Why does Steam install files where I don't want it to?

[xerxesaria]

Hello.

I installed Win 7 home premium on 128GB SSD, and have a 2TB HDD available. I noticed that I can "move" my Users folders into my HDD. I have resorted to not to moving the entire Users folder as not to mess things up.

So, I have created a folder in my HDD so that I can save everything else I download there so as to leave SSD just for windows and some apps like my antivirus.

But.....

I tried downloading Steam!!! I was able to direct it to my preferred folder that I created on my HDD. However, upon further inspection, I noticed that the little ah heck had gone ahead and created a file in my SSD!!!!The nerve of that thing....

TO make things more complicated, Chrome did the same thing, or worse. It won't even allow me to tell it where to install. It just goes ahead and pretends as if I don't exist. It installs things where ever it desires.

So I guess those two are good examples of what is yet to come upon my poor SSD. Can you please help me? Can I just find the files I don't want to be on my SSD and move them? (Maybe not?!)

Thank you very much.

 

[deadlockedworld]

Hey there,

Anytime you install software you should have an option to choose the install directory. With many apps, if that for some reason doesnt happen you can just move the folder, and update all the shortcuts to the new folder location. Steam might be the exception because of its interactions with other software. Chrome you can definitely just drag to the new location.

In order to get the benefit of the SSD you totally want Chrome and steam on the SSD. That said, the steam library can get huge. The best way to manage that is a little program called "steamtool" that you can download online. It lets you manage what games stay on the SSD and which games go to another drive.

 

[xerxesaria]

Hey there,

Anytime you install software you should have an option to choose the install directory. With many apps, if that for some reason doesnt happen you can just move the folder, and update all the shortcuts to the new folder location. Steam might be the exception because of its interactions with other software. Chrome you can definitely just drag to the new location.

In order to get the benefit of the SSD you totally want Chrome and steam on the SSD. That said, the steam library can get huge. The best way to manage that is a little program called "steamtool" that you can download online. It lets you manage what games stay on the SSD and which games go to another drive.

True True....but as I mentioned, those software like to install "extra" files into various folders. For example, I noticed that even though I had directed Firefox to download and install off of my HDD, it had somehow managed to create a folder within the CommonFiles folder of my SSD under Program Files X86!
It is very exhausting if I would go through ALL folders and files to see if a certain program has installed things in unwanted places. But as you mentioned, would moving those files into where I want, cause any distuptions and errors?

 

[Rockdpm]

Oh course you DA, The Application system files has to go into into your X86 folder otherwise the program isn't...Windows. Thats like me saying I took a twix bar and put it in a 3 muskateers rapper but its still a twix bar.

 

[xerxesaria]

Oh course you DA, The Application system files has to go into into your X86 folder otherwise the program isn't...Windows. Thats like me saying I took a twix bar and put it in a 3 muskateers rapper but its still a twix bar.

Ok. So would it matter that, lets say, i move steam from x86 on ssd to hdd...but if it had created a file on ssd under "common files", i should leave that one file alone? That is....if for ex i direct steam's install to my hdd, but it creates a file in my ssd, i should leave it there?

 

[nukemaster]

Windows has many places files are supposed to be saved. In the old days, many programs just dumped all the files within the program files folder(install location).

With Vista, MS wanted developers to stop doing this,
.
You will find LOTS of extras in the APPDATA folder under your user name. You move of the Users folder should have prevented lots of this. Some steam games also install runtimes(like XNA). Those do get installed on the SSD as steam uses a silent install for them in many cases. You may also find some files in PROGRAMDATA.

Windows also uses lots of Junctions to redirect requests for certain folders to others. This reduces duplication of files and enhances compatibility for older programs. For instance, all requests for the old "Documents and Settings" folder will go to the Users folder.

Anyway. You can have a look at this to move suborn folders(installed in locations you do not want them in.), but be warned, it should NEVER be used to try to move parts of windows. While it is written for moving games/programs.

I have moved appdata folders(that get lots of writing, but you have all this moved already), my full web browser and its temp files(over to a ramdisk).

I have even used this to make Windows 8's steam folder actually exist on my Windows 7 installation

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/294557-32-guide-move-software-games-drive-reinstalling

 

[deadlockedworld]

Yea ... as stated above -- you can move the stuff in the programs folder - but I would not mess with the system folders. Not worth it. Just pay another $80 for an SSD thats big enough.

I just thought the steamtool app would be helpful instead of doing it all manually.

 

[nukemaster]

I did not see you have mentioned SteamTool, I assume it works like Steam Mover.

Very cool, it does the same thing, but in a nice automatic way

 

[xerxesaria]

Best answer selected by xerxesaria.