I have just about the same system you have, refurbished even. I think there's an "image" of the operating system stored or cached on the SSD, and (maybe) when the computer boots up, it first 'looks at' the C drive but then sees that there's an image of Windows 7 on the SSD and 'bounces' to there and boots from the SSD.
I think.
After I used my new computer a few times and checked "properties" on the J drive (the SSD) it had not 256GB available, but about 236GB. Apparently Windows 7 is about 20GB. After I used Flight Simulator X a few times, the J drive had about 201GB free. I THINK since I'd loaded Flight Simulator several times, some program decided to keep it on the SSD also.
This technology is fairly new (2011) and there aren't yet many computer experts who can explain it in terms we moderately computer savvy people can understand. That first article says it only works for SSD's as big as 64GB, but the article doesn't have any references later than 2011, so I suppose these technologies -- Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) and Smart Response Technology (SRT) have been expanded to make use of all 256GB in the SSD's on our computers.
Thanks for your reply. I would like to inform you that you would have a msata SSD installed on the system. In which OS is installed on the Sata harddrive when Msata is used a cache device. This Combination enables you to experience of fast computing because all Cache files store in SSD and have full availablity of huge size of normal harddrive.
If you still wish to install windows on the SSD only you can do the same by booting the system through windows disk and installing OS on Msata harddrive.
However, we would not advise or recommend the same as having SSD as cache device makes system to run more faster and better.
If you have any further queries please feel free to contact us.
I would like to inform you that if it is a factory installed windows then it would be on the SSD drive already.
Please let me know which software you have used to take the backup of the windows image. Have you tried the same to load the image on the SSD harddrive.
It would be better you take a backup on external harddrive or USB drive and then can try loading the image on the SSD. Once that is done then you can for the Sata drive to be used as storing the data only.
Another way is to clean install windows on the SSD only and then use Sata drive for storage.
This is a refurbished xps8500, I guess when Dell re-installed the OS they put it on the 2TB HD and made the SSD the data drive. I did get the windows 7 disc with the pc. I just want the OS to be on the SSD and use the 2TB HD as the data drive. It looks like the SSD is attached directly onto the motherboard which makes this even harder for me to do. Do you have any detailed instructions on how to fix this? I also wanted to know if there is a way to rename the drives? Thank you for any help it is greatly appreciated.
As of now the 2TB HD is called OSDisk(C) and the SSD drive is called DATAPART1(J). Could I just unplug the 2TB hd and do a fresh reinstall of Windows 7 with the disc I received with this pc? To create a new boot (C) drive then reformat the 2TB hd for the data drive? Thanks.
I have the same question, my OS also seems to be installed on the 2TB drive and not the SSD. What's the best way to change that? Or is there something else going on like david78209 mentioned?
I would like to inform you that we have two types of harddrive technology that is shipping. The one you would have in which Windows is installed on the normal Sata harddrive and msata is used as a cache harddrive.
As msata is used a cache drive it makes system run more faster. However, if you still wish you can do a format and reinstall on msata harddrive which would delete everything that it stored on the system.
If you have any further queries please feel free to contact us.
Thank you all for the helpful information. After everything I have heard I am just going to leave everything the way it is. I want this pc to last and have heard that having the OS installed directly on the SSD can shorten the drives life span. It seems to boot up very quickly now. The main use for this pc is for my wife to run Photoshop and Lightroom on for her photography business. I installed both of these programs directly to the SSD and they open very fast compared to her current pc. I will leave the SSD to do its thing (cache drive for the 2tb drive), and only install programs like photoshop on it. Thanks again for all of you help!
Its great to hear that you find the information provided by us satisfactory. I am sure that would be best thing to do and ensure that you have new system running without any issues.
If you have any further queries please feel free to contact us.
I have the same system, and experienced the same issues. I started by installing Win 7 on the SSD and switched the J: drive to the boot drive. It booted right up. I checked the C: drive and everything seemed fine. I figured that I had a bootable Win 7 OS on both drives and could just leave the original install partition and the recovery partition on the 2TB drive.
For whatever reasons, I decided to try to return to the factory installed setup....... and have been trying to get it set back up with the Intel SRT ever since. Right now, I have an empty SSD and I haven't been able to get the ISRT working as it was originally set up.
I'm guessing that I could just do a Windows backup/mirror of my current drive, do a fresh factory install using the recovery partition, and then just restore my data?
I would like to know your system configuration so that I could suggest you the steps to configure the mSATA drive on your system. Please send me a private message with the computer's service tag. To send a private message, click on my name and select start conversation.
david78209
1 Message
1
March 18th, 2013 18:00
Cup Check -- You might read
en.wikipedia.org/.../Smart_Response_Technology
and
en.wikipedia.org/.../Intel_Matrix_RAID
I have just about the same system you have, refurbished even. I think there's an "image" of the operating system stored or cached on the SSD, and (maybe) when the computer boots up, it first 'looks at' the C drive but then sees that there's an image of Windows 7 on the SSD and 'bounces' to there and boots from the SSD.
I think.
After I used my new computer a few times and checked "properties" on the J drive (the SSD) it had not 256GB available, but about 236GB. Apparently Windows 7 is about 20GB. After I used Flight Simulator X a few times, the J drive had about 201GB free. I THINK since I'd loaded Flight Simulator several times, some program decided to keep it on the SSD also.
