Installing programs on HDD/and moving from SSD

[Tim Moon]

I guess I've seen this question asked in various ways, I am maybe not technically knowledgeable enough to understand it all...or if there is a program that can help me make this easier. I recently had a gaming PC made, w/120GB ssd, and 1tb. hdd. I wanted the pc to boot to windows on the ssd. Which it does, I am really happy to install everything else onto the hdd, but it seems some things insist on installing to the ssd, and when I was successful installing something to the hdd, like my printer software, it wouldn't work, ie. click on the created icon and it would not work, I see all the program files are on the ssd. Also, my zune software and all the associated music went on the ssd, which really worries me, because i don't want to fill it up, and i want a few programs on it to continue to run nice clean and fast. I have WIN 7 pro, g-force 760, asus motherboard. Any help, greatly appreciated.

 

[clutchc]

Usually when a program installation begins, it asks if you want to install to a default location; on C: drive. But it should also offer the option to change that. If the pgm asks if you want to use the 'quick' or 'default' install, always opt for the 'custom' install. That way you will be given the option to pick your installation location. So, the best option would be to uninstall those big pgms and install them again, this time opting for the location of your choice on the HDD.

Btw, what MB do you have?

 

[Tim Moon]

Z87 Pro Socket LGA 1150 ATX Intel Motherboard

GTX760-DC2OC-2GD5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 DirectCU II Overclocked 2048MB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0 x16 Video Card

 

[clutchc]

Nice Board! It has Intel® Smart Response Technology. Therefore, you also have the option of using the SSD as a persistent cache instead of a discrete SSD. In other words, everything would be installed to the HDD like a normal non-SSD system. Then you would change your SATA mode to RAID and run the Intel® Smart Response Technology software. Unfortunately, this will require a clean install of Windows and pgms on your HDD.

That's what I'm doing with my SSD because it is so small. Everything is on my HDD, but my SSD caches it for fast response for programs you use everyday. Here is some reading if you are interested in that route: http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/sb/CS-032826.htm

 

[Tim Moon]

That's what I've been trying to do, Can I for instance, move windows media player to the hdd drive, from the ssd drive? I guess in your scenario, uninstall and reinstall to other hard drive

 

[Tim Moon]

Thanks, I will read that, but it really sounds complicated, but I did just turn the sucker on last night, I just don't know if I know enough to even attempt this...I wish I knew about this so I could have told Micro Center to do it after they built it for me, lol

 

[clutchc]

That's what I've been trying to do, Can I for instance, move windows media player to the hdd drive, from the ssd drive? I guess in your scenario, uninstall and reinstall to other hard drive

You can try cloning the SSD to the HDD. I have done the reverse, but never SSD to HDD. You will have to check for any changes that you or someone else made to Windows when the OS was installed on the SSD and undo them. There are a few idiosyncrasies that a SSD needs that a HDD doesn't. This tutorial will explain the cloning process for HDD to SSD. I imagine doing it from SSD to HDD would be the same. Then you'd have to "undo" any of the changes listed in the tutorial if it applies to you.
http://www.howtogeek.com/97242/how-to-migrate-windows-7-to-a-solid-state-drive/

 

[Tim Moon]

I was wondering about that Smart Response technology, I see it on the bottom right of my screen, there are a bunch of things I can activate, but I certainly need to learn more about it. Is it possible that the tech. installed it the way you mentioned? I gave him no instructions on how to install anything. Thanks for explaining this to me

 

[clutchc]

It may very well be. If you have the icon in the TRAY, it probably is installed. Look in the Programs and see if it is there. If you are familiar with your BIOS, enter it at boot up and see if your SATA mode is set for RAID instead of AHCI or IDE.

 

[Tim Moon]

Awesome, I will look to see if it is in RAID, the Intel article you pointed me to, has pictures in it's description that is what I've see when opening it

 

[clutchc]

Sounds like you are all set, if you want to go that route.
I can't remember for sure, but I think that Smart Response technology might be limited to a certain size SSD. If that is the case, you may lose some of the size of your SSD. But that part is foggy to me right now.

 

[Tim Moon]

AHCI mode 🙁 So if I am not comfortable doing this, can the guy at the local PC repair place likely do this for me?

 

[clutchc]

Do what? Change the SATA mode to RAID? You'd have to ask him. Think on it. Read a bit more. It really isn't hard to do the Smart Response technology thing. But only do it if you don't mind doing a clean install of everything. Getting late here. Gonna have to call it a night. Good luck.

 

[Tim Moon]

Thanks so much, I think I can change the SATA mode, it'd be the clean install, and all...not sure how to do it correctly with the ssd...I will read more, thx again