Move from C t0 D

I`m running Win`98, Two hard drives, C- 2 gigabite, D- 4 gigabite, neither one of them are really loaded up but I like to keep C drive as low as I can. My question is this.
What files can I safely move from C to D ?. Like Irfan view,Aida, Call wave, etc ( all in Program files, It`s got 300+ megabites total on it) and several others.
I guess I`ve got the impression some stuff won`t work properly if it`s not on C drive. Maybe my question should be what can I NOT move?
I`m not really in a bind on capacity on either drive, C has 847 MB free, D has 3.21 GB free. Just like to keep ahead of jamming C full.

 

Moore,

I would start by moving any programs that you have the installation disk for. Any programs that were downloaded can also be moved over. Just uninstall from your C: drive and reinstall on your D: drive. There may be a few programs that will only load on C:, but most will give you an option during the install process to put it some place else. Of course, there will be certain files for each program that may have to go on the C: drive. You just can't get away from that. The files don't amount to much as far as size goes.

Also, remember to back up any files that you need (for example, word processing files, etc.) when you reinstall the program. Once the program is install, copy your files back into the program.

The last time I reloaded my system, this is what I did. It works good to have your OS on one partition and any other programs on another. That way, I don't have to worry about the space problem.

Mike

 

Thanks Mike

I`ll tackle the job one of these days

 

Moore,

You're welcome. Let us know how you come out with it.

 

It was mostly an excersise in futility. I tried RH drag and move, uninstall and reinstall, on various ones and got some transferred OK. Seemed like anything of any size, like Real One, is married to the C drive. Even after uninstalling and doing a reinstall from the down load file, and assigning it to D drive it ended up back on C. Ah, well If I get in a bind I`ll format the drive and start from a clean install. I`ve got everything on a CD, and I keep it updated.
Thanks for the assist.

 

Hi Moore,

You can move nearly anything you want off C:, if you go about it in the right way. Since you're already thinking about a reformat and clean installation, that's the perfect time for it.

If you don't already have it, download TweakUI 1.33. After you've reinstalled your OS, create a folder on your D: drive and call it Programs, Program Files, Tools, or whatever suits your fancy. Open TweakUI, click on the My Computer tab and, in the Special Folders section, select Program Files from the drop-down menu, click on the Change Location button, ignore the warning that pops up, and navigate to and select your new folder.

You may have to reboot before continuing (it's been awhile since I've done this), but installation programs should now display, and install to, your new D:\Programs folder, rather than the old C:\ location.

Some programs run directly from the executable, and don't need to be installed (TweakUI 1.33, RegClean, and older versions of both IrfanView and Aida32, for instance). I keep them in a separate Utilities folder to differentiate them from installed programs.

 

Thanks Jim, sounds interesting, I`ll download Tweak UI and see If I can master It!
I aim to always post results back but it may be a while before I get it done.

 

Partition Magic utility includes a program called Magic Mover. It has done the job for me flawlessly. Even makes the necessary short cut changes and changes to the registry so you don't have to go through a reinstall.

 

I agree with charlibob - it's the best way to do the tranfers
correctly, including all files, links and registry references.
I do not recommend you to try and move the basis system
folders and files the Windows setup installed. (My Documents,
Program Files itself, root files on the root drive such as msdos, iosys), but as mentioned above, any Folders you have
personally installed should move fine.
regards

 

Thanks to all, so far I haven`t figured out how the Tweak UI is any help. Got to read further.
I`ll check Charliebob`s procedure out.

 

charlibob wrote:

• "Partition Magic utility includes a program called Magic Mover. "

??? I can't locate my PartitionMagic 7.0 disk, but PartitionMagic 5.0, 6.0, and 8.0 don't include such a program.

I just did a search on Symantec's website (Symantec acquired PowerQuest in December 2003) and the only reference I could find for Magic Mover was in conjunction with PartitionMagic 3.04. I'm surprised that anyone even has the disk anymore, let alone the installed program.

