New SSD--how to install programs to D drive

Discussion in 'backup, imaging & disk mgmt' started by Alexhousek, Feb 15, 2015.

  1. Alexhousek

    Alexhousek Registered Member

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    My apologies if this has been asked before. I did a search but couldn't find anything.

    Now that I have a new PC with a new 128 GB SSD drive, I obviously want to install most programs to my much larger D hard drive. However, I'm finding many programs that don't even give you a choice and that's irritating.

    I did find this registry hack:

    http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/48592/how-do-i-change-the-default-program-files-directory-in-windows/

    but, I wasn't sure if there was an easier way or if the above even works in Windows 8.1?
     
  2. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Alex,

    You must have huge programs if you are considering installing them to the D: drive. How much used space do you have in the C: drive? What is the C: drive partition size? Did you install Win8 in MBR or UEFI mode?
     
  3. Alexhousek

    Alexhousek Registered Member

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    My apologies, but I bought the PC from a custom shop, so I don't know if Win8 is installed in MBR or UEFI mode. (I don't even know the difference.)

    My goal was to keep the SSD (128 GB which is my c drive) for primarily my OS and maybe some of my online games. My documents, music, pictures, videos, MS Office, and most of my games I planned on putting on my D drive (1 TB drive). I thought I would try to keep my SSD where I can image it (and restore it if necessary) very quickly and easily.

    The SSD has 40 GB on it already with about 80 GB free.

    On the PC I just replaced, I know that my c drive (only drive) had over 400 GB of stuff on it. Most of that I have not transferred or re-installed on this PC.

    Thanks for any suggestions or assistance Brian.
     
  4. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Alex,

    I must be efficient with space. My Win8.1 has 23.4 GB of used space and I have all the software installed I need. I installed all apps to the C: drive but all data files are on the D: drive.

    I don't have a hibernation file so that saves me 16 GB of used space. I never use hibernation. System Restore is turned off.
     
    Last edited: Feb 15, 2015
  5. Alexhousek

    Alexhousek Registered Member

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    This is a desktop so I don't need hibernation either. How do I get rid of the hibernation file? I did turn System Restore off for the c drive as well.

    There were a number of programs that I installed that I had no choice where they were installed. For example, MS Office, Macrium Reflect, AX64, and also a cooking/recipe program that I've since uninstalled until I figure out how to get it to install on the D drive.

    It really is frustrating when programs don't allow you a choice of where to install themselves.
     
  6. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Check your C: drive Free Space before and after this....

    From an Admin Command Prompt...

    powercfg -h off
     
  7. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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  8. oliverjia

    oliverjia Registered Member

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    Alex,

    Sounds like you don't need to install programs to D: drive. I have a 128 GB SSD drive, no hibernation, no sys restore, and all my programs are installed on the SSD, including MS office, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat and have ~2GB of Dropbox files on it. All in all, I have used ~24GB of space out of 128GB. I feel 128 GB is more than enough for average users, unless you want to install many game programs which are normally huge in size.
     
  9. oliverjia

    oliverjia Registered Member

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    LOL Brian I did the same tricks to save space on my SSD.
     
  10. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    On one of my computers DISM saved 3 GB of space.
     
  11. oliverjia

    oliverjia Registered Member

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    Yes pretty much. I also run this dism commands right after the monthly Microsoft Update. Depending on the size of the update files, ~1-3 GB of space can be saved each time after run this command. pretty cool.
     
  12. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Same here.
     
  13. Hadron

    Hadron Registered Member

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    It is generally not considered a good idea to install programs to a drive other than the default, which is the C drive.
    Even changing the path can sometimes cause unforeseen issues, depending on the program.
     
  14. Alexhousek

    Alexhousek Registered Member

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    Still running Dism.... But, please verify or confirm that I can delete everything in the SoftwareDistribution/Download folder? There is over 1.8 GB of data and/or sub-folders in that folder?!

    Deleting the hibernation file saved 6 GB.

    Thank you.
     
  15. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Yes, everything in the SoftwareDistribution\Download folder can be deleted. Also do it every month after you have completed your Windows Updates.

    Great. I'll be interested to hear how much DISM saves.
     
    Last edited: Feb 16, 2015
  16. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    You can delete everything in...

    C:\Users\Alex\AppData\Local\Temp

    C:\Windows\Temp

    ...but get CCleaner to do it via the Options/Include choice. Select "Include files and subfolders".
     
  17. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Hadron,

    I haven't seen a problem. I've (testing) even changed the C: drive letter to something else, such as K: drive, and ran the computer without a C: drive. It worked fine.
     
  18. Alexhousek

    Alexhousek Registered Member

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    Another 2-3 GB! Plus, another 1.8 via the SoftwareDistribution/Downloads folder. (As my son would say....WOOT!)

    Now, to try %temp%. It worked great in Win7.
     
  19. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    So you have saved over 10 GB? Used Space is now around 30 GB?
     
  20. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Have you moved these folders to the D: drive?

    Contacts
    Desktop
    Documents
    Downloads
    Favorites
    Links
    Music
    Pictures
    Saved Games
    Searches
    Videos
     
  21. Alexhousek

    Alexhousek Registered Member

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    Yessir! I am actually slightly under 30 GB now! Thank you.
     
  22. Alexhousek

    Alexhousek Registered Member

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    I have moved most, but not all, of these to my d drive. The ones I haven't moved (Contacts, Videos, Links) are empty folders right now. I moved them using this guide/reference: http://www.techsupportalert.com/con...rsonal-folders-my-documents-another-drive.htm

    Do you have a different suggestion?
     
  23. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    No, that's what I did too.
     
  24. Alexhousek

    Alexhousek Registered Member

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    Thanks a ton Brian for all your assistance!
     
  25. Acadia

    Acadia Registered Member

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    Hello, Alexhousek, congrats on your new system. To confirm what Brian K said above, yes, you can delete everything in SoftwareDristribution/Downloads. I always wait a couple of days after every MS update, then delete all of them. I've been doing that for two years now, no problem, but I always back them up on my external drives first and delete the backups after several months, but have never had to recover any of them.

    As far as space on your SSD is concerned, if I understand their workings correctly, it does not matter too much if they get crowded and full. As you probably already know, they do not need defraging and a very full SSD, SOME PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG, will work almost as fast as a nearly empty one.

    Enjoy your new system,
    Acadia
     
    Last edited: Feb 16, 2015
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