Advice needed, setting up new computer,saving data.

[magoo]

Alrighty then.........

So my son needs a new box.
I'm putting together a new S1156 system around an EVGA P55 FTW board.
He is a pretty big MMO guy. So he has WoW and all the bizillion updates I'd rather not have to deal with on a fresh install.
Currently he has W7 and about 200GB of stuff on his HDD.......no prOn that I KNOW of.

I'd like to do a clean install on a SSD for the OS and run the other disc as is so as not to have to transfer data or reload data currently on his disc...............

Is this possible?
Is there a better way?
If I load the OS on the SSD how do I get rid of it on the other HDD without FUBARing the data?

 

[magoo]

Hey, anybody got 2 cents?

 

[bigdogchris]

So you want to run the game off of the 200GB (old) hard drive and have the OS loaded on the SSD?

 

[magoo]

So you want to run the game off of the 200GB (old) hard drive and have the OS loaded on the SSD?

I am assuming you could name the SSD with the OS C drive, and the older HDD (with all the data on it D drive and it would be fine? Am I right or way off?

I am wondering how to get the OS off the old drive without FUBARing it......so the system doesn't set up one of those damn boot manager things.

 

[bigdogchris]

I am assuming you could name the SSD with the OS C drive, and the older HDD (with all the data on it D drive and it would be fine? Am I right or way off?

I am wondering how to get the OS off the old drive without FUBARing it......so the system doesn't set up one of those damn boot manager things.

OK, that's easy to do.

Build the system as you intend with the SSD and all. You can install the 200GB drive but just don't hook up any wires. Install the OS as normal on the SSD and update the drivers, etc. Now you can shut down and plug the wires in for the 200GB and bring it up. It will automatically install and be the D: drive.

At this point you have a decision to make. Do you want his User files stored on the SSD or the HDD? If you want the files stored on the SSD, do nothing other than copy everything over from the HDD that you want to saved, then delete everything else except the game folder (cut/paste WoW folder on D:\ root, then delete everything else. You may have to 'take ownership' of Windows folder to delete it). You can run the game from the D:\ without reinstalling it. Just drop a shortcut on the desktop.

What I suggest doing is going to your User folder on the SSD, then go to the Documents folder/properties and go to "Location" tab and his "find target", then point it at the Documents on the D:\users\username\documents. Then repeat for Video's, Downloads, Pictures, etc. What this will do is allow him to store files on the larger HDD, without cluttering up the SSD. Then cut/paste WoW folder on the D:\ root and delete everything except for the WoW folder and Users off the HDD.

 

[magoo]

What I suggest doing is going to your User folder on the SSD, then go to the Documents folder/properties and go to "Location" tab and his "find target", then point it at the Documents on the D:\users\username\documents. Then repeat for Video's, Downloads, Pictures, etc. What this will do is allow him to store files on the larger HDD, without cluttering up the SSD. Then cut/paste WoW folder on the D:\ root and delete everything except for the WoW folder and Users off the HDD.

I think I understand.........but couldn't you just, say for instance, go to the D drive and find say WOW, open the program and make a desktop shortcut? Or is what you describe simply making a C drive user folder for the same thing, so no need to make a shortcut?

And so when you want to start the game, you go to the user folder in the C drive and click it, thus directing the OS to the D drive to open WOW.

I'm not trying to be difficult, I've just never dealt with drives in this manner before and I'm trying to find an easy way to maintain his old drive while loading a fresh install of W7.

 

[bigdogchris]

I think I understand.........but couldn't you just, say for instance, go to the D drive and find say WOW, open the program and make a desktop shortcut? Or is what you describe simply making a C drive user folder for the same thing, so no need to make a shortcut?

And so when you want to start the game, you go to the user folder in the C drive and click it, thus directing the OS to the D drive to open WOW.

I'm not trying to be difficult, I've just never dealt with drives in this manner before and I'm trying to find an easy way to maintain his old drive while loading a fresh install of W7.

I'm suggesting moving the WoW folder out of D:\program files\blizzard\wow or whatever to just D:\wow. This will help make it easier to wipe the rest of the stuff on the drive.

In the end you will have D:\ with

D:\WoW
D:\Users\usersname (Your c:\users\username\documents ... video,s pictures, etc will point here)

There is no need to reinstall WoW. It will run from the D:\ without needing to be reinstalled. Just make a desktop shortcut.

 

[magoo]

Understood.

So, move WoW and other games to their own folders, renamed.....from the old C drive.
Take other files such as iTunes in the old C drive and make sure they are all stuffed into the user file and then rid the old C drive of anything unwanted.

Then the new C drive should be able to find those files on the D drive if I direct C drive user files to the D drive.

 

[bigdogchris]

Understood.

So, move WoW and other games to their own folders, renamed.....from the old C drive.
Take other files such as iTunes in the old C drive and make sure they are all stuffed into the user file and then rid the old C drive of anything unwanted.

Then the new C drive should be able to find those files on the D drive if I direct C drive user files to the D drive.

First, I don't know what you mean by "other games", but most software will need to be reinstalled. Some MMOG's like WoW and Everquest can be ran without being installed. Simply start the patcher and your off.

As for itunes, again, you shouldn't have to move that because it's part of your user folder. By pointing the new user profile folders to the old folders, you'll be saving yourself the hassle of having to move any data what so ever.

Really, this is as simple as

Install/Update the OS on SSD
Hook up HDD. It appears as D:\
Move WoW from Program Files\Blizzard\WoW to D:\WoW
Go to C:\users\Username\Documents (properties->location->find target - Point to D:\users\username\documents) Repeat for Video's etc.
Reinstall old software, including iTunes and run. iTunes will redo it's settings and detect all of the existing media and add it to library
Once your comfortable everything is set up properly, delete everything from D:\ except for d:\wow and D:\users
You may also want to 'view hidden' files look in D:\users\username and delete the hidden folders (or folders other than the ones you pointed over from C since they won't be needed anymore.

 

[magoo]

First, I don't know what you mean by "other games", but most software will need to be reinstalled. Some MMOG's like WoW and Everquest can be ran without being installed. Simply start the patcher and your off.

I meant saves and things like that, sorry.

This seems pretty easy. I just don't want to fill the SSD full of stuff.
When I install any of the "old" or new games, they can be installed to the D drive correct?

I'm really not as stupid as I come off.....I am just anxious I'm going to scrrew this up and gain nothing.

 

[bigdogchris]

I meant saves and things like that, sorry.

This seems pretty easy. I just don't want to fill the SSD full of stuff.
When I install any of the "old" or new games, they can be installed to the D drive correct?

I'm really not as stupid as I come off.....I am just anxious I'm going to scrrew this up and gain nothing.

Yes, you can install stuff to D:\ just fine. Pointing the Documents (and such) from C:\ to D:\ is another way to get rid of the extra stuff (as I've already pointed out). I would highly suggest keeping your paging file on the SSD though. You can also turn down the drive usage of System Restore for the C:\, or even enable it for files (shadowcopy) only.