Running windows off ssd

Hi i just bought a 256gb ssd. I am a real noob with stuff like this. I was wondering is possible to run my windows (8.1) off my ssd somehow so i can boot faster while keeping all my personal files still on my HDD? Basically just using my ssd for the booting process.

 

Yes, you can.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/redirect-folder-new-location#1TC=windows-7

 

I also have a 250gb SSD and just keep my OS on it.

If I have to restore an image due to a virus, corruption, etc., it takes less than 15 minutes to get back to a clean image.

You can use Macrium ( free) to create the image.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/content/p...om/showthread.php?p=1897820&ss=2270j1060538j7


Be careful when downloading to always click "custom" and decline any of the crap it wants to add - i.e. changing search engines, home page, etc.

Make a boot cd ( instructions on main page) and also after creating the image, do a Verify.

I do this by clicking Restore and browsing for the created image and you will see a link to Verify.

Put the image on the 2nd internal hdd and if you have an external hdd, put one there as well.

You will see your boot time go from 3 minutes to less than a minute ( if you have Sata 111, it will be less than 30 secs).

 

Psco2007 - Those instructions were easy and plainly laid out. I saved a copy of your response in case anyone I know wants to do this. Thanks. I'm curious though, my Vista already boots in 44 sec according to Wise Monitor. What could I expect to gain in a ssd install?

 

The ideal situation is to end up with Windows and your installed software on the SSD, and all your data on the HDD. As I read your post, at present both are on the HDD and there is nothing at all on the SSD.

If that is correct, and providing the HDD usage will fit within 250GB, then the steps you have to take are -

- If you have a second internal HDD or a plug-in external drive make an image of the HDD and store the image on either of those drives. I call this Scene A and I would also recommend Macrium for this..

- If you do not have either a second HDD or an external drive then physically attach the SSD and clone the HDD to the SSD. I call this Scene B and for this operation it's best to boot using the Macrium Reflect bootable rescue disk.

- For Scene A disconnect your current HDD and connect the SSD. Boot to the Macrium CD and find and restore your image to the SSD. Remove the CD and boot to the SSD.

- For Scene B, with HDD still disconnected, boot to the SSD. Apart from being a lot quicker it should look and behave the same as it did previously.

If Windows has booted OK to the SSD and all your files are present and accessible then you can now reattach the HDD, format it, and start using Just Playin's link to move your personal stuff off the SSD to the HDD.

Although either approach should work, personally I would always use Scene A, as this gives you a complete restorable backup of your HDD before you start - very handy should you make any mistakes or suffer a malfunction.

 

If you are booting Vista in 44 secs I doubt there's much anyone here can tell you about faster booting But SSDs aren't just about boot times, everything runs faster and smoother - scans, updates, and particularly anything requiring random rather than long sequential reads and writes. You certainly wouldn't want to revert after using one for a while. You need never defrag an SSD, there's no benefit and you shorten its life. I believe Win 7+ is smart enough to know and turns it off itself.

 

Post 7 added SSD benefits.

An SSD is still the best investment you can make.:wave

 

I hope it helps.
Best wishes to all in the New Year!

 

Everyone seems to have a different method/answer for this. So do i make a partition on my ssd then install an image of my HDD on it and make my ssd boot?

Also: I have Acronis True Image. If that helps.

 

I don't see any contradictions. If you work through my post #6 you will be fine, and if you prefer Acronis to Macrium Reflect that's fine too, they both do the same job. You do not need to create any partitions before restoring your image to the SSD, just restore it to the unallocated space, and where I tell you to connect or disconnect it's important to do so.

 

DavidGP's post has reminded me of something important that I didn't include in #6. When you reconnect the HDD, and before you boot into Windows, go into BIOS and set the SSD as first boot device in the boot order. Otherwise, if the HDD is still first in boot order you would boot into that rather than the SSD.

Alternatively, if you have a disk management bootable CD, such as Acronis Disk Director or Minitool Partition Wizard, run it and set the Win 7 partition on the HDD as Inactive.

 

im trying to go into my bios (through UEFI) to change my boot settings. when i get there it opens as this http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/seifer699/20141226_174130.jpg but i cant do anything. nothing moves when i use the arrow keys or press any of the F2,F9,F10,F11,F12. I have to restart to go back into my computer.

 

Ok sorry i realized the problem. i have a gaming keyboard and it didnt work when in bios. ignrore my post above plz!