Ssd win 10 drive + hdd program and file drive

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  1. Posts : 2
    Windows 10 home
       #1

    Ssd win 10 drive + hdd program and file drive


    I have read many articles on setting up my SSD drive as my boot drive, and using my HDD for file and programs I don't need the speed for. I have read everything from moving users, files, and changing default locations using the registry, to just creating D:/program files folder on my D(HDD) and installing the programs I don't need on my SSD to that location. Isn't there an easy way to do this in Win 10 without messing with the registry? Will creating duplicate Program Files and x86 files on D:/ cause problems with the same named folders on my C: drive? I was able to change the location of the contents of my Documents folder, but creating alternate locations on my D: drive for non critical programs has me a little leery of doing so without some decent advice. Thanks for any help.
    Core i5 6600k, 32 GB Corsair Dominator, EVGA Z170 Classified K MOBO, SAMSUNG 500 GB SSD. 2-2TB Seagate HDD in raid 1.
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  2. Posts : 5,286
    Win 10 Pro x64
       #2

    Clovii said:
    I have read many articles on setting up my SSD drive as my boot drive, and using my HDD for file and programs I don't need the speed for. I have read everything from moving users, files, and changing default locations using the registry, to just creating D:/program files folder on my D(HDD) and installing the programs I don't need on my SSD to that location. Isn't there an easy way to do this in Win 10 without messing with the registry? Will creating duplicate Program Files and x86 files on D:/ cause problems with the same named folders on my C: drive? I was able to change the location of the contents of my Documents folder, but creating alternate locations on my D: drive for non critical programs has me a little leery of doing so without some decent advice. Thanks for any help.
    Core i5 6600k, 32 GB Corsair Dominator, EVGA Z170 Classified K MOBO, SAMSUNG 500 GB SSD. 2-2TB Seagate HDD in raid 1.
    I have no direct answer to your question regarding moving your non-critical programs but looking at your specs, I don't think non-critical programs will take up that much space on your 500GB SSD. My advise is to keep your OS and all your programs on the SSD as much as possible. But if there is an option during installation of any games or programs to locate a folder for installation, that's when you can take advantage of using the HDD without the headaches of relocating. But instead of a folder, create a 500GB partition with a default drive letter D on the HDD for those games/programs that you can easily back up.

    Welcome to TenForums by the way! :)
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  3. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #3

    I agree with Badrobot. The biggest reasons for moving stuff off of a modern SSD is because people purchase small capacity SSDs because they can't afford larger ones. 500GB should be fairly sufficient if you only move extremely large files such as full movies and huge games to the HDD.
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  4. Posts : 12,799
    Windows 11 Pro
       #4

    I agree that you should have your OS and all programs on your SSD. Doing otherwise sort of defeats the purpose of having an SSD. You can install Games on the Hard drive and use your user files and folders there. That is what I do and make no registry changes. I don't believe it is possible to fill up a 500GB SSD with the OS and programs. It would depend on how much space is required for your User Folders (Documents, Pictures, Music and Videos). Those can take up a lot of space, depending on what you have.
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  5. Posts : 5,286
    Win 10 Pro x64
       #5

    essenbe said:
    I agree that you should have your OS and all programs on your SSD. Doing otherwise sort of defeats the purpose of having an SSD. You can install Games on the Hard drive and use your user files and folders there. That is what I do and make no registry changes. I don't believe it is possible to fill up a 500GB SSD with the OS and programs. It would depend on how much space is required for your User Folders (Documents, Pictures, Music and Videos). Those can take up a lot of space, depending on what you have.
    In my case, I have all my library folder locations moved to the HDD.
    I mean the folders are still on the SSD with the OS but they are more like shortcuts. The files go straight to the HDD.
    Easier that way for me because I mess up a lot on my PC. If anything happens, I don't have to worry about moving out my data first before restoring image backup, etc. I can just restore right away.
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  6. Posts : 1,255
    Windows 10 Pro
       #6

    Clovii said:
    I have read many articles on setting up my SSD drive as my boot drive, and using my HDD for file and programs I don't need the speed for. I have read everything from moving users, files, and changing default locations using the registry, to just creating D:/program files folder on my D(HDD) and installing the programs I don't need on my SSD to that location. Isn't there an easy way to do this in Win 10 without messing with the registry? Will creating duplicate Program Files and x86 files on D:/ cause problems with the same named folders on my C: drive? I was able to change the location of the contents of my Documents folder, but creating alternate locations on my D: drive for non critical programs has me a little leery of doing so without some decent advice. Thanks for any help.
    Core i5 6600k, 32 GB Corsair Dominator, EVGA Z170 Classified K MOBO, SAMSUNG 500 GB SSD. 2-2TB Seagate HDD in raid 1.
    If possible all applications should be on the SSD. With a 500 GB SSD that shouldn't be a problem unless you have a lot of very large applications. I have a 120 GB SSD that is less than half full. Some people have gone to such extreme measures in redirecting things away from the SSD that they lose much of the advantage of having one.

    By default applications will install to the C:\Program Files" folder but most can be directed to a different drive or folder. Windows will have no issues with duplicate folder names on different drives, although some people might. But there is nothing special about the "Program files" folder name. You can make it any name you wish, but I would suggest having separate folders for 32 and 64 bit applications.
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  7. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #7

    I found it humorous how it seems to be a trend that people buy SSDs to make their computers faster and then look for every way possible to not use them.
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  8. Posts : 5,286
    Win 10 Pro x64
       #8

    NavyLCDR said:
    I found it humorous how it seems to be a trend that people buy SSDs to make their computers faster and then look for every way possible to not use them.


    Mine is only a 256 GB M.2 SSD so I have to store my data away from it. But all programs are installed on it.

    Here's my boot up clip from last year. Still the same boot up time today or maybe 1.5sec slower.



    Another SSD boot up test. - YouTube
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  9. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #9

    I definitely agree that if you have a small SSD you do what you can with it and it's better then just one big spinner.... but there have been a lot of threads on here by people who have wanted to move everything off the SSD except for the very basic Windows files. The usual reason given for moving everything they could off of it is to keep from writing to the SSD, not running out of space.
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  10. Posts : 15,027
    Windows 10 IoT
       #10

    My user folders (Documents, Pictures, etc) are on a second drive. I just change the Location in Windows and point to those folders. It's more for the ease of not losing anything if I have to reinstall. That's all I move though. I don't see the need to move programs etc and complicate things doing it. On my laptop its a second SSD, on my desktop PC the second drive is a spinner. I use more storage on my desktop and the spinner was more economical at the time.
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