how to configure msata ssd+normal HDD

how do i make it so that all the applications install in the msata ssd, then everything else goes into the spinning drive. It seems like everything is going to the ssd drive right now automatically...even extraneous documents

 

The mSATA should be designated the C: drive, so all applications will install there normally. To use the normal windows library folders (My Documents, My Music etc) on the HDD you need to do the following:

1. Create new folders on your HDD for whatever documents you want there (Documents, Music etc.) You can call them whatever you want, but I stuck with "Documents", "Music", "Downloads", "Photos" etc.
2. Go to the C:\Users\[your username] folder and in that you'll see all the library folders (My Documents etc.). Right click on each one, select "properties" and then the "Location" tab.
3. Type the path to whichever of your new folders you want to use. Just typing the drive letter you're using for your HDD into the location box (eg. D:\) should pull up list of all the folders there so you can select one. Then simply click "move" and you're done (you will have to option to move all the files in the folder, too)
4. Rinse and repeat for each of the windows library folders you want to move. I moved Downloads, Documents, Pictures, Music and Videos

There are ways to move the entire Users folder to the HDD, but from what I've read this can lead to all sorts of complications when new software is installed so I didn't bother.

 

Correct, short of using the WAIK and an unattended.xml install file it's a huge pain in the baskside. . It's far simpler to just move the folders individually or configure apps that can to use the HD instead.

 

thank you guys!

 

How about IE chache folder? Is it safe to move to HD?

 

Many thanks for your quick guide pipspeak!

 

Anything is 'safe' to move provided you do it correctly.

 

Why bother do this? Then you need to have your HDD spinning all the time. Assuming you didn't buy the lowest possible capacity SSD, you could have your frequently-used files stored and accessed from your SSD, and occasionally sync with your HDD. That way, you don't lose battery power by your HDD spinning, you'll always have quick access to your files, and they'll be frequently backed up.

 

That's one way of looking at it, but in my case I only have about 40GB free on the SSD and having to decide which data goes there and which goes on the HDD is more of a PITA than taking a slight hit on battery life. I have about 200-300GB of data (docs, photos, music etc.), so using the SSD as primary storage is not really an option, not to mention the fact that I sometimes upload and process 50+ GB of photo/video data sometimes before backing up. I will, however, leave all application user files on the SSD, including email.

 

I'm referring to data more along the lines of my MS Office files, including the email database. For audio/video/pictures, those all go straight to my HDD as well.