How to choose which drive programs run from?

[Edward_Ovenden]

I have recently added an SSD to my system already containing a HDD. This HDD was my former C: drive but is now my D: drive with my SSD becoming the C: drive where the OS boots from (windows 10). The two drives contain the same programs but I would like some to boot from the HDD so I may delete their files from the SSD to save space. Ultimately, I would like the SSD to contain the OS and a few select programs/games I prioritise and all other data and programs to be on the HDD.

Every program seems to want to boot from the C: drive however and I'm afraid to delete their files from the C: drive since the files seemed lost completely to the system as if it doesn't know the files are on the D: drive at all last time I tried that.

Does anybody know of a solution to this problem? Is there a way to select where each program runs from or any software which can help me?

Also, I can't assess my emails (outlook) at all (from either drive) since I installed the SSD. I think it is missing a file or trying to retrieve a file from the wrong place. Is there a way to fix this without reinstalling (I can't find the original install CD).

I am able to supply any system details if they would be helpful to finding a solution.

Thank you very much for any help in advance,
Edward

 

[hang-the-9]

When you install the program, most will ask where you want to install it to.

Modifying already existing programs is not easy and requires not just moving files also editing registry entries and likely other files.

Not quite sure how your setup is, if you cloned the original drive to the SSD, and moved the SSD to the same SATA port the old drive was at, it should boot and run programs from it just fine. Did you clone the original drive to the SSD? And it's booting to the SSD?

If you want to move the programs from the SSD now to the other drive, you need to re-install them, really the only clean way. Now you may be able to go to the D: drive, go to Program Files, and run the programs you want directly from there. If that works, you can create a new shortcut to it, and then it will run from the original location. Just if you start to delete things from the SSD, do so in a way that you can recover the files later, maybe move them to another drive instead of just deleting them.

 

[USAFRet]

You can't move applications/programs. Well...OK, some can. But don't.

They would need to be reinstalled on whichever drive you want them on. At install time, select Advanced or Custom. That will allow you to select the location.

See this:
Win 7 & 8: http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-1834397/ssd-redirecting-static-files.html
Win 8.1 & 10: http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-2024314/windows-redirecting-folders-drives.html