Windows 10: How To Change Program Files Location In Windows 10

i am kind of confuse with windows 10 on how to change Program Files Location. i know in windows 7 and windows 8 all i had to do is go to ''HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion'' and change ProgramFilesDir to the hard driver letter to the on that i prefer. same goes to the ProgramFilesDir (x86)

now here is my real question... on windows 10 we still can do same as i mention above for both x86 and x64. but the problem is if i change the ProgramFilesDir (x86) on windows 10 most of the things on windows 10 stop working. if i change my ProgramFilesDir (x86) :C >>ProgramFilesDir (x86) : D i can't even open the run. and most of the other stuff doesn't response correctly either *Mad

i don't know if other people are also having this issue. I've (install windows 10/clean install ) multiple times. after installing is done, every time i go change the ProgramFilesDir (x86). PC stops responding correctly, i was hoping if anyone could help me with this issue. please help me fix this problem. i would really appreciate any help

:)

 

Switch Default Drive from C: to D:

Hi Shamila, I am Rob a volunteer, and a 10 time and dual award MVP specializing in Windows troubleshooting and Bluescreen analysis.

These should help :

Change default Program Files installation directory location in Windows

http://www.thewindowsclub.com/change-default-pr...

Move Windows 10 Apps to another Drive

http://www.thewindowsclub.com/move-windows-10-a...

How To Change Default Install Location Of Apps In Windows 10

http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-change-defaul...

Please let us know the results and if you need further assistance.

 

Update changed my computer

March 3-5, 2018 an update in windows 10 changed my computer and added a lot of unwanted programs, changed my file locations and removed some of my programs, how can I remove this update?

 

I'm going to be sorry, but I have to ask *Smile

Why are you doing this? If it's a drive space problem, get a larger hard drive.

I can see (sort of) moving user folders like Documents, Music, etc but never system folders as important as the two you are talking about.

 

This is not normally done on any OS.

 

hello' thank you for the quick reply *Smile the whole reason for me to do this is i have 2 hard drive on my PC. my SSD hard-drive is 119 GB. and my : D hard drive is 2 TB. i have my windows 10 install on the SSD hard-drive

the reason i change my ProgramFilesDir (x86) when i install a new software or a Game i want it all to Automatically install to my : D hard drive. instead of my : C hard drive. i know for a fact that this only happens on windows 10. if i now go to my other PC and install windows 8.1 on it and after the installation is done then i go change my ProgramFilesDir (x86). the PC has no problems it works perfect on windows 7, windows 8, windows 8.1

i am having this issue only with windows 10*Shock

 

You can easily create a symbolic link.

• Move the whole "C:\Program Files" folder to "D:\Program Files" folder
• Open Admin Command Prompt and cd:\C
• Type: mklink /D "Program Files" "D:\Program Files"

Install any programs/Games as normal, take the default install path as C:\Programs Files but all the installed files will be stored in D:\Program Files. This way you don't have to mess with registry or anything else.

More Info on Symbolic Link: Link Shell Extension

 

thank you soo much for this information. i will go now and test what you said. and i will come back let yáll know how it went, thanks. topgundcp

 

I'm back. i got it fixed now *chuckle after my last message i was browsing the web for little while about this issue and I found A Great You tube video About this issue. this guy did it different then what i normally did with windows 7, windows 8, windows 8.1. all i had to do was...

• create A Folder name Program Files (x86) on my Hard drive : D
  
• and then instead of going to ''HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion''
  
• i had to go here >> 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion''
  
• then change the ''ProgramFilesDir (x86)'' And ''ProgramFilesDir'' From :C to : D
  

this Really worked for me. i am so.. happy now, everything on my PC works smoothly now*Thumbs whenever i install a software or anything everything automatically goes to ''D:\Program Files (x86)''

I really do appreciate all your guys help. thank you so much for all the information you guys gave me.*Wink i even tried what [topgundcp] said and the salutation he gave me it works too but...
when i did that my folders looks like a shortcuts i didn't really liked that look LOL *Tongue so... i really wanna to find out way the old fashion way it didn't worked on windows 10 finally after hours and hours of searching. i found the salutation. still.. i really do appreciate all the help you guys gave me, my problem is now solved

 

Great. Whatever it works for you.

