Install vista with default programs directory at D:\Program Files\

[maverick02]

Hi guys, I'm wondering if there is a way to use vlite to change the default Programs install directory from the C:\ drive to the D:\ drive. Thanks

[stormlifter]

I'd imagine it wouldn't be to hard, just make a batch file that runs after installation.

Batch file would just run the necessary registry edit. Don't see it being hard.

[oskingen]

Nope vlite cannot do that. Like said above you can do it using a batch file that will change the value in registry. I'd say it's better to do this manually than with in vlite. Everytime i install windows i change my personal shell folders using a reg file. You can also do that with WAIK from microsoft.

Edited May 17, 2008 by hannubys

[TranceEnergy]

I used to do this concistently, err spelling, with xp 64 and 32bit. But over the years i moved more and more to portable programs and finding other solutions. Now i only install software that goes with system updates, and keep programs and games totally off the c:\ harddrive. I use registry files which have the installations captured so i dont need to ever install anything apart from windows updates etc. The end result being a lot less log files, registry bloat, and installer files that are STILL kept on c:\, unless you move that as well. It's too much work in the end imho, unless it's for setting up a server and part of securing it etc, i dont see the point.

[Herg]

Hello Guys

I, too, wondered how to set alternative directory paths. Specifically, I want the \ProgramData and the \Users folders to be on partitions different from C:\

The reason is simple:

a ) I want to keep the Windows drive clean

b ) I want to do an easy back-up with all relevant data of \user (documents as well as application settings), this becomes more difficult if I have the settings in C:\ but the Documents moved via the explorer

In the tool nLite (for Win XP), there has been the possibility to set paths for "Documents and Settings", "Program Files", and "Temp". Via google I have seen that there might be some possibilities to move the folder using WAIK oder manual registry edits. But I would greatly appreciate a vLite-integrated solution, simply because it would be easier for me as non-it-pro and because it would cause less problems if from the beginning of the setup, Windows itself uses the alternate \ProgramData and \Users folders.

Thanks for the work done so far with developing vLite and please, please try to integrate an option to change paths into the next version.

Thanks a lot!

Herg

[oskingen]

in this case, why don't you just make a reg tweak that you apply at the end of the installation. before using WAIK i was doing it that way specially for my personal folders where i modify the user shell folder in registry

[Herg]

in this case, why don't you just make a reg tweak that you apply at the end of the installation. before using WAIK i was doing it that way specially for my personal folders where i modify the user shell folder in registry

Because I don't know who to do exactly. Do you mean I shall manually edit the registry after installing Vista? Wouldn't that be much work plus the chance to forget any reg entry? Anyways, after Vista is installed, many programs are located in C:\ProgramData . I suggest some cannot be moved because the belong to process running.

If you have any idea on an easy-to-use way, e.g. an existing reg-editing-script, please let me know.

Thanks, Herg

[Herg]

I finally did move my user folder (only mine, not the whole 'users' folder) via changing dozens of registry entries manually and it works.

Anyone tried this with C:\ProgramData\ ?

Edited June 21, 2008 by Herg

[zereal]

I finally did move my user folder (only mine, not the whole 'users' folder) via changing dozens of registry entries manually and it works.

Anyone tried this with C:\ProgramData\ ?

What abour using NTFS junctions? I explain:

1.- I have 2 partitions, C:\ and D:\, first for system, apps, etc., second one for user data (documents, desktop, etc. profile as well)

2.- in D:\~ZEREAL~\ make a copy of ALL data contained on C:\users\MY_USER\* (u can do it via MiniPE, ghost image, etc)

3.- I modify c:\User\MY_USER to point a NTFS directory..

voila.

I did it under XP, long time ago. Maybe not this exaclty way, but that's the idea.

Now, if you do it directly in the .WIM file, and rebuild it to make a Vista installation DVD with this modified, you can acomplish, cause:

1.- You didn't delete original C:\Users\MY_USER, only "redirected" to a NTFS junction in D:\

2.- This will be transparent to system and apps, cause they uses original paths, not modified ones.

Try it, surely i'm wrong in the exactly way, correct order, etc. but that's the idea, and i do it sucessfully in XP.

(sorry for my bad english, i'm drunk now xD )

[Herg]

Thanks for this idea, it sounds good. I might try this later. For now, I have my Vista Business x64 system running, so I can start working

Next tinkering with next re-install

[zereal]

I'll try this method this week, and if sucessfull, notify here, and write a "how-to", ok?

I'm an IT in a PC-BOX expert's center, and repairing-reinstalling 10-15 PC's a day is enough for try to do this mod.

[Herg]

Thank you in advance...

[premiergeeks]

Any light on this, or a how-to guide?

[JoeMSFN]

If you can get the "link" (soft, hard, symbollic) or "redirect" or whatever the buzzword is for it, it can be a fabulous space (and time) saver. I've done this with a server that everything was installed on the C:. I copied the larger user folders, as well as the IIS website datafiles to a different drive. I don't remember if I copied the permissions at file copy time, or just restored the permissions to the destination files/folders after the copy. I then deleted all the data in the source. Finally I created a link from the destination to where the source folder used to be. I now have successfully avoided editing the registry for all the possible places where C:\whateverpath\whateverfile and changing it to some other letter. It also had the upshot of being able to move deep folders to near the root thus avoiding too long paths, or just moving things to a single letter subfolder for easy remembering that things were on the c drive originally. I also didn't have to worry about an identical directory path on say X drive.

I believe I did some if not all of that in safe mode to avoid file locking problems.

It worked like a champ. C drive was available to fill up with other system junk.

If you can get the new folder destination linking to happen at install time, that would be a fantastic data saver as well as a time saver of registry editing or doing all that after install (the permissions part was a bit of a challenge if I recall).

[premiergeeks]

Yes, but I'm not sure how to perform this operation in the Windows Vista setup. I've read a little about creating batch commands that are performed after the install, but have no clue where to start and what commands to use.