Moore wrote:

• "...so far I haven`t figured out how the Tweak UI is any help "

The procedure I outlined is to be used with a brand new installation of the OS, before you begin installing other programs. What TweakUI does is change the Registry references in HKCR, HKCU, and HKLM from C:\Program Files to D:\Program Files (or whatever you choose to call it). However, I can't confirm that it works retroactively, which is why it's best to to it right after installing the OS.

I know you have limited space on your hard drives, but you could try this:

• 1. Create a new folder on D: called Programs (for example).
  
  2. Copy (don't Move) all the files/folders in C:\Program Files to D:\Programs.
  
  3. Follow the instructions in my earlier post regarding TweakUI.
  
  4. Update the properties for at least one program shortcut icon to reflect the new location, and see if it opens the program properly. If it does, you can either edit all of your shortcut icons or, better yet, email me and I'll send you a small program that will do it for you.
  
  5. When you're satisfied that D:\Programs is now the default Program Files location, delete C:\Program Files.

Program Files can (some say "should ") be left on C: because all installed programs write to the Registry, but I move them off for housekeeping purposes. Unless you have a system image (created with Ghost, Drive Image, or some similar program), formatting C: will require the reinstallation af all programs.

However, I strongly disagree with Merlin's suggestion that you not move My Documents off of C:, as that's the worst possible place for data files. IMO, all data files should be kept separate from C: ... should you have to reformat C: without having all of your data backed up elsewhere, or at least on another partition or drive, it's gone for good.

 

To make things simpler (to me) How does this sound? I`ll follow your suggestions after I format and reinstall my OS. I appear to be getting in over my head this way.

 

It's really a lot easier than it sounds, but the best time to do it is immediately after a new installation.

 

Hard to believe that Symantec would abandon Magic Mover. Bummer. I still have the original 3.04 version of Patition Magic and it still works great with 98se as does Magic Mover. Might be worth trying to find an old copy for sale.

 

It appears that PowerQuest abandoned Magic Mover long before they were acquired by Symantec. I found a website that stated that MM was removed from PartitionMagic in version 6.0, but it certainly isn't on my 5.0 disk.

 

Jim

I don't know what's going on here but I have PM 5 installed on a win98 computer and I've used magic mover many times. I didn't do anything special to install it. I just installed PM and magic mover was installed along with it. Shortcuts for it are in the Powerquest group in the start menu.

 

A Big thanks to all hands!

I think I`ve got things moved about as far as I`m going to. Format will be next.
I`ve got another project I`m starting, but I`ve got to do some searching to see if the problem has been covered already.
I`m fixing another computer up to be my "daily driver" and it has some strange stuff show up when it`s booting up. I want to clean that up before the big change. That`ll be for another thread.
Thanks again for all the assist.

 

Jim, I do not advise moving My Documents as it is a basic system file, and something sometime is going to regenerate it eg a
Windows re-install. Then what confusion !
I agree with you that the C: partion is not the ideal place for
volatile data - and that's why my My Documents gets
continuously copied out to another partition, another PC on
a small LAN and to removeable hard disks.
Different views - different solutions ...
regards

 

Merlin ...

It's really not the problem you conceive it to be. I've never had My Documents on my C: partition for more than a few minutes ... the time it takes to reassign its location using TweakUI. In the seven years I've been using Windows (95B, 98FE/SE, XP Pro/XP Pro SP-1) I've never had My Documents re-generated on C: for any reason, except a complete re-installation of the OS (of whatever flavor), in which case it's a simple matter to reassign it again, the actual files having been preserved in E:\DOCUMENTS.

Zander ...

Let me clarify ... when I said that Magic Mover wasn't on my PartitionMagic 5.0 disk, I meant I literally couldn't find it on the disk as an independent program, like Boot Magic. I just installed PM 5.0 on my Win98SE computer, though, and you're absolutely right ... MM is included. Now, I wonder if will work with XP ... hmmm.

 

I wrote:

• "I just installed PM 5.0 on my Win98SE computer, though, and you're absolutely right ... MM is included. Now, I wonder if will work with XP. "

And the answer is ... NO.

Immediately after installation began I got a message saying:

• The setup has detected that you are running Windows 2000.
  
  PartitionMagic does not support Windows 2000.

Too bad, as Magic Mover might have been a handy proggy to have.