New SSD but old programs and data ?????? Read on ??????

[arsenalbates]

I want to get an SSD but I do not want to have to reinstall windows onto it and therefore have to reinstall all of my programs (I have a lot). I was wondering if there is any programs or ways that I can move the OS to the SSD and keep the programs on a HD without having to reinstall windows /???????????

 

[iPwn]

Clean up your C: Drive and copy the entire drive over to the SSD. Use the xcopy command in Safe Mode. Basically, you want to do the following.
Install the SSD in the machine as a secondary HD
Boot windows normally and format the drive (can do this is safe mode as well if you'd like)
Boot into safe mode and launch a command prompt with admin privileges.
Enter this command:
xcopy c: x: /h /i /c /k /e /r /y
Where x would be the SSD Drive letter. Now swap the port locations of the SATA cables for the drives to make the SSD the main drive.
Boot windows

 

[arsenalbates]

One problem, I have used 600GB of data on my C drive mainly programs (games)

 

[iPwn]

Go to My Computer and open C:
Hold CTRL and click on Windows and Program Files, right click and go to properties. The Size and Size on disk should tell you how much space your programs are eating up as I really doubt installed programs total 600GB, although I have been wrong before

 

[arsenalbates]

238GB = programs and windows directory , still pretty high, could un-install some stuff.

 

[iPwn]

Wowzas, that is high. Once you get your SSD Installed, you'll need to get in the habit of installing your programs on the secondary drive.

 

[arsenalbates]

Yeh, I saw that their is a registry tweak that you can do to make it default to a specific drive.

 

[iPwn]

While I haven't heard of that specific tweak, I don't doubt it. Most programs will let you change the default location anyway so if you can't find that tweak or it doesn't work on all programs, you can just change the drive letter in the install phase.

 

[arsenalbates]

Ok, ta for your help