How to split XP to a SSD and regular spinning storage

Question

Looking for instructions on how to install XP on a SSD drive so that pretty much only the core stuff (DLLs system exes) are on the SSD drive. Most drivers are loaded once into memory essentially at boot time. I have 4 gig so the kernel is locked in core anyway due to a registry setting.

I already have nLite to limit what is installed. (This is experimental system)

Even when loading IDEs packages to my normal SATA drives seems to cause MSI cache stuff to be loaded onto the SSD drive reducing its 16gig. I have already moved my “Documents & Setting” to another drive. Windows seems to put dead stuff in

\SSD\WINDOWS\Installer or

\SSD\WINDWS\Downloaded Installations\

Thanks

Answer 1

I would recommend installing Windows to the SSD and then remounting the Document and Settings and Program Files folders on the magnetic storage. Trying to move anything else will cause you a great deal of trouble with very small benefit, if any.

Answer 2

You can edit the environment variables so Program Files, Documents And Settings, etc were on spinning media. I'm not sure I'd recommend splitting the Windows directory up though... So I'm not sure how much help that is to you.

Rather than moving everything else to another location, you might do best to edit %WINDIR% and then copy C:\Windows to your SSD (the order is important). No idea how you'd bootstrap that though. You might have to install to SSD and then move things off it.

And an edit: just for general information (even though it might have no use to you), doing this with Linux is easier than making toast.

Answer 3

If you're not too concerned about efficient use of disk space, you could create several small partitions on a normal SATA drive. Choose a directory to migrate off of the SSD and temporarily remove its contents. Using the "Disk Management" tool, mount one of the small partitions to the directory (as opposed to assigning a drive letter). And then restore the contents of the directory.

Answer 4

If both drives are NTFS you could first install to hdd, and then move directories like system32 to the ssd and replace them by a reparse point (junction). You would have to use a second system for doing that though, which could be a live cd like bartpe i guess.

For junction creation junction.exe from sysinternals-now-MS maybe useful: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896768.aspx