slimming down windows 7 on my workstation

[Newwave]

Hi everyone, Sorry I have been away for some time.

I need some help with my work station, any help would be greatly appreciated.

my solid state drive is getting cramped.
I have a 1tb drive split into 2 partitions. one currently has a os on it, and the other has my shared files.
I want to get rid of the os on the first partition, and use that space for, slimming down the os on the solid state drive.
I read it is easier to do this with a clean install, so I want to re-install my os on the ssd.

#1: I'm not sure if the process is the same for a ssd as it is for a mechanical drive to re-install a os.
like do I have to use trim or something to clear the data of the ssd before or after reinstall of the os, etc.

#2: what should I move from my os to the 2nd hhd, that will not cause any conflics but free up some space.
I'm not interested in moving programs folders, just other stuff like user folders, indexing, etc.

#3 is there any tutorials you guys/girls recommend to move these properly.


my work station details
os: windows 7 home premium
cpu: Intel core i7 2600
gpu: Nvidia Geforce GT440 with 1.5GB ram
ram: 8 gigs of ddr3
hhd #1: 40 gb Intel x25-v sata ssd
hhd #2 : WD 1tb

[cmanser]

For the SSD you have to do a secure erase to get the drive back to factory fresh state. Definatley do this for the max speed possible. You can go to Intel and download the SSD toolbox which has a secure erase function.

You could also use 7-lite to slim down the Win7 install. I usually take out Help files and some of the drivers I know I will never use.

http://www.rt7lite.com/

[Mats]

A clean install of Windows 7 SP1 x64 Ultimate uses 7.3 GB, excluding hardlinks, pagefile, hibernation, and manually installed drivers.
Files that uses much space: natural language, speech, tablet, media center, help, languages (especially traditional chinese, simplified chinese, korean, japanese (I've read that japanese is needed for office 2010, dunno, check it), just remove all languages you don't need).

Just remember to be careful when removing components, it's quite easy to make an ISO that works, but it's hard to see exactly what components you will need in the future.
For instance, maybe half a year after install I realized that my new mobile phone wouldn't play nice when connecting with USB, reinstall AGAIN was the only solution.
Always test your images in a VM or a spare HDD/computer.

I must ask the obvious:
Have you disabled hibernation (= 8 GB)?

Have you disabled or minimized pagefile (= 8 GB)?

Easiest way to move users subfolders (Pictures, Documents, Downloads... .):
Select the folders in Explorer, right-click-drag-and-drop to the other HDD, select move in the popup menu.
All settings in the registry are changed automatcally, much quicker way than editing the library or messing with the settings during installation. It takes about 5 seconds.