I set the SSD as my boot priority yet my HDD always loads in instead of the SSD!

[mredwardgaming]

Hello there!

I received a 120GB SSD for my birthday and I used to use a 500GB HDD. I still want to use this the HDD as storage as well but I DON'T WANT TO WIPE IT'S MEMORY ON IT, meaning I still want to keep my files in there. I did have a struggle at first, trying to install the operating system onto the SSD. Turns out that I needed to fully remove the HDD before installing windows successfully onto the SSD. I end up doing this and I went into the BIOS settings to make sure the SSD had boot priority first than the HDD. This is where it goes wrong.

The computer ends up booting from the HDD than the SSD, yet I clearly gave the SSD boot priority over the HDD. This is a huge pain and I originally had Windows 7 in my HDD, but then upgraded it to Windows 10 before the installation of the SSD.

I tried using msconfig to change the boot priority there, but to no avil, it does booting via operating systems, which only showed one boot.

I felt like my only solution was to remove the operating system from the HDD, but it didn't seem right, consider that the computer should handle two operating systems on two different drives.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

- EDIT -

I have forgot to add some more information that may be important.

When I installed the SSD, the drive was identified as the C: drive. The thing is that the HDD is also identified as the C: drive. When I plugged in the HDD, The HDD took over, with it still being called the C: drive and the SSD this time being called the E: drive instead of the C: drive.

This may help a bit as I think that I may need to change the letter of the drive, more or so, the HDD as I want the SSD to be the boot drive.

Edward

 

[Lutfij]

Mind sharing the make and model of your SSD? Are you dealing with a desktop or a laptop? If the former, how many drive letters exist on the HDD? If there are multiple drive letter's on the HDD, you should remove any and/or all critical files off the OS installation drive on the HDD and after doing so, format it(the OS drive). Install the OS on the SSD after connecting the HDD. FYI, you should set Windows Boot Manager as the primary boot device then the SSD and then the HDD.

In theory you should be having a dual booting system but there is a way to doing that.

 

[Kasper Jorgensen]

Without becoming to technically, this issue comes from the way Windows 10 handles the boot manager. The by far most easy way to do this is to copy the data you need to an external drive, then completely wipe both drives and do a fresh install with only the SSD connected. Then move files back to your HDD.

 

[mredwardgaming]

Mind sharing the make and model of your SSD? Are you dealing with a desktop or a laptop? If the former, how many drive letters exist on the HDD? If there are multiple drive letter's on the HDD, you should remove any and/or all critical files off the OS installation drive on the HDD and after doing so, format it(the OS drive). Install the OS on the SSD after connecting the HDD. FYI, you should set Windows Boot Manager as the primary boot device then the SSD and then the HDD.

In theory you should be having a dual booting system but there is a way to doing that.

I have a Crucial BX300 2.5-inch SSD. I use a desktop computer and I only have one letter for the HDD which is the C: drive. My SSD has been recognized as an E: drive.

 

[USAFRet]

Mind sharing the make and model of your SSD? Are you dealing with a desktop or a laptop? If the former, how many drive letters exist on the HDD? If there are multiple drive letter's on the HDD, you should remove any and/or all critical files off the OS installation drive on the HDD and after doing so, format it(the OS drive). Install the OS on the SSD after connecting the HDD. FYI, you should set Windows Boot Manager as the primary boot device then the SSD and then the HDD.

In theory you should be having a dual booting system but there is a way to doing that.

I have a Crucial BX300 2.5-inch SSD. I use a desktop computer and I only have one letter for the HDD which is the C: drive. My SSD has been recognized as an E: drive.

If you take the HDD out, does it boot from the SSD?

 

[mredwardgaming]

Mind sharing the make and model of your SSD? Are you dealing with a desktop or a laptop? If the former, how many drive letters exist on the HDD? If there are multiple drive letter's on the HDD, you should remove any and/or all critical files off the OS installation drive on the HDD and after doing so, format it(the OS drive). Install the OS on the SSD after connecting the HDD. FYI, you should set Windows Boot Manager as the primary boot device then the SSD and then the HDD.

In theory you should be having a dual booting system but there is a way to doing that.

I have a Crucial BX300 2.5-inch SSD. I use a desktop computer and I only have one letter for the HDD which is the C: drive. My SSD has been recognized as an E: drive.

If you take the HDD out, does it boot from the SSD?

I removed it but the computer recognise the SSD. It didn't load though with the SSD. It said to insert a CD/DVD or change boot priority. I ended up wiping the SSD, reinstalling windows and I'm currently typing to you via my SSD. I may need to do updates first before trying again.

 

[USAFRet]

Mind sharing the make and model of your SSD? Are you dealing with a desktop or a laptop? If the former, how many drive letters exist on the HDD? If there are multiple drive letter's on the HDD, you should remove any and/or all critical files off the OS installation drive on the HDD and after doing so, format it(the OS drive). Install the OS on the SSD after connecting the HDD. FYI, you should set Windows Boot Manager as the primary boot device then the SSD and then the HDD.

In theory you should be having a dual booting system but there is a way to doing that.

I have a Crucial BX300 2.5-inch SSD. I use a desktop computer and I only have one letter for the HDD which is the C: drive. My SSD has been recognized as an E: drive.

If you take the HDD out, does it boot from the SSD?

I removed it but the computer recognise the SSD. It didn't load though with the SSD. It said to insert a CD/DVD or change boot priority. I ended up wiping the SSD, reinstalling windows and I'm currently typing to you via my SSD. I may need to do updates first before trying again.

So you've installed the OS on the SSD, with only the SSD connected?

 

[mredwardgaming]

Mind sharing the make and model of your SSD? Are you dealing with a desktop or a laptop? If the former, how many drive letters exist on the HDD? If there are multiple drive letter's on the HDD, you should remove any and/or all critical files off the OS installation drive on the HDD and after doing so, format it(the OS drive). Install the OS on the SSD after connecting the HDD. FYI, you should set Windows Boot Manager as the primary boot device then the SSD and then the HDD.

In theory you should be having a dual booting system but there is a way to doing that.

I have a Crucial BX300 2.5-inch SSD. I use a desktop computer and I only have one letter for the HDD which is the C: drive. My SSD has been recognized as an E: drive.

If you take the HDD out, does it boot from the SSD?

I removed it but the computer recognise the SSD. It didn't load though with the SSD. It said to insert a CD/DVD or change boot priority. I ended up wiping the SSD, reinstalling windows and I'm currently typing to you via my SSD. I may need to do updates first before trying again.

So you've installed the OS on the SSD, with only the SSD connected?

That is correct. The HDD is not connected to anything. No SATA cables, nothing.

 

[USAFRet]

That is correct. The HDD is not connected to anything. No SATA cables, nothing.

Assuming no other hardware issues, it should work no problem.

NOTE: Whatever drive you are booting from will see itself as the C drive. Any other drive or partition will be a different drive letter.
This is a frequent cause of confusion in a dual boot scenario, whether intentional or accidental 'dualboot'.