Just got an SSD. Now what?

It's an opportune time to decide whether one really wants a clone of his old system.

With the addition of one or more SSDs, we're not just talking about storage space, we're also talking about making optimum use of its speed. As has been discussed, it's a time to develop a new strategy of where certain files ought to be placed--where is the best place to use the speed of the SSD.

I suggested earlier, for instance, that for a professional image-editing machine with only one SSD, its best use would be as the Photoshop scratch drive and/or the Windows pagefile. I would get less effectiveness from an SSD as a system drive because I seldom shut my machine down and don't frequently start additional programs.

OTOH, if for some reason my uses required frequent start/shutdown or frequent program starts, maybe an SSD as the system drive would make more sense.

The same kind of thinking needs to go into determining where to place data files: On the system drive or on a different drive? Should data be split among drives, with some kinds of data on the system drive and some on a different drive? How will this work in a new back-up scheme?

So as a computer user contemplates a whole new strategy of operation, it make sense to accompany that with a fresh install.

Not only that, but the chances of your computer having bloatware is pretty high...especially if it's a laptop. If you decide to use the SSD as a system drive, it's a great time to get rid of that for once and for all with zero traces left. SSDs are expensive enough as it is...there's no point letting plaque buildup and gunk use it.

Cloning is indeed the path of least resistance but it may not be the best route.