Steam on a SSD with limited space. How's this work?

[flossbandit]

i'm going to install a 90GB SSD in my system most likely tomorrow if it comes in.

doing a total fresh install, wiping out everything on the old HDD and installing Windows on the new SSD.

this is the only problem i can see myself running into:

steam buries itself in the program files and installs all my games inside that folder without giving me the option to choose an install location then grows and grows, using up all my space.

i know i can't be the first person to run into/wonder about this...

can you even install a program on the other HDD outside of the program files? does your old hard drive essentially become a external drive within the computer? i know nothing about multiple drives...

ideally i'd like to have some Steam games on the SSD and others off.




BONUS SETUP QUESTION: i set everything to AHCI in the BIOS, then install the OS on the SSD without the HDD connected. once set up, do i plug in the HDD and format it like any other drive in order to get all the old junk off? ie My Computer>Right Click drive>Format to NTFS?

 

[quantumdawn]

I use junction link magic. Creates links between individual game folders on your SSD and HD. What this does is you can keep individual steam game folders on the HD, but fool steam into thinking the games are stored in your steam folder.

This way you can keep the steam executable and a few choice games on the SSD, while storing all the rest on the HD.

 

[flossbandit]

I use junction link magic. Creates links between individual game folders on your SSD and HD. What this does is you can keep individual steam game folders on the HD, but fool steam into thinking the games are stored in your steam folder.

This way you can keep the steam executable and a few choice games on the SSD, while storing all the rest on the HD.

Awesome. I'll look it up. I really didn't even know it was going to be so complicated I'd end up needing software, but it seems like it's an easy enough fix.

So about the HDD... Does it pretty much act like an external drive, just with faster access? (sorry that's all I have experience with)

 

[selayan]

Look up steam mover on google. You can use it to move the games off of your C drive once they are downloaded or installed by steam. That is what I will be using. Should also work for Origin games.

 

[flossbandit]

quick question that's not worthy of an entirely new thread:

how do I test the speed once it's installed?

i'm installing Windows now and want to make sure everythings running like it should once i'm in.

thanks.

 

[flossbandit]

found a solution for the Steam problem with no software:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpqzqVqR3K4

 

[HorusDeathtouch]

I'm not really sure where all of these answers are coming from about these different kinds of software that you can get. Steam is set up with the intention of installing games on different drives. Enter your secondary drive from windows explorer and create a folder called Steam under that drive extension (mine is E All you have to do from here is, on Steam, go to Steam > Settings > Downloads > Steam Library Folders. Choose your secondary drive and then the folder you just created and select Add Library Folder. Make sure that there are no games currently installing or you will get an error message. If this is the case then just pause them and try again. After the new library folder is created, you will get a drop-down menu during any further game installation. Simply choose the secondary drive each time you install something and continue. This is a clear and precise solution, with nothing left behind, so hope this helps.