Combo7 Posted June 8, 2005 Posted June 8, 2005 C: drive = Windows Partition (9 gigs) E: drive = All other data partition (143 gigs) Dont know if this belongs here, so im sorry if it doesnt. I just have a simple question. I partitioned my drive last night using Disk Manager in Windows XP. Now, when i install programs (anything) it defaults the install file to the C: drive. Now, thats the section of the drive i wanted for Windows and my drivers ONLY. Is there a way to change it so when stuff installs, it defaults to my E: drive (my larger hard disk partition)? I know you can change it manually to where you want to install, but that becoms a slight nuisance (i can live with it if i have to) and plus, programs (Norton for example) STILL install parts of the program (The Symantec Live Update program for example) to the C: drive. I know you can change drive letters in Disk Management, but you cant change the letter name of your boot sector (i dont think) and the C: drive is my boot sector. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cythrawl Posted June 9, 2005 Posted June 9, 2005 AFAIK it will always default to the partition you installed windows to (be it C: D; E: whatever) and it will always default to %System%Program Files This is usually hard coded into the installer 99% of the time by using the above flag (%System%Program Files) If there IS a way round it I have never found it in my 10 years of using Doze since Windows 95. and yes programs will always install to %System%Program FilesCommon for shared parts. Theres nothing you can do about that either again its hard coded into windows and the installers. I wish it was just a case of EVERYTHING went into one folder for EVERY program. that folder contained EVERYTHING for said program and nothing installs to the system folders, OS install etc... Its a long time ago, but I'm 90% sure that the Amiga worked this way (once you got a Hard drive for it) and when I went to the PC I thought it was completely butt backward with its installing processes. It still is in fact, but I have learned to deal with it I guess... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combo7 Posted June 9, 2005 Posted June 9, 2005 Is this it? "Description This recipe will change the default location that windows installs programs. Directions I have always been a two hard drive kinda guy. I like to keep my main drive running mean and lean with mainly just the OS running. On my second drive I like to install the majority of my programs. However, windows always wants to install programs to "c:program files" and changing it everytime can be a pain. After you back up your registry, this is how you can change this default location. 1. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion 2. Find ProgramFilesDir whose default should be C:Program Files 3. Change this to whatever directory you wish. I changed it to D:Program Files for example. Remember you have to reboot for your changes to show. " Taken from: http://www.tech-recipes.com/windows_tips242.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combo7 Posted June 9, 2005 Posted June 9, 2005 ok, ive decided it wasnt too much trouble to just change the path during an install. Ill live with it, it isnt a big deal Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_bowtie Posted June 9, 2005 Posted June 9, 2005 Combo.... Thats correct....I have done that on many systems where the initial hard drive was only 4-10 gig....You can also change the source that it pulls info from when required too in the same area under "source path".... Nice thing bout Xp is it will ask you where you want to install a file...you can browse and point it to another drive...The only ones I install on the same drive are the windows update files... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scott Posted June 9, 2005 Posted June 9, 2005 What's gained by putting all apps except Windows on another drive? If Windows gets corrupted, don't you have to reinstall all the apps anyway to get them into the Windows registry? Then isn'tit better to put Windows & apps on one drive, data on another? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cythrawl Posted June 9, 2005 Posted June 9, 2005 Is this it? "Description This recipe will change the default location that windows installs programs. Directions I have always been a two hard drive kinda guy. I like to keep my main drive running mean and lean with mainly just the OS running. On my second drive I like to install the majority of my programs. However, windows always wants to install programs to "c:program files" and changing it everytime can be a pain. After you back up your registry, this is how you can change this default location. 1. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion 2. Find ProgramFilesDir whose default should be C:Program Files 3. Change this to whatever directory you wish. I changed it to D:Program Files for example. Remember you have to reboot for your changes to show. " Taken from: http://www.tech-recipes.com/windows_tips242.html Yeah Im sure that may work in most cases, but some Install programs just default to C:Program Files regardless to Windows is installed. For example if you have windows installed to D: and you run an install, sometimes it STILL has C:Program files in the installation path.. Its retarded. I have more issues than you as my drive is partitioned in the following way: C: (20gb) Windows D: (60gb) Games E: (60gb) Utilities, Apps, FTP Server folder, etc F: (40gb) Downloads, Temp, MP3's, Etc Im just a bit of a neat freak when it comes to installs, I cant stand everything stuffed into one folder on the C: Drive. I Guess it becuase I used to be such a DOS neat freak. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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