SSD and HHD compatibility

[tisi99]

I just installed an ssd for my os. How can I access all the other files and programs that are on the HHD without installing it on the SSD?

 

[blackhawk1928]

Whats an HHD and refrase your question, didn't quite understand it.

 

[sminlal]

Normally you install the OS on the SSD, and then you install the applications on the SSD. The data files normally go on the HDD. For example, you'd install MS Office itself on the SSD, but the Word ".doc" files and the Excel ".xls" spreadsheets would go into folders on the hard drive.

The way I access the hard drive folders is to create shortcuts to the hard drive folders I typically use and place them into my "My Documents" folder. That way when I use the "File Open" or "File Save" dialogue boxes it's easy for me to navigate my way to the hard drive folders.

A tip: if you put a "$" as the first character of the shortcut names then they'll appear at the top of the "My Documents" folder and they'll be very easy to find.

 

[tisi99]

it doesn't work that way...
you can't just install SSD and then think it can just run the programs off the old HDD....

Okay, why not? The old hard drive is still in there, with all the programs on it. Any suggestions as to what to do? Thanks a lot.

 

[tisi99]

Normally you install the OS on the SSD, and then you install the applications on the SSD. The data files normally go on the HDD. For example, you'd install MS Office itself on the SSD, but the Word ".doc" files and the Excel ".xls" spreadsheets would go into folders on the hard drive.

The way I access the hard drive folders is to create shortcuts to the hard drive folders I typically use and place them into my "My Documents" folder. That way when I use the "File Open" or "File Save" dialogue boxes it's easy for me to navigate my way to the hard drive folders.

A tip: if you put a "$" as the first character of the shortcut names then they'll appear at the top of the "My Documents" folder and they'll be very easy to find.

Thanks for the reply. So there is no way around it, I have to install all the programs onto the ssd? So would the 64gb be sufficient for all the programs? I have stuff like cs4, sketchbook pro, itunes, roxio, office, stuff like that.

 

[tisi99]

Whats an HHD and refrase your question, didn't quite understand it.

I meant HDD. All the programs that are on the hdd seems to be unaccessible when I boot from the ssd. Is there a way around this, or do I need to install all the programs onto the ssd, and keep the files on the old hard drive? Thanks for your help.

 

[sminlal]

It sounds like you used to have Windows installed on the HDD, then you added an SSD to your system and installed Windows on it. Is this true?

If so, you won't be able to run the programs that were previously installed in the HDD incarnation of Windows. "Installing" a program doesn't just put the files on the disk, it also creates file associations and configuration information in the Registry, and your new SSD copy of Windows won't have any of that set up. The only way to get it to work is to reinstall the programs again into your new copy of Windows.

When you reinstall the programs, you can choose to install them on the SSD or the HDD, but you will have to reinstall them and re-enter any license keys that they require.