Small SSDs and O.S. file structures, need ideas and experience
This is also a Windows issue, but now SSDs have made it more prominent.
With SSDs being smaller, especially by our financial choices, it is important to be able to move as much as possible from C:\ to other HDDs.
Some simple transfers are obvious, but I found out the hard way that once you choose the wrong files to move, -the desktop, and one's access to all files can be hugely downgraded or made completely unusable. I was into some user files, I think, when I messed things up.
Fortunately it was a very new experimental build that showed me the error of my ways, I managed to save the few things I needed and rebuild, but it could have been bad had I messed up a machine that was in service and needed to go back on the line.
SO:
Anyone aware of any guides or tutorials that help us get C:\ down to absolute minimum size and keep it that way without just constantly cutting and copying files over?
Currently the MS Partner forums imply that Windows 8 may get an upgrade for simplifying this process, maybe as part of an upcoming SP.
"Downloads" can be a very large folder for folks who leave vids and such there. I simply moved the folder to D:\ and Windows accepted its new location as default.
...however, if you're only moving the downloads folders and the libraries, it's probably best to just change the default save location.
One further option is to use the Windows Automated Installation Kit. This will allow you to change the default profile directories (or even program directories!) at the point of install. It'll also let you pre-program the CD Key too if you have a volume key, or if you want to create a restore disk for your PCs (or customers!)
Martin
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Now we have a plan, but - oh no - not another re-build!
Now we have a plan, but - oh no - not another re-build!
Thanks, these articles are exactly what I should have started with!
More from Martin; for others who want to read up on this:
Quote:
Originally Posted by mporcas
If you're just changing the default locations you should be able to do a lift and shift as long as you don't touch any programs or ancilliary files.
Use this tutorial for existing user profiles:
You may need to reinstall any/all app that stop working as they'll have some files in the userdata folders that are direct links rather than <users>\Bruce\appdata\... if you see what I mean.
Getting rid of the hibernation file can save a number of gigabytes now that systems often come with a lot of RAM, since that file gets larger the more RAM there is.
Start a command prompt with administrator rights and type: powercfg -h off
Check so that the hiberfile.sys is not still in C:, at least under Vista it could still be left behind sometimes but then at least deletable.
One could also move the paging file to another drive since it's typically used very little nowadays but can still be pretty big by default. Some badly designed programs may still require its precense so down right disabling it on a regular users system might not be a good idea, but I haven't had a problem running without it for the last few years.
To refresh my memory I set Windows 7 to manage the page file by itself and lo and behold, Windows still puts up a file as big as the RAM, so would mean 16GB SSD space to no use on this computer.
You guys are competent, experienced, and knowledgeable; I am constantly amazed.
There are few groups who have the expertise that is evident here. From commercial art to hard core IT and machine issues, someone always comes through.
Oh yeah, I didn't "almost forgot"; we have gamers who can test the best of the new offerings. It is a huge industry and needs assessment.
Getting rid of the hibernation file can save a number of gigabytes now that systems often come with a lot of RAM, since that file gets larger the more RAM there is.
Start a command prompt with administrator rights and type: powercfg -h off
Check so that the hiberfile.sys is not still in C:, at least under Vista it could still be left behind sometimes but then at least deletable.
are their any negative aspects to disabling that feature?
Only if you would have liked to use the hibernation feature. Hibernation in Windows Vista/7 is an alternative power saving mode where the machine first saves the contents of system RAM to a drive and then completely powers off. The main benefit is power saving and reliability compared to "suspend to RAM", but on the other hand it's slower to both enter and exit that power saving existance. Especially on systems with a lot of RAM. Now that at least Windows 7 starts up so quickly from a regular shutdown using most any SSD I'd figure most would not miss it, except maybe on a laptop.
Small SSDs and O.S. file structures, need ideas and experience
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