Discussing how to reinstall Windows.
Discussing how to reinstall Windows.
I possess a 32GB SSD for Windows and a 1TB HDD for other needs. The 32GB isn’t sufficient, and the limited SSD space is causing many issues. I ordered a 60GB SSD to resolve this. After reinstalling Windows on the new SSD, do I have to reinstall everything on the HDD too? For instance, my Steam folder is entirely on the HDD. Will I need to reinstall Steam and all my games? This is my first setup with two drives, which is really confusing for me.
With the exception of Steam and mobile apps, you must reinstall all your applications using a fresh Windows setup. Steam, though, will launch if you go to your installation folder—such as D:/Games/Steam—and double-click Steam.exe. It may ask for admin privileges; just click OK and when prompted provide your account details. Once done, you’ll have all your Steam games ready. I notice you’ll likely need to reinstall Steam unless you keep navigating to the same location as your Steam apps folder, but be aware that every game will still install from scratch, even if it takes a short time. Origin doesn’t follow this process. You can store the installers in a directory on your hard drive to skip the download, though you’ll still have to reinstall the games afterward.
Portable applications are programs that don’t require installation to function. Below is a selection of some examples (the quality isn’t confirmed). You can find more at http://portableapps.com/apps. Remember, you need the save installers feature turned on during download, or you’ll lose access and have to re-download everything.
They tend to be compact since they don’t include the installation files. The main distinction lies in whether you get a portable option like a switchblade or a more complete set such as a leatherman.