Windows 10: setting up User to store on HDD with Windows on SSD

Discus and support setting up User to store on HDD with Windows on SSD in User Accounts and Family Safety to solve the problem; I have installed 10 and Office suite on my SSD (drive C). I have a clean fomatted HDD (A) that I want to store User media files (documents, pictures,... Discussion in 'User Accounts and Family Safety' started by fireman0175, Oct 15, 2015.

  1. setting up User to store on HDD with Windows on SSD


    I have installed 10 and Office suite on my SSD (drive C). I have a clean fomatted HDD (A) that I want to store User media files (documents, pictures, videos, music, Outlook PST) files on. I have named my PC "Main". I would like that to be the hidden Administrator account and use my User name of Fred and a second User name of Wilma. Microsoft Help desk can't seem to assist me.

    I would like all of those files to automatically be stored on the HDD. I had backed up those media files on an external HDD and will be recovering those after this is set up on the A drive.

    Thanks in advance!

    :)
     
    fireman0175, Oct 15, 2015
    #1

  2. reinstalling Windows 10 to reconfigure drives/folders

    I just bought a laptop PC (from Microsoft Store) with Windows 10 Home preinstalled. The system comes with a SSD system drive and a large HDD for storage, but the preinstall is set up with the user profiles folder also on the system drive. I need to do
    a fresh install of Windows 10 to move the users folder to the storage drive. Is there a way to do this?
     
    whocarestopher, Oct 15, 2015
    #2
  3. Windows 10 Install: SSD as Cache or as a Boot

    Okay, I am doing fresh installs on older Dell Optiplexes. Each has a 32GB SATA II SSD, and a 320GB 7200 rpm HDD.

    Which would provide FASTER performance? -

    Installing Windows to the SSD and storing all user data on the HDD

    or

    Installing everything on the HDD and using something like IRST to cache the SSD?

    In your answer, please no "it's not possible/it will barely work" or "buy a larger SSD".

    I know it works, and these are the tools at my disposal. Thank you.
     
    KingCornWallis, Oct 15, 2015
    #3
  4. Kari Win User

    setting up User to store on HDD with Windows on SSD

    For the first, please change the drive letter of your data drive. There is a reason why Windows starts identifying hard disk partitions from C: and not A:, letters A and B are reserved for removable media, remnants from the floppy disk time, and they should in no circumstances be used for hard drives or partitions on a hard drive.

    Then, moving all user data to another drive can be done in various ways. See this tutorial on our sister site the Seven Forums, the method applies also to Windows 10: User Folders - Change Default Location - Windows 7 Help Forums

    You can also completely relocate the whole Users folder to another drive as told in this tutorial: Users Folder - Move Location in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums. However, although this method works flawless when done on a fresh clean install, at the moment the Windows 10 built-in Sysprep tool used for it has a bug, an issue causing existing user accounts to lose functionality of the Start Menu and the Search. All new accounts created after the procedure will be totally OK. If you check this tutorial, please read the tutorial carefully through first, then check a few pages at the end of the tutorial thread where this issue when done on an existing system has been widely discussed.

    I am sure Microsoft will fix the Sysprep issue in the future builds of Windows 10 but at the moment, take the above warning seriously. Personally I only recommend to use the Sysprep method at the moment, until the bug has been fixed, on new clean installs only.
     
  5. Thanks for the the advice. However, I had already (unknowingly) named it drive B and created the paths to B:\users\fred\music. Can I simply change the drive letter in disk management? Or do I have to do that, then change all the paths for media files, PST files, etc?

     
    fireman0175, Oct 16, 2015
    #5
  6. Kari Win User
    One of cons with A and B drives is that Windows does not index them. This means that searching them takes longer, which is not good especially when user data, media, documents, pics and such will be stored on these drives.

    If you change the drive letter to something else (partitions on HDD and SSD should have ID from range C to Z), it does not change the paths. Let's say you change that drive B: now to drive G:, your path to the Music would still be B:\Users\Fred\Music which would of course not work.

    If it was me, I would start from scratch. Empty the drive, remove all paths made / created by my, give the drive a new ID, copy my data there and so on. Your decision: You might want to keep everything as it is, the data stored on drive B: which if you are and remain lucky just might work for you, not bring issues for you in the future.
     
  7. OldMike65 Win User
    I agree with Kari (cough, cough *Smile ) on this, I am surprised windows even allowed you to name a HD to A or B I don't think Windows should have myself for ALL the reasons stated by Kari. *Smile I would also start over, maybe backup any files before changing their drive letters just to be safe, then renaming then to any letter like Kari suggested.
     
    OldMike65, Oct 17, 2015
    #7
  8. Gary Win User

    setting up User to store on HDD with Windows on SSD

    Windows allows many things they should not, but remember there still are users with Floppy Disks somewhere out there.
     
  9. Kari Win User
    Exactly. Those drive IDs are still needed but should be only used for removable media.
     
  10. OldMike65 Win User
    No WAY !!!! hahahahahaha holy smokes that is hard to believe, don't think you can even buy floppy disks or the 3.5 ones anywhere???? WoW *sarc
     
    OldMike65, Oct 17, 2015
    #10
  11. You should be able to go to Settings -> System -> Storage and change them there; although I changed mine manually by right clicking the folder, selecting properties and changing the drive letter under location.


    setting up User to store on HDD with Windows on SSD [​IMG]



    setting up User to store on HDD with Windows on SSD [​IMG]
     
    fracking4oil, Oct 17, 2015
    #11
  12. Gary Win User
    I had an old Zip Drive laying around and tried to install it an I got a pop up that it would be installed as Drive A: I never installed it and took it to a parts recycle program yesterday along with some other junk I had laying around.
     
  13. OldMike65 Win User

    setting up User to store on HDD with Windows on SSD

    Yup I do the same except I bring stuff like that to Best Buy at my local mall, easy and they recycle all kinds of stuff like that.
     
    OldMike65, Oct 17, 2015
    #13
  14. Gary Win User
    I did not know Best Buy does that, there is one closer to me than where I take this stuff. Best But will probably clean it up and re sell it..LOL
     
  15. OldMike65 Win User
    They have a limit on items think its up to 4 items per day......its posted on their web site Gary, check it out.
     
    OldMike65, Oct 17, 2015
    #15
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setting up User to store on HDD with Windows on SSD

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