Relocate programs folder.

EyesOnlyEyesOnly Sweden New
edited May 2004 in Science & Tech
Well my new rig is finally up and running. I'll tell you all about in another thread. Keep a look out in the pub. :D Now for my question. I want to move C:\program to another partition. Is it possible and if so how. Here's how my harddrive is set up.

C: windows
D: Swap
E: Programs - this is where i want it moved to. all my apps are here or will be when i'm done.
F: games
G: mixed
H: temp

So i want to move it from C to E without messing up anything.

Comments

  • dragonV8dragonV8 not here much New
    edited May 2004
    Though i can't help you with your question, at least i can say: Congrats on finally getting your new rig up and running. :thumbsup:
  • madmatmadmat
    edited May 2004
    Take E's letter away then move all your program files to another folder (making certain NOTHING is running aside from windows) then from disk management in administrative tools mount the logical drive "E" (as it used to be known) into the program files folder then move all your program files onto that partition.
    Simple as pie although you might have to do all this in safe mode or disable all your startup items in mscofig (only the programs that start on boot, not system startup files) so that you can move the files. This way your os will still see the install as C:\programs\ect\ect but in reality the files will be tucked away on the other partition.
  • EyesOnlyEyesOnly Sweden New
    edited May 2004
    I'm not sure i understand what you mean madmat and btw i have several apps installed on E so i can't remove it i think.

    Thanks dragon.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited May 2004
    EyesOnly wrote:
    Well my new rig is finally up and running. I'll tell you all about in another thread. Keep a look out in the pub. :D Now for my question. I want to move C:\program to another partition. Is it possible and if so how. Here's how my harddrive is set up.

    C: windows
    D: Swap
    E: Programs - this is where i want it moved to. all my apps are here or will be when i'm done.
    F: games
    G: mixed
    H: temp

    So i want to move it from C to E without messing up anything.

    Actually, the way outlined is best. Essentially, make a dynamic volume that includes the new partition. Dynamic volumes can bridge over physical volumes and even over multiple logical drive letter logical volumes.

    IMPORTANT NOTE, you need what you are going to move set aside in another place for safety, ie backed up, while you make your dynamic volume, as you have a situation where part of the create is to delete the source, if you do it Microsoft's way. Only way to keep ALL data in this kind of conversion and create RELIABLY is to back up first, then move your stuff back into new dyn volume. That is why Microsoft, even in the helps, says to back up all your data in non-dynamic volumes affected by the dynamic volume create FIRST.

    ADDED: Dynamic volumes MUST be of file system type NTFS.

    The second way is to edit the registry for each program, change the reg entries to say E where C is now only for the programs you are moving.

    The third way is to reload the programs that do not survive, after you move the files themselves.

    The fourth way is to use something like AlohaBob's PC relocator or Norton's program mover utils. This will busy yhour machine for a long time, probably as long or longer than it takes to relaod the programs to E.

    This is a book I will write no more of, because this knowledge is a two-edged sword that can be used for good or ill.
  • EyesOnlyEyesOnly Sweden New
    edited May 2004
    What will happen with the apps on E. Will they be removed. I'm still not sure i wanna do this but the C partition has lost quite a lot of space which i think is due to the programs folder so something must be done.
  • EyesOnlyEyesOnly Sweden New
    edited May 2004
    Is there any app i can use. I don't know which norton app your talking about but systemworks doesn't appear to have it and i can't find that other app your talking about.

    Since very few files seems to have been installed in that directory unless i can find a app that will do everything easyli and safely i'll let it be. Doesn't seem worth it.
  • madmatmadmat
    edited May 2004
    Sorry about being A.W.O.L. for so long, ummm....not good that the E partition has aps on it but you could partition it further down and leave those apps on E and make the new partition the new home for the programs in in your current program files folder, just don't asign it a letter, instead mount it in the folder.
  • EyesOnlyEyesOnly Sweden New
    edited May 2004
    Thanks for all the help guys :)but i've decided to leave the folder where it is. Didn't think it would be so difficult. If i ever reformat and repartion the drive i'll try this but that's not likely to happen as long as it's working ok. i just don't feel like reinstalling everything again. :(
  • BlackHawkBlackHawk Bible music connoisseur There's no place like 127.0.0.1 Icrontian
    edited May 2004
    http://www.funduc.com/app_mover.htm
  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    edited May 2004
    Michael Weatherly wrote:
    Well my new rig is finally up and running. I'll tell you all about in another thread. Keep a look out in the pub. :D Now for my question. I want to move C:\program to another partition. Is it possible and if so how. Here's how my harddrive is set up.

    C: windows
    D: Swap
    E: Programs - this is where i want it moved to. all my apps are here or will be when i'm done.
    F: games
    G: mixed
    H: temp

    So i want to move it from C to E without messing up anything.

    If you can't get your "program files" directory to move, you should be able to change it using TweakUI. Whatever comes on your C:\Program Files with the windows install will still be there, but the default directory for future installs will change.
  • EyesOnlyEyesOnly Sweden New
    edited May 2004
    Gargoyle wrote:
    If you can't get your "program files" directory to move, you should be able to change it using TweakUI. Whatever comes on your C:\Program Files with the windows install will still be there, but the default directory for future installs will change.

    How.

