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Hello all, I recently built my first HTPC (or build ever, for that matter), thanks in large part to the responses I got to my post on this site. Now I'm coming back for more help!

So I got a Samsung 840 series 120GB SSD to add to my build as my OS drive. I've done my share of googling and I'm pretty sure I have the process down, there are just one or two questions I couldn't find consistent answers to. Here's the route I'm going to take:

1. Disconnect HDD
2. Connect SSD, make sure set to AHCI
3. Clean Install of Win7 to SSD
4. Update drivers, install security, let Windows update
5. Connect HDD
6. Create back up image of SSD
7. Wipe Win7 off HDD

Now I haven't done too much with my computer since I built it, knowing full well I'd be adding an SSD soon after and not wanting too large a headache. Mainly, I have installed some free software for ripping my blu ray collection, in addition to MSE and MalwareBytes, and a digital download of Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 purchased in an alcohol induced fit of nostalgia. What I can't figure out for certain is, will there be any issues accessing the data on my HDD after installing the OS on the SSD and deleting it from the HDD? I would backup to my external HDD and just reformat, but my blu ray collection is nearly a TB and my ext HDD is only 500GB. Also, I'm planning on deleting MSE and MalwareBytes from the HDD before step 1 so when its back up and running, I won't have 2 installs. Is this the best method? Finally, how exactly do I go about wiping all of Win7 from the HDD without deleting any of my data? After everything is back to working order, I'm going to do a few of the tweaks from Sean's Guide http://www.overclock.net/t/1156654/sean ... -ssds-hdds to optimize, but does anyone have any additional tips or recommendations from personal experience?

bostonhokie wrote:

After everything is back to working order, I'm going to do a few of the tweaks from Sean's Guide http://www.overclock.net/t/1156654/sean ... -ssds-hdds to optimize, but does anyone have any additional tips or recommendations from personal experience?

Yes, don't follow that tweak guide.

Follow this one.

Edit: There are two tweaks he has listed that I find agreeable.

powercfg -h -size 50
Folder Redirection

The rest are just mucking with powers beyond mortal comprehension.

Is there any reason to partition a SSD? Right now I have "Disk 0 Unallocated Space 111.8GB" can I just install windows to that or do I need a partition first?

IIRC there is no "new install". Choose Custom Install on the blank SSD (with no HDD connected of course), and you should be good.

If you don't want the 100MB System partition created on your SSD, here is one possible set of instructions:
1. Boot back from HDD, connect SSD as secondary drive.
2. Partition and format the SSD using diskmgmt.msc, using the whole drive.
3. Power off. Unplug HDD, plug in SSD only.
4. Boot Win7 disc/usb, and install on the already created/formatted partition (don't go into Advanced and muck around with partitions anymore)

bostonhokie wrote:

Is there any reason to partition a SSD? Right now I have "Disk 0 Unallocated Space 111.8GB" can I just install windows to that or do I need a partition first?

IMO 120GB is not big enough to partition. Between the OS, apps, and may be a couple of games, you may be pretty much done with that capacity.

Ryu Connor wrote:

Folder Redirection

I only redirected the 4 Library folders (Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos). On my brother's machine where he tends to throw stuff on Desktop, I redirected that too. Some people want to move the entire Profiles folder, but on a 120GB drive, space should not be that tight, and temp files from web browsers and other apps can remain on the SSD taking advantage of the speed.

Thanks for that, Flying Fox! I'm okay with the 100mb recovery and I really had no intent/desire on partitioning the SSD at all I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing out on something. I need to do some research into folder redirection and junctions and stuff like that, but at the moment I don't have a lot on the computer to begin with. I'm going to use the SSD just for basic stuff since its only 120GB. Any suggestions on everyday or useful programs that get a significant boost from residing on the SSD rather than the HDD?

bostonhokie wrote:

Thanks for that, Flying Fox! I'm okay with the 100mb recovery and I really had no intent/desire on partitioning the SSD at all I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing out on something. I need to do some research into folder redirection and junctions and stuff like that, but at the moment I don't have a lot on the computer to begin with. I'm going to use the SSD just for basic stuff since its only 120GB. Any suggestions on everyday or useful programs that get a significant boost from residing on the SSD rather than the HDD?

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/wind ... w-location

Just go into %UserProfile% folder (usually, it is C:\Users\[your user name]). Find all the folders that have a different icon (or right click on the folder, Properties). If there is a Location tab, then you can redirect. Just redirect the ones you want.

I think I need to just play around with this, but I'm having trouble figuring out how to integrate the 2 drives. Since I have Windows on both, my HDD is laid out with all the same folders and I need to merge them I guess? And is there an easy way to migrate a program from the HDD to the SSD or am I better just reinstalling? If so, what's the easiest way to migrate the data and then delete the program from the HDD? I don't want to end up with the same program on 2 drives. I want to make a folder on my desktop of all my movies on my HDD, but I can't even figure that out right now haha. If I didn't have ~1TB of movies on my HDD i'd just format it and start over. Can I partition the movies and format the rest of the drive? I guess I really don't need Windows installed on it anymore either. I think I should take a break...

Also, in Disk Management, my SSD is showing up as Disk1 and my HDD is showing up as Disk0, is that normal? And both disks have system reserves, can I delete the one from the HDD?

bostonhokie wrote:

I think I need to just play around with this, but I'm having trouble figuring out how to integrate the 2 drives. Since I have Windows on both, my HDD is laid out with all the same folders and I need to merge them I guess?

No. Pull any data files you need from the old and then clean off the old.

bostonhokie wrote:

And is there an easy way to migrate a program from the HDD to the SSD or am I better just reinstalling?

Re-installing and then drag over the needed data and configuration files.

bostonhokie wrote:

Also, in Disk Management, my SSD is showing up as Disk1 and my HDD is showing up as Disk0, is that normal? And both disks have system reserves, can I delete the one from the HDD?

Don't mind the numerical order of the disks. As for the "System Reserved" on the old HDD, you should be able to delete that safely. The Boot Repair on the Windows 7 Disc can fix the situation if for some reason it ends badly.