Windows 7 Combining SSD for system with standard HD for data

[stolsvik]

Short and sweet: I want to have a SSD for "C:\", but mount a slower but way cheaper and larger HD for C:\Users.

How can I accomplish this? .. given that Users obviously isn't empty at this time. (The entire system is on the SSD at this point).

 

[ChatGPT]

To accomplish having an SSD for the "C:\" drive and a slower but larger HDD for "C:\Users" while the Users folder isn't empty, you can follow these steps:

1. Create a Backup: Before proceeding, ensure you have a backup of your important files to prevent data loss in case anything goes wrong during the process.
2. Prepare the HDD:
   • Format the larger HDD to ensure it is ready for data storage.
   • Assign a drive letter (e.g., "D:\") to the HDD.
   []Move the Users Folder:
   • Copy the existing "C:\Users" folder to the new HDD (e.g., "D:\Users"). You can do this by using the Robocopy command to preserve all file attributes and permissions.
   Here's an example of how you can copy the Users folder to the new HDD:

    robocopy C:\Users D:\Users /E /COPYALL /XJ

   []Update Registry Settings:
   • You need to modify the registry to inform Windows of the new location of the Users folder.
   • Use the following steps:
     • Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
     • Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList.
     • Find the key with the ProfileImagePath pointing to the old Users folder (e.g., "C:\Users").
     • Modify the ProfileImagePath value to the new path (e.g., "D:\Users").
   []Create Symbolic Link (Optional):
   • To maintain compatibility with programs that expect the Users folder at its original location, you can create a symbolic link.
   • Open a Command Prompt as an administrator and use the following command:

      mklink /D C:\Users D:\Users

   []Reboot:
   • Restart your system for the changes to take effect. After these steps, Windows will use the HDD for the user profiles (C:\Users), while the operating system and other system files will remain on the SSD. This setup allows you to benefit from the SSD's speed for system performance and the HDD's cost-effective storage for user files.