This article explains how to set up a Windows computer with a hard drive and SSD memory drive. An SSD (from English "Solid State Drive") is nothing more than a hard disk with no mechanical moving parts. Normally SSD drives guarantee a data retrieval speed much higher than that provided by standard hard drives and are also much more reliable; however, unfortunately, they are also more expensive and with less memory capacity than standard hard drives can provide. The best way to set up a computer equipped with a standard SSD and hard drive is to install the operating system and all the programs that are used most frequently on the best performing drive (the SSD) and store the data and files (images, videos, music and documents) on your standard hard drive. The procedure for setting up a new computer without an operating system differs from that required for installing a new hard drive on an already fully functional computer.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Install Windows on a New Computer Equipped with Standard SSD and Hard Drive
Step 1. Install all memory drives and necessary hardware
To set up a new computer, you will need to do all the necessary wiring: connect the keyboard, mouse and install and connect the SSD and hard drive. Read this article, this article and this article to find out how to install various memory drive models inside a desktop or laptop computer.
Step 2. Use the Windows installation media you have available
You can install Windows using a USB drive or DVD. [this article] to find out how to create an installation USB drive for Windows.
Step 3. Turn on your computer
Press the "Power" button on the device. After inserting the installation disc into the reader or connecting the USB drive to a free port on the device, the computer will boot the operating system from the media under consideration.
If the computer does not boot correctly, it means that you may need to enter the BIOS, restart the system and press the appropriate key, and change the order of the boot devices so that the computer operates the operating system load from the correct unit. Read this article to find out how to change the order of a computer's boot devices
Step 4. Select the installation language, date, time and currency format and keyboard layout, then click the Next button
If you need to change the default Windows settings, use the drop-down menus to select the language, date and time format, currency format and keyboard layout. When you have finished making changes, click on the button Come on.
Step 5. Click the Install button
This will start the installation of Windows 10.
Step 6. Enter the Windows Product Key
If you have a valid Windows Product Key available, type it in the text field visible on the screen and click on the button Come on. If you do not have a valid Product Key available, click on the link " I don't have a product key"You can buy one directly online at a later time.
Step 7. Select the version of Windows 10 you want to install
There are 4 versions of Windows 10 to choose from: Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Home Single Language And Windows 10 Education.
Step 8. Click the check button
then click the button Come on.
This will indicate that you have read and accepted the terms and conditions of Microsoft's agreement (listed in the box displayed on the screen) for the use of its products. After selecting the indicated check button, you can click on the button Come on.
Step 9. Click on Custom option install Windows only (advanced option)
This is the option you need to choose to be able to install Windows from scratch on a new computer without an operating system. If your computer already has a Windows installation inside the SSD or hard drive, skip straight to this article method. If you need to move your existing Windows installation from the standard hard drive to the SSD, read this method.
Step 10. Select the SSD disk
All memory units on your computer will be listed in the "Where do you want to install Windows" screen with the following words "Unallocated space drive [number]". The SSD disk is the memory unit on which you will need to install Windows. Make a note of the SSD's identification number, then click on it to select it. SSDs typically have less storage capacity than normal mechanical hard drives. If you are not sure which SSD is listed, check the storage capacity of the SSD and the standard hard drive, then select the device that has an amount of free space very similar to that of the SSD.
Step 11. Click on the New link
It features a stylized sun icon located at the bottom right of the list of available memory drives.
Step 12. Click the Apply button
This will use the default configuration settings for the chosen drive.
Step 13. Click the OK button
After you click on the button Apply, a pop-up window will appear informing you that additional partitions will be created on the selected disk in order to optimize its operation. Click on the button OK to accept and continue.
Step 14. Select the primary partition of the SSD and click the Next button
Within the list of memory drives you will see several partitions that will be created by Windows. Select the SSD drive partition labeled "Primary", then click the button Come on. All partitions of the SSD disk will have the same drive number that marked the SSD device before it was partitioned. This will install Windows on the SSD.
Method 2 of 5: Set up a new hard drive in Windows
Step 1. Click on the Windows "Start" button
with the right mouse button.
A context menu with several options will appear.
Step 2. Click on the Disk Management item
The "Disk Management" system window will appear. Both the SSD disk and the standard hard disk should be present in the window that appeared. If all the volumes in the list are marked "Healthy", it means that they are already configured correctly and do not need any changes, so your work ends here. If there is a section marked "Unallocated", continue reading.
Step 3. Click on the unallocated space volume with the right mouse button
If there is a section named "Unallocated", it means that there is a portion of free space on the corresponding disk that is not being used. Click on the volume in question to open the context menu.
Step 4. Click on the New Simple Volume option, then on the button Come on.
It is the first item listed in the context menu that appeared. The wizard will start to create a new volume using the free space not yet allocated. Click on the button Come on to continue.
Step 5. Click the Next button
The default settings will be used to configure the new volume.
