Changing Default Installation Directory & Moving Files From C Drive to D Drive

[kylenguy3n]

I have a Windows 10 64-bit PC which has two separate storage locations. My D Drive is an HDD with approximately 2 TB of storage, and C Drive only contains 150 GB of storage and is also an HDD.

Since my C Drive is still an HDD, I don't really need to install new programs on it, so I am thinking of just keeping the actual Windows files and my User files on it, while having Program Files and Program Files (86x) moved to my D Drive.

Yes, I have read online about changing the installation directory so that programs will now install to the D drive automatically so I don't have to change the directory manually, or end up installing to the C drive again if it doesn't ask. I went through regedit, and through this pathHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion I changed C in ProgramFilesDir and ProgramFilesDir (86x) to D. I also went through WOW6432Node and did the same thing.

However, all my shortcuts do not work, because they try to locate the program in the D drive when they are in the C drive. I could fix this easily by just changing the shortcut link but to the C drive, but I am thinking of moving all the installed programs from Program Files and Program Files (86x) I have on the C drive to the D drive. I'm not sure how to do this, and this is one of the questions I need help finding the solution to.

Another question is, when I change the ProgramFilesDir in regedit and restarted my PC, Windows applications started to not work, like regedit itself, along with task manager, cmd (for admin) and user account control, which I need to install programs, so changing the install directory was futile. things like Windows Media Player doesn't even work when I try to open my songs. How can I fix this, would I just have to go into regedit in safe mode and change ProgramFilesDir back to the C drive?

 

[ajpaolello]

Maybe not changing the whole program directory to C drive? I know there would be some manual work required to make sure stuff doesn't go into the C drive, but that seems to be what broke the Windows programs. I'd try safe mode boot to see if you can fix it. If not, might want to reinstall windows. For the shortcuts, maybe create a new shortcut from its new location. The old shortcut is trying to load the program from its old location, causing the error when it doesn't find it and the computer isn't smart enough to find its new location. Creating a new shortcut from its new location would probably solve the problem.

 

[USAFRet]

Change your ProgramFiles back to the original.

All that regedit junk just screws up the system, as you have seen.

When installing an application, almost all give you the option of where to install it. Don't just accept the default, choose Custom or Advanced.

Also, applications don't really take up that much space. Video/music/games...that is what sucks up drive space.

 

[kylenguy3n]

Maybe not changing the whole program directory to C drive? I know there would be some manual work required to make sure stuff doesn't go into the C drive, but that seems to be what broke the Windows programs. I'd try safe mode boot to see if you can fix it. If not, might want to reinstall windows. For the shortcuts, maybe create a new shortcut from its new location. The old shortcut is trying to load the program from its old location, causing the error when it doesn't find it and the computer isn't smart enough to find its new location. Creating a new shortcut from its new location would probably solve the problem.

I haven't even moved the Program Files from the C drive to the D drive yet, it was just a suggestion. And the shortcut is directed to the D drive when the applications are still in the C drive, not the other way around. But as I said I don't need help on that because that's an easy matter to fix.

 

[kylenguy3n]

Change your ProgramFiles back to the original.

All that regedit junk just screws up the system, as you have seen.

When installing an application, almost all give you the option of where to install it. Don't just accept the default, choose Custom or Advanced.

Also, applications don't really take up that much space. Video/music/games...that is what sucks up drive space.

So there is no legitimate method to set my D drive as the default installation directory? I'm going to have to always do custom installations? If so that's a bummer, and Microsoft can't do anything about it? Right now, I've switched regedit back to normal in safe mode, where all the Windows programs work in. All the Windows programs such as task manager and so work again, and same with the shortcuts, but I'm back to custom installations.

 

[USAFRet]

Change your ProgramFiles back to the original.

All that regedit junk just screws up the system, as you have seen.

When installing an application, almost all give you the option of where to install it. Don't just accept the default, choose Custom or Advanced.

Also, applications don't really take up that much space. Video/music/games...that is what sucks up drive space.

So there is no legitimate method to set my D drive as the default installation directory? I'm going to have to always do custom installations? If so that's a bummer, and Microsoft can't do anything about it? Right now, I've switched regedit back to normal in safe mode, where all the Windows programs work in. All the Windows programs such as task manager and so work again, and same with the shortcuts, but I'm back to custom installations.

Not really.
Some few things must be installed on the C drive, and many things you WANT on the C drive (AV, browsers, other utilities, etc)
So you'd be selecting 'Custom' either way.

And as said, applications really don't take up that much drive space.

Games, OTOH...
Steam games can easily install onto a different drive, by default if you wish:
Steam games location
In the steam client:
Steam
Settings
Downloads
Steam Library Folders
Add library folder

 

[kylenguy3n]

I already have my steam installed on my D drive, and all my games automatically installed there too so I'm good.