Default location on partitioned hard disk?

Marty999

I had a problem with my hard disk so I bought a new one, loaded Windows and restored my important data OK. I took advice and created two partitions, one for the operating system (XP Home) and one for the apps and data. The idea of this is that should Windows become corrupted, I can restore it from an image on my external hard disk using Acronis True Image and quickly be up and running again.

The question I have is to do with the default location when I install new programs, it always defaults to the C:\ drive whereas I want it to be the E:\ drive. Is there an easy way to fix this please?

[Deleted User]

You need to go into the Registry to modify the default installation path by navigating through to the following:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version

And then then changing the value of ProgramFilesDir from C:\Program Files to E:\Program Files

Before you make any changes to it, make sure you highlight it and click File then Save In. Chose a location that is easy to access, like the desktop. It will save a .reg file so in the event of anything going wrong, you can just double click that to change the value back to what it was previously.

kwikbreaks

There's no need to go anywhere near the registry.

Right click on the "My Documents" icon in file explorer and select "Properties" - the location can be specified there. There is even a handy button to move the existing folder(s) to the new location.

[Deleted User]

kwikbreaks wrote: »

There's no need to go anywhere near the registry.

There is if you want to change the default installation path for programs, although to change the location of My Documents you are correct.

kwikbreaks

I need to learn to read the questions properly

I'd just made the My Docs change on a PC and somehow got that stuck in my head rather than what was asked.

[Deleted User]

kwikbreaks wrote: »

I need to learn to read the questions properly

It was a collaborative effort, I forgot about My Documents in my reply

kwikbreaks

I think one reason I was blind to default program install location may be because there's not much point moving it - if you restore the windows partition you'll be left trying to guess which programs need a reinstall and which don't.

Marty999

Thanks for your replies guys. I thought that if I install all new programs to the E:\ partition then these would remain intact if I re-image the Windows partition. Or am I wrong in my thinking?

kwikbreaks

When you install programs there are a bunch of files set up in the Program Files\Whatever directory but there are often also dll files put somewhere in the windows directory and registry keys may be set up too.

If you take an image of the Windows partition, install a program into a different partition, then later restore the windows partition there is a good chance that the program installed after you took the image won't work. All the earlier installs would be OK though.

Moving the default install would cut down on the size of your backups but you may find that you'd need to reinstall some programs after a restore. My preference is for bigger backups and clarity - if the program isn't there after a restore I need to install it.

jweb2k

kwikbreaks wrote: »

When you install programs there are a bunch of files set up in the Program Files\Whatever directory but there are often also dll files put somewhere in the windows directory and registry keys may be set up too.

If you take an image of the Windows partition, install a program into a different partition, then later restore the windows partition there is a good chance that the program installed after you took the image won't work. All the earlier installs would be OK though.

Moving the default install would cut down on the size of your backups but you may find that you'd need to reinstall some programs after a restore. My preference is for bigger backups and clarity - if the program isn't there after a restore I need to install it.

Absolutely agree with the above, and bumping it as a note to other computer users too! regular backups!

John_Gray

What I do is to have two partitions:
C: which holds the operating system and all installed programs (like Office)
has all the user data files, including My Documents

This segregates what needs to be backed up and defines the frequency with which you should back it up. One assumes that your data changes more rapidly than does the operating system and installed programs, and so this partition should be backed up more often.

Although you could argue that the operating system partition is also changed as a result of updates, you can always rerun the updates having restored the operating system partition from an image backup (e.g. as produced by Acronis or Shadow Protect).

The important matter is to ensure that you can, comparatively easily, return to the situation you were in before your hard disk crashed. And it will. Some time when you least expect it... :eek: