Use Windows8.1 HyperV developer images. My experience moving from Spindle drives to SSD USB drives.
Spectacular Performance Increase Moving to SSD USB DRIVES for VMs
Quick and Easy Code Backup – Kick it Old School
There are many ways to make a backup of working files quickly and painlessly. There are many tools available such as TFS, GIT or even SharePoint/Office 365, however sometimes the simple approach is the best if you just want a quick copy.