I would like to have a dual hard drive system with the OS on an SSD and the rest on my HDD that already has windows 7 on it. My question is do I have to install windows on the SSD and then delete the windows file on the HDD? Or will that make the HDD unusable? I've tried to read other posts but none seem to do the trick. Thanks in advance.
SSD and HDD
- Thread starter j_palm
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glamdringfh
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- Dec 23, 2013
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Hi j_palm,
Two common paths for installing a new SSD are:
1) If you have a Windows Installer Disk and your Windows Key you can install a fresh operating system on your SSD. From there, you can have both drives plugged in, and as long as you boot from your SSD you will still have access to all the data still living on the older drive. (This isn't ideal, as your old OS is still taking up room on the HDD, but if you don't have an external drive it is your best option)
2) Move all of your data (execpt the actual operating system) to an external backup drive, then once you had no more than 100GB left on the HDD clone it to the newly installed SSD. From here you can re-format your old HDD drive and transfer the data from the backup onto the clean HDD drive.
If you would like we will be happy to walk you through the process for either of these step by step.
Two common paths for installing a new SSD are:
1) If you have a Windows Installer Disk and your Windows Key you can install a fresh operating system on your SSD. From there, you can have both drives plugged in, and as long as you boot from your SSD you will still have access to all the data still living on the older drive. (This isn't ideal, as your old OS is still taking up room on the HDD, but if you don't have an external drive it is your best option)
2) Move all of your data (execpt the actual operating system) to an external backup drive, then once you had no more than 100GB left on the HDD clone it to the newly installed SSD. From here you can re-format your old HDD drive and transfer the data from the backup onto the clean HDD drive.
If you would like we will be happy to walk you through the process for either of these step by step.
>>glamdringfh
So if I have windows on both the SSD and HDD can I remove the windows files besides data off? What I would do is simply delete the windows files besides users and other data, but keep the os on the SSD. Will the two hard drives share the data? Sorry I am just confused and I do not want to mess it up.
So if I have windows on both the SSD and HDD can I remove the windows files besides data off? What I would do is simply delete the windows files besides users and other data, but keep the os on the SSD. Will the two hard drives share the data? Sorry I am just confused and I do not want to mess it up.
glamdringfh
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After your SSD was running Windows and was the active drive you were booted to:
- Your HDD would be used just like a free storage drive. The SSD wouldn't be pulling any Windows data from the old HDD, that's just where your old programs and files would be living.
-Yes, you could make some extra space on your HDD by manually deleting the old Windows folders.
Please feel free to ask any more questions you have about the process, it's important to have a good grasp of things before moving your data around!
- Your HDD would be used just like a free storage drive. The SSD wouldn't be pulling any Windows data from the old HDD, that's just where your old programs and files would be living.
-Yes, you could make some extra space on your HDD by manually deleting the old Windows folders.
Please feel free to ask any more questions you have about the process, it's important to have a good grasp of things before moving your data around!
glamdringfh
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Correct, after putting Windows on the SSD THAT becomes the only place where your active operating system files are kept. After the SSD is up and running any Windows files on the older HDD drive become inactive and can be deleted.
Example:
- HDD has Windows v1
- You install your SSD and also install a new OS: Windows v2, onto the SSD
- You now boot from your SSD, meaning you are now actively using Windows v2
- You can now see the older HDD drive as attached storage, where Windows v1 is sitting inactive
- You can now delete the Windows v1 files from the HDD, as they are inactive and no longer being used
Example:
- HDD has Windows v1
- You install your SSD and also install a new OS: Windows v2, onto the SSD
- You now boot from your SSD, meaning you are now actively using Windows v2
- You can now see the older HDD drive as attached storage, where Windows v1 is sitting inactive
- You can now delete the Windows v1 files from the HDD, as they are inactive and no longer being used
glamdringfh
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- Dec 23, 2013
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