[SOLVED] Need help. Installed new SSD, then drive letters swapped C and D, now everything is broken.

[maxhtyler]

I had this SSD from my old laptop laying around for years and decided to install it in my desktop.
That caused a bit of confusion, and the windows 10 installer gave error 0x80300024, which I solved by unplugging the original HDD. Then it allowed me to install windows on the SSD.

Now I got the SSD up and running and realized it called itself C:.

Then I tried to run some programs from the HDD which is now D: and none of them worked.... so im like f....

I realized I don't know any way to solve the issue other than boot into the HDD?? and then recover the HDD to previous version.

Even after doing that I wouldn't see how I would progress installing the SSD, as the primary drive.

Please help me understand, I will just wait and do nothing hoping somebody will answer soon.

I guess I will also consider just starting fresh and reinstalling things.

If it helps more info. the SSD is 240gb, HDD is 1 TB, windows 10 pro. I wanted to have faster boot time and performance for games. I had heard you could just have windows and some games on the SSD while having other things installed on the HDD or second drive.

Edit: oh and to make more sense, when I got the windows installer error it basically says the drive was the wrong format, nfs instead of g something, so when I ran it after disconnecting the HDD, I had to delete the formatting on the SSD, so that is probably when it got renamed to C. Because I had tried formatting it in windows previously, and it was called D.

 

[rgd1101]

c drive is the active windows.
d is not.

if you want to use the ssd, fresh install os and all the app.

 

[USAFRet]

Yes, a new install on a drive, any drive, will see itself as the C drive.
Any applications that may live on the old "C drive" are null and void.

What are you actually trying to do?
Have the SSD as the OS drive? Sure.
Install the OS, and all your drivers and applications as well.

 

[maxhtyler]

Ok ok, thanks for the quick replies.
Yes. my intention would be to use the SSD as primary drive with windows on it. So I was wrong that I could have programs such as games installed on the old HDD?

If that is the only way then I will probably accept that I should just install everything I need on the SSD and just use the HDD as storage?

Wait, so does that mean I can not have any games installed outside of the drive I run windows on? If this is true I would probably just be considering buying a much bigger SSD like 1 TB...

 

[USAFRet]

Ok ok, thanks for the quick replies.
Yes. my intention would be to use the SSD as primary drive with windows on it. So I was wrong that I could have programs such as games installed on the old HDD?

If that is the only way then I will probably accept that I should just install everything I need on the SSD and just use the HDD as storage?

Wait, so does that mean I can not have any games installed outside of the drive I run windows on? If this is true I would probably just be considering buying a much bigger SSD like 1 TB...

You CAN have games installed on other drives.
You just have to do it properly.

For instance, Steam.
Install the Steam client on the C drive.
Games can be installed on any drive.

Steam games location
In the steam client:
Steam
Settings
Downloads
Steam Library Folders
Add library folder

To move an already installed game
Games library
Right click the game
Properties
Local Files
Move Install Folder

 

[maxhtyler]

Very nice! That is what I should do. Some steam games on HDD.

Firstly, is it possible to move the games from the HDD in its current state, to, say, a new steam library based off new steam? I would guess it is not. Ill just have to reinstall it all? If this is sounding confusing, it is to me too.

So is it reasonable to just copy all my user documents and media off the HDD to external storage, then just wipe the HDD, because I dont need all the windows and programs on it?

 

[USAFRet]

For the Steam games, find the commonfiles library, and copy that to some external.

For your personal files, copy all those to some external. NOT the libraries, but just the files within.

Then, wipe the old HDD completely. Delete ALl partitions and reformat.

Copy things back to that drive.

Then, you can tell your NEW Steam client where those game files are, as specified above.

 

[maxhtyler]

Thank you! I think that should be all.