    Thank you prime. that app seems to be what i'm after. Assuming i will be able to run windows after using it i'll let you know if it worked. :eek2::)
  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    edited May 2004
    The latest version of TweakUI apparently took Program Files off the list. How irritating. I'll have to see if I can find an older version somewhere.
  • BlackHawkBlackHawk Bible music connoisseur There's no place like 127.0.0.1 Icrontian
    edited May 2004
    Michael Weatherly wrote:
    How.

    Thank you prime. that app seems to be what i'm after. Assuming i will be able to run windows after using it i'll let you know if it worked. :eek2::)
    Prime? :eek3::p

    The program works really well. It updates registry entries, installer logs and moves the files. If something is in use, you have to reboot. I haven't had a problem with the program and I've used it every time I'm doing a fresh installation.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited May 2004
    TweakUI 1.33 :cool:
  • BlackHawkBlackHawk Bible music connoisseur There's no place like 127.0.0.1 Icrontian
    edited May 2004
    I had tried tweakui and manually editing the registry entry for where it installs the programs and neither worked. After I did the tweakui thing I had to edit all the shortcuts.
  • EyesOnlyEyesOnly Sweden New
    edited May 2004
    Oops sorry voe i don't know what i was thinking. :banghead: Oh well seems like i should use your app first and see what will happen but i still downloaded tweakui just in case.
  • EyesOnlyEyesOnly Sweden New
    edited May 2004
    Have tried it and it worked, most of the time. It really screwed up norton systemworks and i had to reinstall it something like 5 times. The first time it said that it was updating nav. Strange i thought but continued the install. Afterwards all parts of systemsworks but nav was installed. i removed everything and tried again.

    The next 3 times i had forgotten to clean out all files especially from liveupdate since whenever i tried to run it at the end of an install it would say that lu wasn't installed or it was an partial install?? I once again removed all files, the most common registry entries and then i found and removed the files for lu. I was also surpriced that it didn't ask me about the cdkey during install 2-4 but on the fifth it did. Now everything works again.

    Sure there was some trouble but overall i really recommend that app for anyone wishing to move files like that. If i ever need to do it again though i'll do it before so many apps are installed just to be safe.
  • dodododo Landisville, PA
    edited May 2004
    The location for the program files directory in the registry is here:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Intel\Landesk\VirusProtect6\CurrentVersion\AdministratorOnly\General

    Change that and new programs should go where they are supposed to...as for the old ones, you might be able to change the registry and move the folders, but dont count on it.

    ~dodo
  • EyesOnlyEyesOnly Sweden New
    edited May 2004
    Hey dodo i've already moved the folders.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited May 2004
    Michael Weatherly wrote:
    Have tried it and it worked, most of the time. It really screwed up norton systemworks and i had to reinstall it something like 5 times. The first time it said that it was updating nav. Strange i thought but continued the install. Afterwards all parts of systemsworks but nav was installed. i removed everything and tried again.

    The next 3 times i had forgotten to clean out all files especially from liveupdate since whenever i tried to run it at the end of an install it would say that lu wasn't installed or it was an partial install?? I once again removed all files, the most common registry entries and then i found and removed the files for lu. I was also surpriced that it didn't ask me about the cdkey during install 2-4 but on the fifth it did. Now everything works again.

    Sure there was some trouble but overall i really recommend that app for anyone wishing to move files like that. If i ever need to do it again though i'll do it before so many apps are installed just to be safe.


    The way NAV's Installer works when you try to reload it, is that it tries to wipe NAV if it is corrupt. Then you get to reload it, after a widnows restart. IF you cannot get it to reload quickly, since I do not know version but DO know that symantec makes removers for various versions of it that do only some versions by year of release, I recommend going to Symantec's site on the web and then getting into the support area, and use the interface to choose your year and product (same chooser, year is important), then to use Uninstall as a search keyword. Choose articles that talk about manual uninstalling. In those, there will be a download link for a dedicated full remover and instructions on how to uninstall by hand with exact registry keys to delete given what you have and want to leave, and the remover for NAV will totally wipe it and reg keys in about 15-60 seconds. I keep various removers for various years on floppy, use for client boxes where AV is corrupt and that is precisely what the NAV remover is intended for. So, suggest you get one, make a floppy with it on, then keep floppy with the CD. They wrote them due to installer\uninstaller issues found after the CDs were out with customers. and fixed what had to be fixed simply by offering a dedicated remover mini-tool that did a full wipe of NAV very quickly. Different ones can work with different versions and not with other release versions, that is why I say to use the support searcher, it will get you to the latest remover for YOUR VERSION of NAV.
  • EyesOnlyEyesOnly Sweden New
    edited May 2004
    Thanks john i'll try that.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited May 2004
    Michael Weatherly wrote:
    Thanks john i'll try that.

    You are welcome, that little remover lets me reinstall after a corruption in NAV in about 1\5th the average time needed otherwise-- with corrupted NAV removal taking more than 80% of total time if you do it manaully.
  • EyesOnlyEyesOnly Sweden New
    edited May 2004
    Found this document yesterday. But it's about manual removal.

    Edit
    How about this.
    http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nsw.nsf/docid/2003033111445907?OpenDocument&ExpandSection=1&Src=eu_sg#_Section1

    The only program i can find other than symclean is r2003 or whatever it was called but that is for removing 2003 and earlier version not 2004. If you have a remover for 2004 perhaps you should have the mods upload it to the download section of s-m incase someone else needs it too.

    Seem like a good tool to have. Hopefully it'll take some time before i need to reinstall systemworks again.
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