Question about Program Files, programs, games, on SSD

[DarkDubzs]

I'm moving data from my HDD to my new 480GB (446GB usable) SSD and I am trying to save space. I looked at the folder sizes of the following on my C: drive: "Program Files," "Program Files (x86)," and "Program Data"(hidden folder) and it comes out to 449GB total of the three. Way too huge for me to rationalize having, even too much for the size of my SSD. I plan on moving most of my programs and games to my SSD, but the program files data size is worrying me.

So I'm wondering if I move my programs to the SSD, will I also have to move the program files to the SSD as well? Is it possible to have the programs and games on an SSD, take advantage of the higher read/write speed, but not have the Program Files and miscellaneous game files that take up too much space? Or is that not possible to achieve? Also, if I can have the program files off the SSD, will the programs write miscellaneous files to the SSD (like re-creating a program files folder on the SSD)?

 

[SinxarKnights]

But what is it? Is it Steam games? You can create a library on the SSD through the Steam client but it won't move already installed games.

Sounds like the best option is to uninstall a ton of stuff then clone the drive to the SSD. Or backup your games (Steam has a backup/restore function) then reinstall Windows to the SSD to avoid any weird issues. Not sure you can move the program files folders around like that. One major issue is many installed programs will simply break and need to be reinstalled anyway.

 

[DarkDubzs]

But what is it? Is it Steam games? You can create a library on the SSD through the Steam client but it won't move already installed games.

Sounds like the best option is to uninstall a ton of stuff then clone the drive to the SSD. Or backup your games (Steam has a backup/restore function) then reinstall Windows to the SSD to avoid any weird issues. Not sure you can move the program files folders around like that. One major issue is many installed programs will simply break and need to be reinstalled anyway.

What things they are exactly? General programs already installed, Program Files (within the C: drive in the Program Files folders), Steam games, non-DRM games, misc game files.
I know you can move the entire Steam directory and games, but I dont want to move ALL of my steam games, just a few more hardcore games that would really benefit from SSD speeds.
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7418-YUBN-8129

That's pretty much what I am doing. Right now im finding what to delete from my HDD. I cloned my previous HDD to the one I am booted off of right now and deleting programs, files, stuff I dont want on the SSD. I already deleted most of my files, like downloads, documents, music, videos, now I am trying to solve this issue.

Mainly, I need to know if I can have the Program Files folders on a HDD, and somehow have the programs run off the SSD to benefit from the SSD speed. If not, I will just have to choose which programs to uninstall and then re-install them later onto the HDD after I clone this HDD to the SSD and am back up running normally.

 

[SinxarKnights]

I don't think it is possible to do that without issue. But you can uninstall then reinstall to another drive. The issue comes from the registry. Everything points to the old location so when it is no longer there, those programs in many cases no longer function correctly or at all.

 

[DarkDubzs]

I don't think it is possible to do that without issue. But you can uninstall then reinstall to another drive. The issue comes from the registry. Everything points to the old location so when it is no longer there, those programs in many cases no longer function correctly or at all.

I know cloning would cause no issues with programs. The drive I am using now is cloned from my previous HDD and everything works fine, all my programs function normally. But that is beside the point.

So it seems I have to uninstall quite a few programs. How would I do this? From the Control Panel> Programs>Uninstall programs window? Or do I/can I delete the Program Files folder for the programs I want to uninstall?

 

[SinxarKnights]

I would do it from the add/remove programs thing in the control panel to hopefully avoid problems.