How do I make Windows use my SSHD to boot up instead of my old HDD?

[Krisbf3]

Hi,

I just bought a Seagate FireCuda Gaming SSHD to add an extra TB to my build and to speed things up because my 6 year old HDD takes forever to load games and its slow when it starts up windows. I just wanted to know how to make my new SSHD start up windows instead of my old HDD. Thanks!

 

[bignastyid]

You need to install Windows on the sshd.

 

[Mightyena]

You need to have Windows installed on the SSHD to benefit from its speed, otherwise it will just continue to boot from the old drive. You can do this either by reinstalling Windows to the new drive using a CD/USB, or using disk cloning software to clone it to the new drive

 

[Krisbf3]

You need to have Windows installed on the SSHD to benefit from its speed, otherwise it will just continue to boot from the old drive. You can do this either by reinstalling Windows to the new drive using a CD/USB, or using disk cloning software to clone it to the new drive

I upgraded to windows 10 from windows 8 so I dont have a disk for it. What software would you recommend using? And can I use it to transfer the windows files only or will it transfer all of the files from my old HDD along with windows?

 

[Tom Tancredi]

First like to dispel something, you won't get 'SSD' speed out of a SSHD. SSHD takes a low slow 5400RPM (what your 6 yr old HDD sounds like it is) and places SSD Chips as a 'cache' in front of it. OVER TIME (like months) it will 'learn' what to cache ahead of other things, and thus 'load faster', as in on par with the same priced 7200RPM drive you could have bought instead.

If you want 'Fast' Windows loads, and increase performance (i.e. get Windows out of the way with it slow 'how do I make this font on the wall in the game' responses) you can only succeed by going with a SSD drive as the OS drive only then the 2nd drive as the Game / Data drive.

You have to 'rebuild' everything over again basically, but there is some short cuts.
First you will need to just install the SSHD, and install Windows clean to it, then run all the patches onto it, then start to install all the basic 'apps'. That would mean STEAM but >>NOT<< the games (yet), Office Suite, etc.

The riskier way:
Now make sure in BIOS / UEFI is set the SSHD as the default drive to Boot from. Now plug in your old HDD. Copy over from the 'D' drive (the old HDD) to the new drive the game directories, music, movies, etc. DO NOT COPY PROGRAMS this will NOT work! ---> Risk here is BIOS/UEFI will get confused WHICH Windows (C or D) is the REAL one and numerous times can cause the drives to 'reset' or alter the BootSector, making a drive 'blank' and potentially losing your data.

Easier way:
Assuming this is a A) SATA and B) 5 1/4 drive you would need to get a SATA to USB with EXTERNAL POWER adapter. If this is B) 3 1/2" or smaller (i.e. laptop drives) then you can just get the SATA to USB connector only, as the USB port can power the smaller drives only. Once you plug it in, you now will see a D drive, just as described before 'File Manager' manual copy the Data ONLY (Games Directories also). Then when you 'point' to the game through the client (Origin, Steam, etc.) it will just verify the files and not need to redownload all the games.

 

[Tom Tancredi]

You need to have Windows installed on the SSHD to benefit from its speed, otherwise it will just continue to boot from the old drive. You can do this either by reinstalling Windows to the new drive using a CD/USB, or using disk cloning software to clone it to the new drive

I upgraded to windows 10 from windows 8 so I dont have a disk for it. What software would you recommend using? And can I use it to transfer the windows files only or will it transfer all of the files from my old HDD along with windows?

Once the hardware of a system is registered (your Microsoft Email account you log in with) when W10 is installed, you no longer need to worry about the key code or the disk. All you need to do is go to www.windows.com, have a 8GB USB stick handy, follow the instructions to download the installer, it will then download a copy of W10 to the USB stick and you can clean install from that. BUT be handy to have all the 'support' discs that came with your PC. So for example you want that deep BASS from the speakers, only available with the 'Drivers and APPs' that loads that Audio App .