How To Change Program Files Location In Windows 10

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

Hydranix said:

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

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.

Topgun always has great answers, I did something similar in my iPhone to get a tweaked app to read from the "Mobile" folder in iOS. I just changed the local Documents folder for the app to a SymLink to "var/mobile/documents" and then I could access the stored files I had in there.

topgundcp said:

You can easily create a symbolic link.

1. Move the whole "C:\Program Files" folder to "D:\Program Files" folder
2. Open Admin Command Prompt and cd:\C
3. 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

Line 3 above has added to my confusion. mklink /D "Program Files" "D:\Program Files" A typo I hope, and the quotes?

The problem for me (I'm 78 years old) is that I get confused by terms such as Destination, Target and Link or Junction Link as used by people, because it is unclear to me with100% unambiguous certainty what part of the location change these terms relate to.

I would like to move the whole of the C:\\Users folder to my E: drive.

For me, the E drive is the Target (= Destination in my mind) because it is where I want to relocate the folder. But I think some people think of it in terms of the folder already being relocated, and the C drive is the Target or Destination for the Link or Point.

Can you please advise in a way that is real "Symbolic Links for Dummies" stuff.

XweAponX said:

Topgun always has great answers,.

I missed though.. LHS has some answer.

Don't do it. It will cause problems later if you upgrade. Just by a larger drive.

Slugger said:

Don't do it. It will cause problems later if you upgrade. Just by a larger drive.

...and a partition manager to move it. I've been moving my windows 7 partition for years, started with 160gig drive, up to a TB now. Still works well.

fissler said:

Line 3 above has added to my confusion. mklink /D "Program Files" "D:\Program Files" A typo I hope, and the quotes?

Just read your post and see no one answered. You probably know by now but... no typo here:

mklink /D means make a "dynamic" link. There are other types like /H for hard link and /J for junction.

"D:\Program Files" is in quotes because there are spaces in the name. If no quotes then the spaces will be interpreted wrong and nothing or worse will happen. You don't need quotes if there's no spaces in the name.