Step 6. Select the drive letter you want to assign to the new volume and click the Next button
Use the "Assign this drive letter" drop-down menu to select the drive letter you want to assign to the new volume. By default, the drive letter used for the volume on which the Windows installation is located is the letter "C:". By default, all additional disks will be identified by their drive letter starting with the letter "D:" onwards, in alphabetical order. Use the drop-down menu to assign the new volume a drive letter that is not already in use by another device. Click on the button Come on to continue.
Step 7. Name the new volume (optional) and click the Next button
If you want to name the new disk, for example "Data Disk", type it in the "Volume Label" text field. When you are ready to continue, click on the button Come on.
Step 8. Click the Finish button
The new memory unit will be available for use in a few minutes.
Method 3 of 5: Clone the Hard Drive with Windows Setup to an SSD Drive
Step 1. Back up your hard drive
If your computer has a standard hard drive that already has a Windows installation on it, you will need to clone it and copy it to the SSD in order to boot the computer from the SSD. Before continuing, you should make a full backup of the hard drive on which the Windows installation is currently installed. This way you will have a copy of all your documents and files in case something does not work correctly during the disk cloning procedure, since the current data size will have to be significantly reduced in order to transfer the installation to the SSD disk.. You can back up your computer's internal hard drive using an external USB memory drive (hard drive or USB stick) or by using a clouding service, such as Google Drive, iCloud or Dropbox. Just make sure that the backup device has enough free space to accommodate the entire contents of the hard drive you want to clone. Read this article to find out how to back up a storage drive.
Step 2. Delete the files you don't use to reduce the amount of data on the hard drive to be cloned
Normally SSD disks have a lower memory capacity than normal mechanical hard disks, so in order to clone a standard hard disk that contains the Windows installation and copy its contents to an SSD drive, you need to verify that the amount of space occupied by the data on the hard drive is less than the total capacity of the SSD. Remove any files you don't use while keeping only essential programs. If you have a backup of your personal data, you can restore it later by copying it to your standard hard drive after completing the cloning procedure.
Step 3. Defragment the hard drive you want to clone (optional)
The contents of the disc will be rearranged so that the data can be retrieved and read much easier and faster. Defragmenting the disk before the cloning procedure might make the process quicker. Click on the "Start" button and type in the keyword "defragment" to be able to start the Windows app "Defragment and optimize drives". Read this article to find out how to defragment a hard drive.
Step 4. Visit the Macriumsoftware website
Macrium Reflect is a program capable of cloning a hard drive, that is, making the perfect copy of everything in it. The program can be downloaded for free for home use.
Step 5. Download and install Macrium Reflect
Follow these instructions to download and install Macrium Reflect.
- Click on the button Home Use displayed on the page that appeared;
- Click on the "ReflectDLHF.exe" file displayed in the browser window or in the "Download" folder;
-
Click on the item Download visible in the program installation window;
Click on the button Yup to authorize the Macrium Reflect program to make changes to the device.
- Click on the button Next;
- Select the "I agree to the terms in the License Agreement" check button, then click the button Next;
- Click on the option Home, then click the button Next;
- Type in your name and e-mail address and click on the button Next;
- Click on the button Next;
- Click on the button Install;
- Click on the button Finish.
Step 6. Start Macrium Reflect
Macrium Reflect will start automatically at the end of the installation phase. When you need to start the program in the future, click on the white circular icon with two blue curved arrows inside.
If you are asked to create a recovery disk, click on the option No if you have already backed up the hard drive you want to clone by yourself. If not, click on the option Yes and follow the instructions that will appear on the screen.
Step 7. Click on the icon of the hard drive to clone
Inside the program window you will find the list of all memory units installed in your computer. Click on the record corresponding to the hard drive that contains the Windows installation. Click on the check button on the left of the hard drive to select all partitions present in the memory unit.
Step 8. Click on the Clone this disk option
It is visible below the pane which lists all partitions and volumes on the selected hard drive.
Step 9. Click on Select a disk to clone to option
It is located in the center of the "Destination" box displayed at the bottom of the window. The list of all storage drives you can clone the selected hard drive to will be displayed.
Step 10. Click on the SSD
If the SSD has been installed successfully, it should appear in the list of devices to which the selected hard drive can be cloned.
Make sure the SSD has enough free space to accommodate the entire contents of the hard drive. Otherwise you will have to delete some of the files on the SSD or hard drive to be cloned
Step 11. Click the Next button
It is located at the bottom of the Macrium Reflect window.
Step 12. Schedule the cloning procedure (optional)
Macrium Reflect offers the ability to schedule the cloning process to run. If you wish to take advantage of this possibility, click on the button Add Schedule and follow the instructions that will appear on the screen. If you want to clone immediately, read on.
Step 13. Click the Next button
The list of all partitions that will be cloned to the SSD will be displayed.
Step 14. Click the Finish button
It is located in the lower right corner of the program window.
