Install windows to one hard drive but use another?

Question

Is it possible to install windows to let's say a 60gb SSD but tell windows to allow folders such as:

Program files Documents Pictures Movies

And other miscellaneous storage types to be stored on an external hard drive?

The external drive is a 1TB desktop drive which has its own power cord which uses USB 3.0?

Answer 1

You can move Documents, Pictures, Videos, Desktop and other special folders to another disk - no problem. Just go to your C:\Users\YourUserName\Documents folder Properties, open Location tab and click Move.

However if your computer start without that external drive - Windows will re-create these special folders in default location and you will have to move them again after you connect HDD.

According Program Files - it is possible to rename or move Program Files and Program Files (x86) directories, but I just create another Program Files directory on second HDD and install very big programs there.

It is good if you have .NET installed on SSD (many programs use .NET libraries).

Answer 2

Microsoft has Clearly Stated that this is not possible in any way because of the Hard Coded links and paths between windows files and programs and that will break their connections and render windows unusable.

Microsoft does not support changing the location of the Program Files folder by modifying the ProgramFilesDir registry value

Change default Program Files directory If you almost always prefer to NOT install on the System Disk, but instead on another partition, say, the D drive, then rather than changing the default location every time, you can edit the registry as follows:

1. Open Regedit and navigate to the following key:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

2. Now in the right pane look for the value ProgramFilesDir and/or ProgramFilesDir (x86) depending on whether your Window 8 is 32-bit or 64-bit.

3. Double click on it and in the box which opens up change its Value data from C:\Program Files to say, D:\Program Files.

4. Click Ok. Exit.

5. The default directory for installation of all you programs shall now be D:\Program Files. If you are using Windows 64-bit, you may want to change the value of ProgramFilesDir and ProgramFilesDir (x86).