Moving files across partitions

I just partitioned my Drive 0, into 3 - (C)System,(D)Apps, (E)Data

Is there a way to move my apps and from C, where I had installed them, to D without having to install them, and have it change the registry to reflect that? I seem to remember that a sub-app of Partition Magic would do that but I don't see that on mine.

 

Hi tenbob, I know the "program moving" utility you are referring to, but I have been wary to use it. I have a feeling that it should be installed with a fresh install of Windows and it then "records" the installation of programs. I would not use it on a system that has a lot of old programs. Something like MS Office might be a nightmare for it to move.

It might work, seemingly, but may give you little glitches and bugs in the process. If you smoke the registry you will need a reformat.

Some programs are not completely separate from Windows. One I don't even install on another drive is Internet Explorer and I would never try to "move" it.

I make a folder Programs Files on the target drive. I then uninstall and reinstall the application to the new drive.

Maybe this is a little time consuming, but it will ensure there are no bugs or glitches.

Something else I do is that if there is plenty of space on the Windows drive, leave the current programs there (or just move the big ones), then install any new programs to the other drive.

As I said, I think a "moving program" needs to record the installation of the program originally or else it might "guess" what it needs for it to work.

Matt

 

You'll do well to stay wary of it.

It's called "Drive Mapper" and it can really screw up your system. I have only used it once and it messed my system up royally. Its main drawback was the fact that it can't be controlled to only work on the drive you wish it would. It does every drive on your computer and in certain situations that's a disaster.

 

On the opposite side of the coin. ( or at least different thoughts ) About the only Windows program that I ever put on C: is windows itself. Just about everything else is scattered on drives D: thru H:

I feel that this gives me better protection cause if I loose one drive I do not lose everything, Which is by far more important to me than speed. Over the years I have found that speed can be just as dangerous to PC health as it can be to personal health in a car.
And ALL of my really needed backups are on CDs. Which has also proven helpfull a couple of times.

BillyBob

 

some can use , but many can't use. like office

 

Thanks for all the replies. I was anxious to get things running and could not get a partition program working right so I installed a lot on C:. I will accept all the warnings and leave most of them (like MS Office) on C. Many other apps will be just as easy to re-install on D: and move the data to E:.

Next time, I may be more patient until I'm sure of my partitioning.

 

tenbob ...

The two TweakUI utilities, 1.33 and 2.10 (XP), will allow you to assign the special folders Tony listed, as well as others (see the screen shot), to any location you choose.

I've always done this the first thing after installing the OS, as I maintain four partitions. C: contains only the Windows folder and Docs & Settings (the OS, basically). D: contains installed programs in one folder and programs not requiring installation in another. E: and F: are my data partitions, containing documents, images, maps, movies, etc. I can't say how the system would react to assigning a new location after program installation.

COA2 (Change of Address v2), a small program available from PC Magazine's Utility Library, will allow you to move installed programs after the fact. It will not move the folders/files themselves, but it writes the new location to the Registry. It used to be free, but now PC Mag charges a fee of $7.97 for a single download, or $19.97 for unlimited downloads of all their programs for a year. I've used it successfully many times.

 

What you suggest sounds like what I want but now, I would like to know your view on the other suggestions and comments made by others to my question.

 

Hi tenbob,

Actually, the only real suggestion made by the other posters was "don't use Drive Mapper ".

Anyone who's been around the block a few times has his own ideas about how to arrange a hard drive, and I don't wish to get into a pi$$ing contest with anyone. Tony's remarks about installing programs on the same partition as the OS have merit because doing so keeps everything in one place. All programs, whether installed or not, write to the Registry, so if the OS has to be reinstalled, so do all programs requiring installation. Programs not requiring installation write to the Registry the first time they're run.

Personally, though, I tend to agree with Billy Bob ... I prefer to separate my programs from the OS, if only for housekeeping reasons. And, I'm a firm believer in keeping my data as far away from the OS as possible.

Tony's comment about programs loading faster if they're installed on the same partition as the OS is probably true, but does it really matter?

I think the one thing we all agree on is the need for regular backups.