Andrew: I would recommend the 2nd approach using a high quality SSD for the System Drive such as an Intel 510 Series or even a Revodrive.
Since you are contemplating a fresh install, you may want to consider moving User Profiles off the System Drive using sysprep:
1) Have both the System Drive and the Drive you want User Profiles on (the 512GB SSD would be perfect) installed before you begin. Make sure your boot order is set to use the System Drive.
2) During your Windows installation, at the point you are prompted to create a username/password STOP! Press SHIFT+CTRL+F3 which will reboot the system into Audit Mode. Press Cancel at the Audit Dialog
3) From an Administrative Command Prompt (start | run | cmd [ctrl]+[shft]+[enter]) run:
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\Windows\system32>cd sysprep
C:\Windows\system32\sysprep>sysprep /audit /reboot /unattend:f:\profiles.xml
f: would be the drive letter of a thumbdrive containing the following text making up profiles.xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
<settings pass="oobeSystem">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<FolderLocations>
<ProfilesDirectory>d:\Users</ProfilesDirectory>
<ProgramData>d:\ProgramData</ProgramData>
</FolderLocations>
</component>
</settings>
<cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:E:/sources/install.wim#Windows 7 PROFESSIONAL" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

Note that each line begins with a < and ends with a > in other words, there should be 12 lines. I'll assume you are installing a 64Bit O/S in Line 4, but note the Version in Line 11 ....
4) After running Sysprep, Windows will reboot back into Audit Mode, press OK to reboot back into normal operation
5) All user profiles wil now be located on the D: drive, including User Preferences and Application Data temp files......
If you are interested in moving existing user profiles (not just My Docs, My Pictures, etc) to another volume you can set a NTFS Directory Junction Point pointing to the new location:
http://www.starkeith.net/coredump/2009/05/18/how-to-move-your-windows-user-profile-to-another-drive/
Andrew: I would recommend the 2nd approach using a high quality SSD for the System Drive such as an Intel 510 Series or even a Revodrive.
Any recommended size? 120 GB?
Since you are contemplating a fresh install, you may want to consider moving User Profiles off the System Drive using sysprep:
1) Have both the System Drive and the Drive you want User Profiles on (the 512GB SSD would be perfect) installed before you begin. Make sure your boot order is set to use the System Drive.
2) During your Windows installation, at the point you are prompted to create a username/password STOP! Press SHIFT+CTRL+F3 which will reboot the system into Audit Mode. Press Cancel at the Audit Dialog
3) From a Command Prompt run:
sysprep audit /reboot /unattend:f:\profiles.xml
f: would be the drive letter of a thumbdrive containing the following text making up profiles.xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
<settings pass="oobeSystem">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<FolderLocations> <ProfilesDirectory>d:\Users</ProfilesDirectory> <ProgramData>d:\ProgramData</ProgramData>
</FolderLocations> </component>
</settings>
<cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:E:/sources/install.wim#Windows 7 PROFESSIONAL" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>
Note that each line begins with a < and ends with a > in other words, there should be 12 lines. I'll assume you are installing a 64Bit O/S in Line 4, but note the Version in Line 11 ....
4) After running Sysprep, Windows will reboot back into Audit Mode, press OK to reboot back into normal operation
5) All user profiles wil now be located on the D: drive, including User Preferences and Application Data temp files......
A few questions regarding the information above:
1. The code in the grey box comes out as 9 lines and there are more than 12 pairings of the < & > symbols so unclear exactly how to convert into 12 lines should I go this route
2. I would be running Windows Ultimate 64 so on line 11 I should replace "PROFESSIONAL" with "ULTIMATE" ?
3. Is it necessary that this text file on thumb drive be the only thing on the drive? And I assume the text file name is "profiles.xml".
4. During windows installation process will system installation have progressed enough to even recognize a thumb-drive sitting in a USB port? I assume so as sounds to me like you have done this often enough, and so will there be a prompt on the screen that identifies to me what drive letters are available and what type of drive it is so that I can correctly identify the drive and file? Presumably it could be something entirely different from "f". And do I have this thumb drive installed in the USB port right from the beginning of the installation process?
Thanks
Thanks John, thats a great little trick - wished I had known this earlier - i find it so frustrating
thanks very much
Henrik
Andrew: I would recommend the 2nd approach using a high quality SSD for the System Drive such as an Intel 510 Series or even a Revodrive.
Since you are contemplating a fresh install, you may want to consider moving User Profiles off the System Drive using sysprep:
1) Have both the System Drive and the Drive you want User Profiles on (the 512GB SSD would be perfect) installed before you begin. Make sure your boot order is set to use the System Drive.
2) During your Windows installation, at the point you are prompted to create a username/password STOP! Press SHIFT+CTRL+F3 which will reboot the system into Audit Mode. Press Cancel at the Audit Dialog
3) From a Command Prompt run:
sysprep audit /reboot /unattend:f:\profiles.xml
f: would be the drive letter of a thumbdrive containing the following text making up profiles.xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
<settings pass="oobeSystem">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<FolderLocations>
<ProfilesDirectory>d:\Users</ProfilesDirectory>
<ProgramData>d:\ProgramData</ProgramData>
</FolderLocations>
</component>
</settings>
<cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:E:/sources/install.wim#Windows 7 PROFESSIONAL" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

Note that each line begins with a < and ends with a > in other words, there should be 12 lines. I'll assume you are installing a 64Bit O/S in Line 4, but note the Version in Line 11 ....
4) After running Sysprep, Windows will reboot back into Audit Mode, press OK to reboot back into normal operation
5) All user profiles wil now be located on the D: drive, including User Preferences and Application Data temp files......
If you are interested in moving existing user profiles (not just My Docs, My Pictures, etc) to another volume you can set a NTFS Directory Junction Point pointing to the new location:
http://www.starkeith.net/coredump/2009/05/18/how-to-move-your-windows-user-profile-to-another-drive/