Configure Windows 8 for an SSD Boot drive with Users in different hard drive

This tutorial was originally done in Windows 8 Release Preview but has now been updated to work with all versions of Windows 8.

1.

Firstly, install your SSD.

Clean format your PC, and install Windows 8

2.

When you get to the “sign into your PC screen” this is where things change.

DO NOT create/log into an MS account, click “Don’t want to sign in with a MS account”, this will make a local account.

3.

DO NOT make a name you actual want, you will make this later.

For this, I shall create an account called "PRO"

4.

Assuming you already have your hard drives formatted and ready (if not format your secondary hard drive for the use of the “Users” folders.

In your Secondary hard drive, in our case the data drive under “E”. We shall make 3 folders, “Program Files”,” Program Files (x86), and “Users”.

These folders will be used as your default user profile; all documents will be saved in this file location.

5.

Next reboot in safe mode, go into Control Panel > Administrative Tools > System Configuration, then under the Boot tab, click Safe mode.

Go into the Control Panel again, this time Folder Options, and click the “show hidden files and folders” then Ok

Go into your “C:/Users” and move the “Default” and “Public” Folders into your secondary hard drive with the newly created Users Folders.

NOTE: You will receive an error when doing this, just click “try again”, don’t worry about it.

6.

Now, Hold the WIN key + Q to open Search, search for “regedit”

Navigate to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\ProfileList

7.

You will want to double click on "Default", "ProfilesDirectory" and "Public"

Instead of “%SystemDrive%\Users\Default”

Change to “E:\Users\Default”

Do this for all of them

NOTE: Change “E” to your drive letter which is the letter you picked beforehand, your secondary 

NOTE: Changing the "ProgramData" option creates more problems that solutions in Windows 8 Full, so it is best to be left alone.

8.

Before you restart,  create a new user account, this is the account you want to keep, in this case “Joe”.

NOTE: Windows will automatically create a Standard user instead of an Administrator, to change to an Administrator, you will need to go into the Desktop version of Control Panel > Users then change the settings there.

9.

Go back into your System Configuration in Control Panel so when you reboot, you go back into the normal Windows and NOT Safe Mode.

10.

After rebooting, you will notice Windows 8 automatically logs into the “Pro” account, to logout.

Hold WIN key + Q to search, and search for CMD

In CMD, type “logoff” then click ENTER

11.

Now log into your main account, in this case “Joe”.

The trick is that Windows will create all user profile in the second drive as intended.

You can go back into the Users settings in Windows and delete the “Pro” account including files.

After doing this, all your programmes and applications will be installed on your SSD while your user profiles and data will all be automatically be saved on your HDD. 

Moving your applications to your SSD creates more problems than solutions so it's best to leave alone though you can find the string:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion]

Thanks for reading