I recently built my computer and I have a solid state drive and a hard drive. The memory on my solid state drive just ran out and I'd like to make my hard drive the active one, but how would I do that?
What you should do is to find what it is that is taking up space on your ssd and address them directly. Switching your boot drive is not terribly easy. Moving files from one drive to another to free up space is. This program should allow you to easily find where all of your space is going. Also how big is your ssd?
To free up space you'll want to move documents and pictures to your hard drive as those do NOT need the space.
Then you'll want to delete Temp files. These can be found by pressing (activates run) and then typing in %temp%
This will bring up an explorer window with temporary files. These are unimportant and take up space. Delete them all. If some don't delete don't freak. the application that is using them may still be running preventing that. You can either ignore that or close that program and try again
Also do you have any adobe programs? They leave their own HUGE temp files
500gb
Not yet
Also, I don't want to move the files, I want to use the HDD
Then what you want is to mirror your ssd to the hdd and then copy the bootmgr over and you should be set, if I'm not mistaken. Never done it myself, but I think that is the gist of it.
Is there a way to use both at the same time?
...........................As the boot drive? You can't have two boot drives.
You want to remap documents, downloads etc to you're hdd then while leaving the windows install on the c drive (ssd)
Go to computer, right click documents, properties, location, then change the drive letter to that of your hdd.
Do that for all folders, pictures, videos, etc etc etc.
Then when you install things choose advanced install or look for the options to choose install location and change the drive letter from to c to whatever.
You may still want to install some programmes on there however.
IE I have steam installed on an ssd so it starts faster but then create a steam library folder on the hdd and tell steam to install games there instead of the c drive to free up space.
No, for more storage
The thing is, my HDD doesn't show up on the This PC tab, only the SSD.
Right click on the start menu, disk management.
If it's recognised you need to make a new volume and give it a drive letter.
If it's not there make sure it's all plugged in and it's not dead.
What do you mean by right click on the start menu?
Well I'm assuming you're on windows for one.
Win 7, right click my computer on the start menu
Win 8, 10. right click the windows logo which would bring up the start menu normally.
Yes, I'm on Windows 8.1, but when I right click it I only get Properties and Open File Explorer
You should see something like that, disk management is what you want.
I could tell you how to do that upon install in linux, but in windows I have no clue.
OSX this works too.
In linux on install you make your HDD your /home and your SSD just the / drive. ALl updates and stuff go to the SSD and everything else goes to the HDD. This works for me with having a 64 GB SSD.
Otherwise you partiton the SSD.
In windows you can just move things :|
I'm not a windows user, but hopefully you get a few ideas
I have StartIsBack, so maybe that is why.
Either way search for disk management in start or control panel and then follow what I said earlier