When installing an additional disk, this can be used on a Windows PC to separate the operating system from personal files . The main advantage in doing this is that even if the computer no longer starts or has problems, you can always reinstall Windows without any risk of losing documents, photos or any other type of added file.
Ideally a computer would be optimized in speed with the operating system installed in a small solid state drive and a larger and more spacious hard drive, but a configuration with two normal hard drives is also fine.
Let's see how to use the hard disk added to the computer in 7 different ways.
READ ALSO: SSD or HDD hard drive "> Combine the 2 disks in a single volume
As written in the guide, it is possible to create a set of disks in RAID so that data written on one hard disk is also written on the other in "Mirror".
This ensures an always updated backup and a functioning computer even if one of the two disks fails.
Alternatively, it is possible to combine the two hard drives in a single large storage space.
In this case, however, if one of the two disks breaks, the data on both will be lost.
2) Move folders from one hard disk to another with symbolic links
Program folders can never be moved from one disk to another because otherwise the data structure of that software would lose all reference and would not know where to look for the files.
Symbolic links are a system deception, they tell the computer that such a folder or file is on one disk while it is on the other.
They are useful, for example, to move the Outlook folder or the cache of Chrome.
3) Change the location of the User Data Folder
Without resorting to symbolic links or other witchcraft, Windows allows you to easily change the path of user data folders to move download folders, documents, music, videos, images to the additional hard disk.
Right click on these folders, go to Properties and change the Path.
You will be asked if you want Windows to move the files and, after finishing, the data folders will still be accessible in their normal location.
In Windows 7 the change of path must not take place at the level of the collections, but precisely of the user folders.
4) Use the Collections
The Windows 7 collections feature allows you to add new paths within a single collection.
For example, you could merge folders with movies into the video collection, even if these folders are on the other hard drive.
In this way you can open the video collection to browse and search all the films scattered in various folders and discs.
5) Install programs on other hard drives
When installing a program, you can almost always choose the directory where you want to install it.
This can be particularly useful if the main drive is small while the second one is much more spacious.
Ideally, larger games should be installed on the secondary hard disk, including those downloaded using Steam.
6) Move the paging file
Windows uses a paging file to store data on the disk that cannot be kept in RAM.
The page file is saved in the Windows root directory which, by default, is C: \ pagefile .
To save system disk space, you can move this paging file to another hard disk.
Ideally, the paging file should be kept on the disk faster, however, if you have a lot of RAM, you can move it to the secondary hard drive and save space on the main drive.
READ ALSO: Setting up the paging file, Windows pagefile.sys
To move the paging file go to Control Panel> System> advanced settings> Settings (under the Performance section) > Advanced> Change .
Levarel a cross where it is written Manage automatically ..., select the additional disk and then set the space managed by the system.
7) Save the big files on the hard disk and never on the SSD .
Among the things you should never do with an SSD, one very important one is not to save too large files, such as movies, music tracks or heavy installers on this type of solid state drive if you don't want it to slow down performance.
8) Move Windows to an SSD solid state drive
If you have a desktop computer where there is a solid state drive besides the hard drive, it is convenient to keep the system on the SSD which is faster and the rest of the data on the hard drive.
This can also be done on a laptop because, in many models, you can put the SSD disk in place of the CD player (any computer technician can do it if you don't trust yourself).
Following the linked guide you can then move Windows without reinstalling it and take advantage of the best speed of the SSD disk.
READ ALSO: Free up disk space on the hard disk in 8 ways
