Question I have two drives of the same size...

Apr 17, 2019
2
0
10
One is an SSD, the other one a common plate drive. How can I tell which one is the SSD when installing Windows? My BIOS lists the SSD as P2 and my mech as P1, but that helpful distinction vanishes as soon as Windows 10's installation begins.

I'v gone through two installs and have gotten it wrong twice. It's aggravating.
 
I would power down and disconnect the drive that you aren't going to install Windows on.

I always only have one drive connected when I do a clean install of Windows.

It works better for me this way. I have less problems......and if you look around on this site....I think you will find that it generally works better for most people this way.

Then after you install Windows.....and make sure it works OK.....power down and connect the other drive.

There are ways to tell which is which....but that's not how I would do it.
 
Apr 17, 2019
2
0
10
I would power down and disconnect the drive that you aren't going to install Windows on.

I always only have one drive connected when I do a clean install of Windows.

It works better for me this way. I have less problems......and if you look around on this site....I think you will find that it generally works better for most people this way.

Then after you install Windows.....and make sure it works OK.....power down and connect the other drive.

There are ways to tell which is which....but that's not how I would do it.
Thank you! This should've been obvious to me from the very beginning.
 

Karadjgne

Titan
Ambassador
If there's 2 drives during install, windows will inevitably decide it needs to be on both, so you get some files on one drive, some on the other. Kinda puts a serious damper on windows running at ssd speeds when it's constantly accessing the hdd too.

Just pull the Sata data cord from the hdd, no need to totally physically remove it, so that the ssd is the only drive recognised in bios.