keep the second partition for other software or even games? or would that have no benefit and/or just be slower in the long run? What would the optimal way to have windows on my ssd and keep the same speed of it and be able to use it for other programs, and if so what are some programs that would benefit from being on an ssd, including games or whatever. 

 

Third Question: ( Software and files on different drives? )Would putting Steam on my ssd but keeping the games on my harddrive cause issues, would I benefit, would it matter? What about Sony Vegas, could I keep Sony Vegas on the ssd but have the videos and the rendered videos saved and stored on the harddrive, would it speed up the render or cause issues or what. What programs or software would benefit from being on the ssd and improve my performance the most, besides just putting PUBG on the ssd and calling it a day ( unless that just is the answer ) I want to know how to get the best bang for my buck and get as much performance out of the ssd without just replacing my harddrive. If you need a list of what programs and games I run/play I can definitely manage that but the list would be small. 

 

Fourth and Final: I'm not positive but I think if a harddrive is full it slows down, ( please someone explain that to me alittle better and hopefully like with how full it would slow down at if it does) But would an ssd do the same? Would it matter to keep an ssd mostly empty or just fill it to the brim with stuff it wont matter. 

 

Sorry for the novel and a half, but I wanted to be thorough and include any questions or points possible so anyone could tell me what worked best for me. Thank you guys/gals so much in advance, and I apologize for making you read so much <3 You're the real MVP if you read it all

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To install windows I highly recommend a fresh install, not using cloning software to copy your old install. You will lose your registry edits, but you won't carry over or cause any issues that may occur when cloning the drives.

 

Install new SSD. Unplug HDD. Use windows install tool USB (follow instructions for that process) to install windows on to the SSD.

 

Shut down and plug in the HDD and then enter bios and ensure the boot priority is set to the SSD.

 

Boot in to windows and copy and files you want on your SSD over from the HDD.

 

If there's any files in your HDD you don't want on your SSD (or game files that are too big), you will need to copy them over to an additional HDD for now.

 

When you have copies of all the data you want to save off the hard drive, using disk management in windows reformat the HDD to remove the old windows install and wipe the drive. The drive is now 'empty' and any data on it would be lost.

 

Copy the data you backed up previously back on to the HDD.

 

 

Don't bother with partitioning the SSD for OS/files. It gives no benefit and will only cause issues if one of the partitions fills up.

 

Typically you install steam.exe on to the SSD, and then install the games themselves to the HDD. There is an option in steam to assign another HDD/folder as the default games folder so any new games will default to being installed on the hdd.

If you have plenty of space left on the SSD after the OS and programs have been installed, you can install a couple of your favourite games on to the SSD to help give a little boost to their load times. Some games benefit, some don't. Depends on the game.

CPU: Intel i7 6700k  | Motherboard: Gigabyte Z170x Gaming 5 | RAM: 2x16GB 3000MHz Corsair Vengeance LPX | GPU: Gigabyte Aorus GTX 1080ti | PSU: Corsair RM750x (2018) | Case: BeQuiet SilentBase 800 | Cooler: Arctic Freezer 34 eSports | SSD: Samsung 970 Evo 500GB + Samsung 840 500GB + Crucial MX500 2TB | Monitor: Acer Predator XB271HU + Samsung BX2450

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4 minutes ago, Spotty said:

To install windows I highly recommend a fresh install, not using cloning software to copy your old install. You will lose your registry edits, but you won't carry over or cause any issues that may occur when cloning the drives.

 

Install new SSD. Unplug HDD. Use windows install tool USB (follow instructions for that process) to install windows on to the SSD.

 

Shut down and plug in the HDD and then enter bios and ensure the boot priority is set to the SSD.

 

Boot in to windows and copy and files you want on your SSD over from the HDD.

 

If there's any files in your HDD you don't want on your SSD (or game files that are too big), you will need to copy them over to an additional HDD for now.

 

When you have copies of all the data you want to save off the hard drive, using disk management in windows reformat the HDD to remove the old windows install and wipe the drive. The drive is now 'empty' and any data on it would be lost.

 

Copy the data you backed up previously back on to the HDD.

Ah, I was afraid of that answer but thanks again :D Much easier to take it on the chin and get it over with than spend twice as long doing it wrong and then deciding to just get it over with. I saw a lot of posts about the cloning software being a big pain so I didn't know if a fresh install would be better or not, anyways, thanks again for replying so fast :D

 

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