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Designate Software and Data to Different Partitions

Discussion in 'Windows 7' started by wjburl, 2009/10/16.

  1. 2009/10/16
    wjburl

    wjburl Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    I am currently using Window 7 (RC) and have pre-ordered the retail version. When I install the retail version, I would like to have software and data on separate partitions. How do I set up the OS to force data files to automatically reside on a different partition?
     
    wjburl,
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  2. 2009/10/16
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    Welcome to WindowsBBS;)

    Not sure why you'd want to do this...If you have to reformat the OS, you have to reinstall all apps....But, most softwares will give you the option during the installation to specify where to install.
     
    Steve R Jones,
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  4. 2009/10/16
    wjburl

    wjburl Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    It would give me the ability to do a clean reinstallation of the OS & SW in needed without destroying any data. Yes, many programs do allow you to change the default installation path, but I would like to put the SW and their data in different partitions. I would also like to include the various users' Documents folders.
     
    wjburl,
    #3
  5. 2009/10/16
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    If you do a clean install of the OS most of your applications will have to be re-installed too, since they need to write entries to the Windows registry.
     
    Arie,
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  6. 2009/10/16
    wjburl

    wjburl Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    I understand that, but my data wouldn't be destroyed. Also, it would make backups easier. Why backup the OS and programs? I have an XP system that is 6 years old and I've never done a re-installation. It's hard to imagine how much trash I could eliminate by doing one, but it's much too painful to consider. I do a complete image with Norton's Ghost to an external drive on a weekly basis. It would be very difficult to reinstall everything and copy the data from each of the programs from the Ghost image to the new installation. I would like to find a better and easy way on my new system with Windows 7.
     
    wjburl,
    #5
  7. 2009/10/16
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    Copy your data to the external hard drive. When doing a clean install of Windows 7 delete all the drive partitions, you probably have just one now. Then create a new partition about 30 gb and leave the rest of the space free. Loab win7 and after all setup, use disk management to create a second primary partition for your data. Copy your data to it from the external drive. You can even make a dir on the 2nd partition called My Documents and move the existing My Documents to it.

    Best to keep the operating system and all software on one partition and data on another partition or another drive.
     
    TonyT,
    #6
  8. 2009/10/17
    wjburl

    wjburl Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    TonyT,
    You've stated that the data should be on a different partition. How do I let the OS know that I want Window 7's equivalent of XP's My Documents to be on a different partition than the default partition? Is there an option in the control panel, do I have to edit the registry or what? I currently have no data on a Windows 7 computer that I need to save, it's all on my old XP computer. I'm not going to move it over until after Oct. 22 when I get my retail copy of 7.
     
    wjburl,
    #7
  9. 2009/10/17
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    In Windows 7, got to Libraries\Documents. At the top left you'll see Includes: n location(s). When you click on that link, you can add a location & specify the default. As you can see below, I have My Documents on my D drive.
     

    Attached Files:

    Arie,
    #8
  10. 2009/10/17
    wjburl

    wjburl Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Arie, thanks for that info. Since it doesn't allow you to change the default location, it looks like you may have added a new entry and then deleted the original entry. Is that correct? Or was that an option at the time the account was created?
     
    wjburl,
    #9
  11. 2009/10/17
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    I can't remember now, long time ago I moved to Windows 7, but I knowing me I would do just that (you may have added a new entry and then deleted the original entry).
     
    Arie,
    #10

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