This technology is fairly new (2011) and there aren't yet many computer experts who can explain it in terms we moderately computer savvy people can understand. That first article says it only works for SSD's as big as 64GB, but the article doesn't have any references later than 2011, so I suppose these technologies -- Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) and Smart Response Technology (SRT) have been expanded to make use of all 256GB in the SSD's on our computers.
sandeep_par
3 Apprentice
•
1.5K Posts
1
March 19th, 2013 08:00
Hi Cup Check,
Thanks for your reply. I would like to inform you that you would have a msata SSD installed on the system. In which OS is installed on the Sata harddrive when Msata is used a cache device. This Combination enables you to experience of fast computing because all Cache files store in SSD and have full availablity of huge size of normal harddrive.
If you still wish to install windows on the SSD only you can do the same by booting the system through windows disk and installing OS on Msata harddrive.
However, we would not advise or recommend the same as having SSD as cache device makes system to run more faster and better.
If you have any further queries please feel free to contact us.
Thanks and Regards
Sandeep P
#iworkfordell
sandeep_par
3 Apprentice
•
1.5K Posts
0
March 16th, 2013 07:00
Hi Cup Check,
Welcome to the community.
I would like to inform you that if it is a factory installed windows then it would be on the SSD drive already.
Please let me know which software you have used to take the backup of the windows image. Have you tried the same to load the image on the SSD harddrive.
It would be better you take a backup on external harddrive or USB drive and then can try loading the image on the SSD. Once that is done then you can for the Sata drive to be used as storing the data only.
Another way is to clean install windows on the SSD only and then use Sata drive for storage.
Thanks and Regards
Sandeep P
#iworkfordell
Cup Check
4 Posts
0
March 18th, 2013 11:00
This is a refurbished xps8500, I guess when Dell re-installed the OS they put it on the 2TB HD and made the SSD the data drive. I did get the windows 7 disc with the pc. I just want the OS to be on the SSD and use the 2TB HD as the data drive. It looks like the SSD is attached directly onto the motherboard which makes this even harder for me to do. Do you have any detailed instructions on how to fix this? I also wanted to know if there is a way to rename the drives? Thank you for any help it is greatly appreciated.
Cup Check
4 Posts
0
March 18th, 2013 14:00
As of now the 2TB HD is called OSDisk(C) and the SSD drive is called DATAPART1(J). Could I just unplug the 2TB hd and do a fresh reinstall of Windows 7 with the disc I received with this pc? To create a new boot (C) drive then reformat the 2TB hd for the data drive? Thanks.
Gervin33
1 Message
0
March 18th, 2013 23:00
I have the same question, my OS also seems to be installed on the 2TB drive and not the SSD. What's the best way to change that? Or is there something else going on like david78209 mentioned?
sandeep_par
3 Apprentice
•
1.5K Posts
0
March 19th, 2013 08:00
Hi Gervin33,
Welcome to the community.
I would like to inform you that we have two types of harddrive technology that is shipping. The one you would have in which Windows is installed on the normal Sata harddrive and msata is used as a cache harddrive.
As msata is used a cache drive it makes system run more faster. However, if you still wish you can do a format and reinstall on msata harddrive which would delete everything that it stored on the system.
If you have any further queries please feel free to contact us.
Thanks and Regards
Sandeep P
#iworkfordell
Cup Check
4 Posts
0
March 19th, 2013 10:00
Thank you all for the helpful information. After everything I have heard I am just going to leave everything the way it is. I want this pc to last and have heard that having the OS installed directly on the SSD can shorten the drives life span. It seems to boot up very quickly now. The main use for this pc is for my wife to run Photoshop and Lightroom on for her photography business. I installed both of these programs directly to the SSD and they open very fast compared to her current pc. I will leave the SSD to do its thing (cache drive for the 2tb drive), and only install programs like photoshop on it. Thanks again for all of you help!
sandeep_par
3 Apprentice
•
1.5K Posts
0
March 19th, 2013 11:00
Hi Cup Check,
Its great to hear that you find the information provided by us satisfactory. I am sure that would be best thing to do and ensure that you have new system running without any issues.
If you have any further queries please feel free to contact us.
Thanks and Regards
Sandeep P
#iworkfordell
ChuckJP_c68a33
1 Message
0
March 21st, 2013 22:00
I have the same system, and experienced the same issues. I started by installing Win 7 on the SSD and switched the J: drive to the boot drive. It booted right up. I checked the C: drive and everything seemed fine. I figured that I had a bootable Win 7 OS on both drives and could just leave the original install partition and the recovery partition on the 2TB drive.
For whatever reasons, I decided to try to return to the factory installed setup....... and have been trying to get it set back up with the Intel SRT ever since. Right now, I have an empty SSD and I haven't been able to get the ISRT working as it was originally set up.
I'm guessing that I could just do a Windows backup/mirror of my current drive, do a fresh factory install using the recovery partition, and then just restore my data?
DELL-Ravi Ch
7 Technologist
•
7.1K Posts
0
April 3rd, 2013 22:00
Hi ChuckJP,
I would like to know your system configuration so that I could suggest you the steps to configure the mSATA drive on your system. Please send me a private message with the computer's service tag. To send a private message, click on my name and select start conversation.