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Windows install on both SSD and HDD

Answered Windows install on both SSD and HDD

  • Thursday, November 22, 2012 7:05 PM
     
     
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    I have a problem, which I've tried to search answer for, but the answers went over my head.

    I have just bought a computer with a 128gb SSD and a 500gb HDD. I chose to install Windows 7 Enterprise myself, from a USB-key. The installation was easy enough. Or so I thought. Because what I did not know, was that I needed to unplug my HDD before the installation, in order to install Windows 7 on that disk alone. I had my HDD plugged in aswell, so it installed a 100 mb "system reserved" partition on my HDD as well as most of Windows on my SSD.

    This, I found, was not a big problem in itself, although I would like to move the system reserved partition to my SSD as well, and just have music, movies, pictures etc. on my HDD. A slave drive so to speak.

    The ACTUAL problem is that my HDD isn't showing up as a normal drive, when I go to disc management I can see that my HDD (Disk 0) has this 100 mb system reserved partition and then a huge unallocated partition which I don't know how to access. The SSD works fine and shows as Disk 1.

    I searched a bit, and found what I thought was the answer. I could turn off the power, plug out my HDD, do a new install on the SSD and then format my hdd afterwards. It didn't quite work, I could start the install, but not really finish it, and I couldn't boot windows after that, I had to plug in the HDD again and let windows install the system reserved partition there again (there is still just one partition, don't worry).

    It all comes down to these keywords:

    Windows 7 Enterprice installation created system reserved partition on HDD and installed on SSD. Now there is a huge unallocated partition on my HDD, which I can't use.

    So... Here's my questions:

    1. Is it possible to move the system reserved partition from my HDD to my SSD, and if so how? Please be clear in your instructions, eg.: saying "activate the drive" doesn't tell me how to activate the drive. Act as if I don't know anything. :-)
    2. If this is possible, will my HDD then just show up as a normal drive? If not, how do I make it so?
    3. If it isn't possible, or if I can't seem to get my head around it, how do I just activate the huge unallocated partition on my HDD?
    4. Is it possible to reinstall Windows 7 Enterprise to the same computer an unlimited amount of times, with the same USB-key?

    Thanks in advance!!!

    Notes:
    HDD = Disk 0
    SSD = Disk 1

     

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  • Thursday, November 22, 2012 9:42 PM
     
     
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    Interchange the order of disks. Set AHCI in BIOS. Delete all partitions on both disks during instalation process. Set correct boot order after first restart -SSD is the first.

    Rgds

    Milos

     
  • Thursday, November 22, 2012 10:11 PM
     
     
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    Thank you for your reply!

    Although, this is the sort of answer that I was afraid of getting, and which I have found lots of.

    I just don't fully understand what you mean. And I don't want to do anything wrong.

    What do you mean by interchanging the order of the disks? I suppose what you mean is that i should make Disk 0 (HDD) into Disk 1, and Disk 1 (ssd) into Disk 0. That seems reasonable enough - but how do I do it?

    I know how to get into BIOS and do a clean install. But what is AHCI - what does it mean that I should "Set AHCI in BIOS"?

    How do I dele all partitions on both disks during instalation? Do I format both of them?

    Won't deleting all partitions also delete windows? And if so, am I supposed to install that before setting the correct boot order? And how do I set boot order?

     
  • Monday, November 26, 2012 3:36 AM
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    Hi,

    You can create a new partition by right-clicking an unallocated or free area, and then click New Simple Volume in Disk Management.

    More information, please see: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/gg309170.aspx

    Tracy Cai

    TechNet Community Support