Advice sought on uploading data to HDD instead of SSD...

I've just bought a new laptop that has both an SSD (256 Gb) and an HDD (1Tb). The first thing I did was to set up my internet connection, and I then installed all my old programs. I now want to upload all of my data (documents, music, videos, photos etc.) that I have saved onto an external hard drive.

I would like to put all data onto the HDD, and Windows (and other programs) onto the SSD, and then make sure that all new documents, music and photos automatically get saved onto the HDD. I know how to carry out the second task, but I'm not sure how to put existing data onto the SSD, especially since I am not transferring it. If I place my music, documents and photos into the already existing folders in File Explorer, I am sure that they will go onto the SSD. And I'm not sure how the Windows User profile will have to be modified, if at all.

Can someone offer some advice? Many thanks.

Florio (Windows 10 version 1903)

One of your sentences says says "but I'm not sure how to put existing data onto the SSD", did you mean HDD.

If so....

One approach would be to follow this tutorial to move your documents folder to your HDD. There are companion tutorials for Music, pictures, downloads, desktop etc.

Move Location of Documents Folder in Windows 10

You will see the links to other tutorials at bottom of tutorial.

Once you have locations move should should be able to copy in your existing data, from external HDD, into the appropriate libraries and Windows will put them on your HDD, since that is where Windows knows the location to be.

After you try one folder you should be able to confirm they are on the HDD using File explorer.



Ken



Ken

User profiles must be on the Boot Drive, the C: drive, for the system to see them at startup. It's quite alright for the data to be elsewhere (all with proper pointers and links), and the Profiles on C:. There are actually more user profiles on C: than are apparent. Other than your personal User Profile, there are hidden System Profiles (various ones) that must be present at Startup. So, yes, all profiles are kept on the Boot Drive, C:.

Hope that helps.....

Hi, my approach is to simply create my own folders on the HDD on my laptop where I have the same SSD/HDD configuration.

Why? That leaves the default library folders where they are, avoiding the potential problems some users report and experience in relocating them- I should add, of course, some are perfectly happy having done so.

But to me a more significant reason is this: I have a lot of installed programs, and a good number of these create their own folders in Documents/Photos/Videos etc - which make those 'Their' Documents etc rather than 'My' Documents.

And of course I can always add the new folders I've created to the relevant library- particularly appropriate in a multi-user scenario- should I wish.
Include Folder or Drive to Library in Windows 10

Having (most of) your personal data on a disk or partition separate from 'C: ' is a good idea in my view- it separates that data from O/S maintenance e.g. the effects of a clean install or restoring a disk image, say.

If you moved the locations using the tutorial, with the Windows processes, you are set.

I've used the moved location process on my Windows 7 machine for years. The system knows Documents etc is on D:.

dalchina point is valid, some of the user files remain back on c: like the appdata folder and some programs stuff data down this path, example Firefox or Thunderbird profiles. For these I moved the FF profile folder onto D: so it is captured with my data backup. The other elements that remain back on C: are backed up with my system imaging. So it is important to know where each program places your important data.

Note: I did relocate my desktop to another drive, as I occasionally keep some data there. Years ago I found I had lost something from there when clean installing, e.g. and had to recover it from my disk image. Relocating that avoided that problem.

As Caldon Ken says, there are plenty of other examples of particular data such as favourites, data stored by particular programs e.g. email if you use an email client etc etc... There will always be some data on C: you can't relocate or won't think of, so maintaining a disk image of your O/S allows you to recover this if necessary.

Florio said:

What exactly do you mean by 'proper pointers and links'? If I go to my user profile, it no longer includes documents, music, pictures and videos etc. as the libraries are now on D: drive. How do I set up pointers and links?

Type

%Userprofile%

in your File explorer location, and you'll see all the links TC mentioned.. They are on C:...