[SOLVED] Using an SD card for storing and running applications

[everway9]

Hi everyone. 

I'm working on a HP Stream which has Windows 10 x64 Home preinstalled. However these little laptops only have a 32GB SSD eMMC which is just not big enough. The update to Windows 10 1803 failed due to insufficient space. I managed to cleanup the drive and successfully updated it to 1803. It has barely any programs installed except Office 2016 pro. Now there is only 1.3GB free space on the eMMC which as you know is not a good situation.

I was thinking of buying a 64GB SD card to copy the Office 2016 installation to and any future programs.

But will an SD cards read/write speed be fast enough to run applications from?

Another option would be to compress drive C but that will slow the read/write speed of the data on the eMMC (won't it?) which kinda defeats the object of having an SSD in the first place.

If anyone could tell me which type of SD card would work best, if any, I'd really appreciate your help.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[USAFRet]

Yes, you can install and run Office from that 64GB SD Card.
I used to do that with my Asus Transformer, with the same eMMC drive.

This is IF you can get that Office installed on other than the C drive. A preinstalled version may not play nicely.
And you can't just "copy" it.


What else is on that little C drive? Maybe there are other space suckers.

 

[everway9]

Yes, you can install and run Office from that 64GB SD Card.
I used to do that with my Asus Transformer, with the same eMMC drive.

This is IF you can get that Office installed on other than the C drive. A preinstalled version may not play nicely.
And you can't just "copy" it.


What else is on that little C drive? Maybe there are other space suckers.

Hi @USAFRep and thanks for posting.

The only app other than a few of the apps which are part of Windows 10 is office pro 16. However it is a full office installation including every element. Plus all the office updates are installed too. I've already stripped out all the HP bloatware and non-essential apps which Windows installed.

I'd uninstall office and reinstall it on the SD card. I would also change the global default install path to the SD and change the location of some of the user folders to the SD.

Thanks for confirming that I could use an SD card for programs. Now I need to find an SD card with a high read/write speed close to or better than that of the SSD drive.

 

[USAFRet]

Don't try to change the default install path. That almost always breaks the Windows updates, among other things.

Just choose where, when you install something.

 

[everway9]

Don't try to change the default install path. That almost always breaks the Windows updates, among other things.

Just choose where, when you install something.

Good point. Wasn't thinking properly. Thanks.

 

[USAFRet]

Don't try to change the default install path. That almost always breaks the Windows updates, among other things.

Just choose where, when you install something.

Good point. Wasn't thinking properly. Thanks.

I see that sort of request here often.
"How do I force everything install to the D drive? I don't want to wear out my SSD!"

Answer, you don't.

2 weeks later: "I found some instructions on utube of exactly how to do it!'
"Still...don't do it"

1 week later: "Waaaaa...my system is broke!"

 

[everway9]

LOL! 😀

 

[everway9]

Do you know if a micro sd cards read/write speed is affected if used with an adapter for the larger sd slots?

 

[USAFRet]

Do you know if a micro sd cards read/write speed is affected if used with an adapter for the larger sd slots?

A good quality micro shouldn't be affected.

 

[everway9]

Do you know if a micro sd cards read/write speed is affected if used with an adapter for the larger sd slots?

A good quality micro shouldn't be affected.

Ok. Thanks again for all your help.

 

[USAFRet]

But don't expect stellar performance, because it IS a micro.

This is copying a 4.4GB single file from the 32GB eMMC to a 64GB microSD. Sandisk Ultra 64GB.

 

[everway9]

But don't expect stellar performance, because it IS a micro.

This is copying a 4.4GB single file from the 32GB eMMC to a 64GB microSD. Sandisk Ultra 64GB.

Thanks for the info.

It's actually quite slow isn't it. I was just checking some of the full size cards out and was surprised that some have quite decent speeds 300MB/S read and 130MB/S write. But they are quite pricey.