 

*cry When I change the Program Files / Program Files (x86) / ProgramData / Users Directory, to a another drive letter, the Built in Windows Apps, stop working, and wont open, anyone sorted this out ?

 

Did you first copy the "Program Files" and/or "Program Files (x86)" directories to the new location?

cmd.exe as admin

Robocopy "C:\Program Files" "D:\Program Files" /mir
Robocopy "C:\Program Files (x86)" "D:\Program Files (x86)" /mir

 

Yeah I did all of that, and the mklink thing, done the same thing twice over and get the same problem again and again, windows apps just don't work, programs work fine, its the windows apps!! that wont start

 

This is the Windows 10 64bit Program files directory changing work around I have been working on for the last 48 hours, some things to understand 1st

* This only works on Windows 10 64 bit (x64) as 64 bit windows has two program files folders,

* it's not perfect, you will need to move folder "Program Files (x84)" back to the root drive (c:\) when some updates fail to install

Start by installing Windows 10 on your Device, then at the settings screen (also known to old folks as the Welcome screen)
Press CTRL + SHIFT + F3, this will reboot Windows in to the desktop, in a mode known as Audit Mode (it allows OEM's to install Drivers, Programs, even spam with out making a user account or even given you a hint they did that)Once at the desktop, you will be able to open the registry editing program known as regedit (love that name)
open it by pressing that start button and typing regedit, then press enter, or type run then enter then regedit then enter again up to you,

go to : ''HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion" plus (+) and
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion''

Change only "Program Files (x84)" directories, to the drive letter (E:\) in most cases, by giving them the good old double click
and ok

next move to : "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList"

do the same thing, with all keys

once that's done, restart the computer with the Windows 10 disk/usb in, once at the langrage screen, press SHIFT + F10 (Fn key if needed to)

This will open the CMD, command line, enter the following in :
Note drive letters change in this world, soo you might want to type notepad, then open, then my computer and see what the drive letter is now

robocopy "C:\Users" "D:\Users" /E /COPYALL /XJ
robocopy "C:\Program Files (x86)" "D:\Program Files (x86)" /E /COPYALL /XJ
robocopy "C:\ProgramData" "D:\ProgramData" /E /COPYALL /XJ
rmdir "C:\Users" /S /Q
rmdir "C:\Program Files (x86)" /S /Q
rmdir "C:\ProgramData" /S /Q
mklink /J "C:\Users" "E:\Users"
mklink /J "C:\Program Files (x86)" "E:\Program Files (x86)"
mklink /J "C:\ProgramData" "E:\ProgramData"

Now reboot, once at the desktop check everythings working and nothings going cr@zy or doing cr@zy stuff
you should try going to drive (D:\) or what ever you set it as, and open the Iexplore file, just to check it works, if it don't open, you have made a error typing, and you should go back and try again,

notice that window in the middle of the desktop, just click restart on it, and you will be taken back to the settings screen,
make your accounts and enjoy using windows apps and programs the way you want to on the drives you want to, but wait, you have more work to do thanks to Microsoft -_-

update Windows 10 fully, you will notice some will fail, like windows as a whole really lol, you will have to copy the "Program Files (x86)" folder back to your root drive, (c:\) don't delete the one left behide, change the registry back to how it was for "Program Files (x86)" directory, leave the old folder where it is, or you will course a problem, update windows then change the whole thing back again, you may now delete the old program files folder, move the updated one back to the drive, remake the mk link, I know! but it updates, and that's the only working work around I can come up with for now

 

This is why I'm waiting for a 500 gig SSD drive. Too expensive right now.