Move installed software from C:\ Program Files (x86) and C:\Program Files to an

TempElf

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Apr 25, 2011
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Hello,
How do I move installed programs from C:\Program Files (x86) on an almost full C:\ partition to another partition such as D:\VistaPrograms, and maintain their full configuration, associations and functionality?
There is some software (Real Player, Libre Office, Open Office) which did not seem to offer optional install paths.
Is there some software that can do this?
I have a feeling that I could probably - (after backing up the registry) -
1)Move the application folder from C:\Program Files (x86)\XYZ to D:\VistaPrograms\XYZ.
2)Use Regedit to save all relevant Keys to .reg files.
(Or manually change them - "TOO RISKY" - they say)
3)Manually hexedit all relevant path statements to the new path in the .reg files.
4)Double click all the reg files to update the windows registry.
5)Search C:\ for any files containing text "C:\Program Files (x86)\XYZ" and (individually, I'm afraid) change this to D:\VistaPrograms\XYZ.
That might just work, but my problem is that the suggestion above seems more like a career choice than a quick fix, is there software that can do this? Surely given that the registry is the tricky bit, some of the myriad of programs that perniciously queue up to "repair your registry" could be modified for this task?
 
Really there is no way to manually move programs that are already installed to another drive without uninstalling from your current location and reinstall them and manually select the place you would like your installations to go to. IF you move them manually there is a good chance that most of the programs would no longer works since it takes a large number of registery edits that are fairly complex depending on the program so there really isn't a quick fix for it.

Unfortunatly not all programs are designed to install into custom locations so some sacrifices may have to be in order.