Installing Windows 8.1 on a new system with an SSD

from WinCustomize Forums

Howdy all,

My son is building a brand new system which will have an 240G SSD for the OS and a 1T HDD for everything else.  It probably has that new-fangled BIOS on the board.

Just wondering if there is anything special about installing an OS on an SSD.  Also, how do you keep the OS partition from bloating with user files and all the other crap that ends up in the OS partition.  I know that you can point the library folders to another HDD, but there are a lot of other files which end up being written to the OS partition.  Can you put the "Program Files" folder and etc on the HDD with no problems?

 

I think you get the gist :-)

 

Thanks for any help provided.  I never had to deal with this new BIOS format or SSDs when I was building machines.

 

David

10,840 views 13 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Installing to an SSD drive is the same as any other drive David, no special requirements. As far as putting the Program Files and Program Files (x86) stuff on another drive, I would not even worry about it with a 240GB SSD. I have Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 on different 160GB SSD's for dual boot and still have tons of space left on each of them with plenty of software installed (95GB and 75GB respectively).  When you install software though you can probably change the install location to your secondary HDD in a lot of cases and that should alleviate some of your concern.

Just remember though, you do not ever run defragment software on an SSD drive.

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Most apps/programs will let you choose the install directory/drive. Some files go into the registry for any program, no way to stop that, that I know of.

Modern Apps do not give you a choice on where to install.

I run a 256 GB SSD with Windows 8.1, plus three internal HDDs and I just installed most things in the default place (C drive, SSD). I still have plenty of room. I store things on a HDD, as well as I install all games, on an HDD.

Turn off indexing on the SSD.  Some say to set your TEMP folders to another drive.

Yrag told me to use Acronis backup, make a backup everyday, and turn off system restore.

Now, I have a rig, with a UEFI bios, but the OS was not installed in UEFI mode, so secure boot and fast boot aren't involved.

In order to take full advantage of the UEFI bios, you must install the OS in UEFI mode. I do not know how to do that.

 

I have seen tutorials on how to make a Windows 8.1 disc in UEFI mode but I didn't try doing it.

Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting LightStar, reply 1
Just remember though, you do not ever run defragment software on an SSD drive.
End of LightStar's quote

Yes, good point, Tom. k2

Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

make sure bios settings for the sata ports are ahci and not ide.

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Werewolf!!  Haven't seen that name in a long time. :grin:

Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting MadDeez, reply 4
make sure bios settings for the sata ports are ahci and not ide.
End of MadDeez's quote

Yes, BEFORE installing the OS, this is very important. Setting the BIOS to AHCI afterwards will be very problematic.

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting RedneckDude, reply 6


Quoting MadDeez, reply 4make sure bios settings for the sata ports are ahci and not ide.

Yes, BEFORE installing the OS, this is very important. Setting the BIOS to AHCI afterwards will be very problematic.
End of RedneckDude's quote

I may be wrong but I thought Win 8/8.1 always set AHCI as the default, though it wouldn't hurt to set it in BOIS to be sure

Quoting RedneckDude, reply 2
Turn off indexing on the SSD. Some say to set your TEMP folders to another drive.

Yrag told me to use Acronis backup, make a backup everyday, and turn off system restore.
End of RedneckDude's quote

Yes, this can save quite a bit of disc space.  While a 240gb SSD isn't likely to run out of space any time soon with just the OS and applications loaded, if space did become a concern then disable the abovementioned and have user files stored elsewhere on the HDD.  I have a 250gb SSD and all my user files [documents; downloads; pictures; videos and music, etc] are saved to a partition on a HDD, thus saving reads/writes as well as disc space.

Quoting RedneckDude, reply 2
In order to take full advantage of the UEFI bios, you must install the OS in UEFI mode. I do not know how to do that.
End of RedneckDude's quote

Here's a couple of tutorials on how to do it via USB, Jim... link and link   Also some interesting information here

Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Do you HAVE to install Win8.1 in UEFI mode?  Can it be installed in classic mode and still have access to the SSD?  (sorry, total SSD newbie)

 

 

Thanks to all!!! That doesn't seem all that daunting.

 

HI WOM!!!! how are you doing these days?

Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

No, werewolf.  You don't have to install 8.1 on UEFI mode. I have Windows 8.1 installed in regular mode. But you do lose some things, like secureboot, and fast boot. These things need UEFI mode to work.

Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Am still breathing.  What have you been up to these days?

Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Working for a company which wholesales auto cooling and collision parts, ie plastic bumper covers, fenders, radiators, fans, etc.  It is a dirty smelly stinky place.  There is a black dust which covers absolutely everything and does not wash out of clothing. hah

But I'm employed so... there's that.  Everything else is hunky dory.

Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting werewolf, reply 11
It is a dirty smelly stinky place. There is a black dust which covers absolutely everything and does not wash out of clothing
End of werewolf's quote

Does your employer provide masks, etc, for this dust problem? 

If not, then he/she should....cos if it won't wash out of clothing, imagine what it is doing to your lungs. :S

Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Hey Werewolf!! Good to see you, hope everything is OK..... :)