Windows 10: Why did windows create Program Files folders on all my non-C: drives?

I have a gaming PC, and it has a main drive (C with my windows install and all my core programs. I also have 2 NTSF internal storage drives that I use to store game install directories.

Today, after 3 years of this setup, I randomly noticed that Windows had installed Program Files, WindowsApps, and WpSystem folders on both the external drives.

• The Program Files folders only have an empty ModifiableWindowsApps folder in them.
• The WindowsApps folders I am not even allowed to open.
• And the WpSystem folders have a pretty deep heirarchy of AppData directories that ultimately link to some Microsoft Flight Simulator and Microsoft Digital Ownership nonsense in them.

Possibly related - I did recently install Microsoft Flight Simulator via Xbox Gamepass, and there's no way (annoyingly) in that app to specify and install directory. So I just assumed it installed it on the main drive (C somewhere.

Anyone know why this is happening? Its not really the end of the world, but I like my storage drives nice and organized, and all these folders are irritating, especially since they are empty.



I do not have permissions to delete them

submitted by /u/gbru015
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:)

 

C windows installer folder - Delete?

He can do symbolic link redirection and move the files in it to a different location. *Wink
Better try it out in a virtual of first. Just a suggestion.

Like:
First move everything in c:\windows\installer to d:\installercache
Then delete c:\windows\installer folder
Then type this in command mode as admin
mklink /d c:\windows\installer d:\installercache

Removing those installer files is a bad idea. it might prevent you from updating or uninstalling apps.

 

User folders in root C: drive

In my new Windows 10, these folders were generated:

• Intel
• PerfLogs
• Program Files
• Program Files (x86)
• Users
• Windows

Is there a policy of users generating new folders in this root C: drive?

On my old W7 PC I had several folders in C:, providing a shorter path for applications.

E.g. Is there an advantage when new Windows software is installed?

 

I want to move "Program Files"

I thank you for the first suggestion, and thank you even more with the more interesting second suggestion, where I won't need to play with registry entries and messing around with the various ways windows is organized from it's root structure.

I haven't yet got the courage to MOVE my programs files to another drive but the setup I'm in is ready to do so. Thoe, the idea of creating a shortcut on the C: for the Program Files that would be located on another drive really seemed like something simple, and that could work. It's like those programs that are located on the start menu, they are shortcuts to the executable. Or the various folders that are shortcuts to other folders. I can see that in Program Files where some microsoft folders are just shortcuts to the real content located on the Windows directory.

If I need to try this tool you are talking about, then I'll do it tomorrow. I'll put this on the ice for now. But it's all interesting stuff none the less.

EDIT: I just tried something. I created a shortcut on the C: of a directory located on my F: drive called _stuff. I now have C:_stuff which is a shortcut to the real directory on the F:. I move a file from C: called ip.txt into the shortcut C:_stuff. That works. Yet, if I search my C: drive for ip.txt, it will not find it in the shortcut.