Step 15. Click the OK button
The process of cloning the hard drive to the SSD will begin. The process may take several hours to complete. At the end of this step, you will need to enter your computer's BIOS and change the order of the boot devices so that the system boots from the SSD. Read this article to find out how to change the order of your computer's boot devices.
Method 4 of 5: Format a Hard Drive in Windows
Step 1. Click on the Windows "Start" button
with the right mouse button.
It is located in the lower left corner of the desktop on the taskbar. A context menu will be displayed.
Step 2. Click on the Disk Management option
The system window of the same name will be displayed where all the memory units installed on the computer will be listed.
Step 3. Click on the hard drive you want to format with the right mouse button
The corresponding context menu will be displayed.
Step 4. Click on Format option
After cloning the hard drive, your computer will have two hard drives with the same content. Two installations of Windows are not required on one computer. Remember that when you format a hard drive, all the data it contains is erased.
Before proceeding to format the disk, make sure that all the data you want to keep has been included in the backup
Step 5. Name your hard drive (optional)
If desired, you can rename the hard drive after formatting is complete. For example, you can use the name "Data_Disk".
Step 6. Choose whether to use the "NTFS" or "exFAT" file system
Use the "Format" drop-down menu to select the "NTFS" or "exFAT" option. The "NTFS" file system is only compatible with Windows operating systems, while the "exFAT" file system works on both Mac and PC, but with some limitations.
Step 7. Click the OK button
A pop-up window will appear asking if you want to backup the disk before formatting it. It is always good to point out that it is essential to back up your important personal data before formatting a memory drive. When the formatting process is finished, you will have no way to restore the data that was stored on the drive.
Step 8. Click the OK button
This will confirm that you want to format the hard drive. At the end of this step, the Windows installation will only be present on the SSD, while the standard hard drive will be completely blank. If you want to create a folder structure similar to those in the Windows "Quick Access" section on the hard drive you formatted, read the next part of the article; if not, you can proceed to restore the backup of your personal data.
Method 5 of 5: Change the Folder Path of the Windows "Quick Access" Section
Step 1. Click on the "File Explorer" app icon
It is characterized by a yellow folder. The "File Explorer" system window will appear, allowing you to scan and open all the files and folders on your computer. Inside the left panel of the window are the folders of the "Quick Access" section and all the drives and devices connected to the computer.
Step 2. Click on the hard drive you just formatted
It is listed within the "This PC" section visible in the left pane of the "File Explorer" window. If you have renamed your hard drive, it will be labeled with the one you have chosen, while if you have not selected a specific drive letter, by default it should have the drive letter "D:".
Step 3. Create the set of folders visible in the "Quick Access" section of the "File Explorer" window on the hard drive you just formatted, Normally these are the Desktop folders, Documents, Download, Music, Images And Video.
Follow these instructions to create a folder for each of the listed items:
- Click on the hard drive icon;
- Click on an empty spot in the right pane of the "File Explorer" window;
- Click on the option New one;
- Click on the item Folder;
- Name the new folder you created (for example "Documents", "Pictures", "Videos", etc.).
Step 4. Double click on a folder
To access a specific folder, double-click the corresponding icon. It will most likely be completely empty.
Step 5. Click on the address bar of the "File Explorer" window with the right mouse button
This is the long text bar located at the top of the window and showing the path to the current working directory. A context menu will be displayed.
Step 6. Click on the Copy Address option
The path of the currently selected folder will be copied to the system clipboard.
Step 7. Click on the corresponding folder in the "Quick Access" section with the right mouse button
For example, if you have created the "Videos" folder, click on the "Videos" entry listed in the "Quick Access" section of the "File Explorer" window. A context menu will be displayed.
Step 8. Click on Properties
It is the last item in the drop-down menu that appeared after clicking with the mouse button on the item in the "Quick Access" section corresponding to the folder you created on your hard drive.
Step 9. Click on the Path tab
It is visible at the top of the "Properties" window. The folder path of the "Quick Access" section you have selected will be displayed.
Step 10. Paste the full path of the new folder you created on your hard drive into the text field visible in the center of the "Path" tab
Follow these instructions to complete the step:
- Click on the text field displayed in the center of the "Path" tab and drag the mouse cursor to select all its contents;
- Right-click on the text field in question;
- Click on the item Paste.
Step 11. Click the Apply button
It is located in the lower right corner of the "Properties" window. This will change the path to the selected folder in the Windows "Quick Access" section.
Step 12. Click the OK button
This will close the "Properties" window. Repeat this procedure for all other folders in the "Quick Access" section of Windows. This way you can be sure that certain types of files will be automatically stored on your computer's mechanical hard drive which has a capacity greater than that of the SSD. Now you can transfer any file within these folders, sure that the data will be stored on the computer's mechanical hard drive and not on the SSD. When you have completed setting up these folders on your computer's hard drive, you can restore your data using the backup you created earlier.
