Windows 10: Using SSD and HDD but Differing Partition Styles

The setup example is this: windows 10 on SSD (MBR Partition Style), Secondary HDD for Programs/Other-Stuff (GPT Partition-Style), I install programs onto the secondary drive (steam, VLC Media Player, etc...)

Will windows 10, at any point in the time I install updates or have to do repair installs for whatever reason, start having problems recognizing I got stuff installed on a GPT partitioned HDD, necessitating a need to convert the hard drive to an MBR partition table/style, or can I have the setup as an MBR/GPT or a GPT/MBR with no problems, or should I just stick with both storage drives being either MBR or GPT

:)

 

Saving free space on SSD (Regarding multiple obligatory partitions on main drive)

Gerry Here just copy-paste some irrelevant response.

Well, **I've figured it out**. Here my solution (I Take no responsibility from any damage that might arise from this process, and I do not guarantee it to work for u.)

We'll assume u have 2 disks; SSD and HDD.

Also NOTE: I Work in a GPT-Disk partitioning scheme, I don't know if it's applicable on dos-style MBR partitioning.

General-methodology wich we are going to work with (or TL;DR).

• Delete all partitions on all drive
• Install Windows on the HDD Drive
• Install Windows on the SSD Drive (yes, twice!)
• Repartition the HDD to free up and reallocate as we wish (The only parition that HAVE to be there is the EUFI System (Fat) )
• After freeing up HDD space, move user folder to the HDD
• PROFIT

And in more detail:

THIS GUIDE ASSUME THIS IS A FRESH PC - THAT U DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING U NEED ON EITHER DISKS.

* - Asterisk, not a real step, just additional information

• Boot into windows 10 installation
• Clear ALL partitions on BOTH drives
• Let windows install itself onto the HDD, We'll call this installation win-hdd
  • There is no need to actually boot into this OS.
• Boot into windows 10 installation
• Let windows install itself onto the SSD. We'll call this installation win-ssd
  • *What would happen now, Is that windows detects the recovery and eufi partitions and does not need to create such additional partitions on your ssd. It would only create a 16MB windows reserved partition.
  • *Your boot partition would be hdd/eufi; But since windows detect it's own bootloader it would allow you to duel-boot between win-hdd and win-ssd(default)
• Optional: During windows-ssd first run wizard switch to audit mode (CTRL+SHIFT+F3)
  • *We would use audit mode to:
    • * Optional1: Repartition hdd
    • * Optional2: Change "Users" folder to the hdd.
    • * If u do not want to move Users folder, u can do 6.2 After win-ssd fully boots instead
  • Repartition hdd & move Users folder:
    • Using a 3rd party tool such as "MiniTool Partition Wizard" you can do the fallowing *as you wish*:
      • Delete win-hdd partition
      • Delete recovery-hdd partition
      • Delete windows reserved (16 mb) partition.
      • You can also later move the EUFI to the start of the hdd disk, if needed
      • Create new partition (free to use) on hdd.
      • Make sure to properly assign drive letters to all drive as u wish
      • Fallow
        this guide to relocate the User folder (Starting from Step 2)
• Boot into windows-ssd; If u do not know which one (int the OS selection screen) It's safe to assume that the automatically-selected one is the win-ssd.
• If u have not performed 6.2 Yet, this is the time to do that now.

GLHF.

 

Move OS to SSD leave data in HDD

I would clone the HDD to the SSD. Then format the HDD and set up a number of partitions for the different kinds of data. Then move the data from the SSD to the different partitions on the HDD.

Then you might want to reduce the size of the C:\ partition and put a couple partitions on the SSD for those things that need the speed.

There are some free programs to do the clone. I use EaseUS ToDo Backup.

 

Remove Recovery Partition and Go to Recovery Drive During HDD to SSD Upgrade

Thank you Sangeeta,

"delete the recovery partition as part of the cloning of the HDD to the SSD" The meaning of this quote is as follows:

The recovery partition on the HDD will NOT be copied onto the SSD. This differs from most other data on the HDD which will be copied over onto the SSD. The word cloning is used because the emphasis is on having a functioning system on the SSD that truly
mimics the system that ran on the HDD. Just as a biological clone is the creation of an identical organism with the same behavior.

The specific SSD I have is a Samsung 850 EVO with 250 GB capacity. It comes with migration software. Further study on my part discovered the following from the migration software user guide "OEM Recovery partition created by the computer manufacturer as
a factory setting will not be cloned". So, Samsung does not carry the recovery partition across to the SSD - just as I wanted.

So, the SSD won't have the 16 GB recovery partition that the HDD had. Incidentally, Acer documentation says that if a new drive is installed, the ability to go back to the "original build factory settings" will be lost. So, they anticipated the loss if
the drive was replaced. And this is fine by me since I do not want to go back to Windows 7.

The bottom line is that the SSD won't have the recovery partition; I need to create a recovery drive once I have upgraded to the SSD. (I think it is best to create the recovery drive after the SSD is installed since there are subtle differences between
the SSD and HDD and the recovery tools should reflect the SSD.)