WindowsApps Folder i want it back just on C: and not a different drive

Win 1909 OS Build 18363.1016

So i have a bit of a dilemma. I while back i decided to change my install location for Apps i downloaded from the Microsoft Store to a different drive. I've since changed all my storage settings back to my c: drive, and have even gone into App's and Features, to ensure nothing is installed on the 'other drive' Nothing is.. Everything that was on there was moved back to C:

However there's still a pesky WindowsApp folder, residing on there, that doesn't give me any access whatsoever. Making matters worse is i have about 500gb of other non OS related files on that drive. Given windows still considers it a 'system' drive, it's causing me some headaches.

For example, if i try and use System Image, to make an image, it looks at that drive, as part of the system and wants to include an image of that entire drive, (all that extra 500gb of non-system data included) as part the system image backup.... making a system restore take a lot longer than it otherwise would.

Any idea's on what one can do, to de-commision a once upon a time system drive, it so Windows doesn't think its still an integral part of the operating system ?

Advice appreciated.

If you have a backup of the 500GB (and you ought to), just format the drive and copy from the backup.

Berton said:

Just a question, is the "other drive" a physical drive or a separate partition on the same drive as Windows?

Your part about "so Windows doesn't think its still an integral part of the operating system " prompts me to ask because a few months ago I had to do a reinstall and Windows picked up the AHCI/RAID entry in the BIOS apparently because the computer had 2 HDDs in it. When I removed the D: drive Windows wouldn't load, removing the drive broke the boot process necessitating a reinstall.

Its a completely separate drive in its own sata port with its own partition. Back then I didn't want to fill up my boot drive with Apps from the Microsoft store.. That's now changed and i want to have Windows think ONLY my C: drive is a system drive. I've gone moved anything that was installed on there back to my C: via Apps and Features. Nothing is left installed on that drive.. I also changed the permissions of the WindowsApp folder, WPCache, Program Files, and what else was remaining on the O: drive so I could delete them, once i knew there was nothing left on there. So essentially there are no more system folders on that drive. I also do have show hidden files turned on to make sure nothing was hidden from view. However if i try and run the system image, it still thinks its part of the system and wants to make an image of that entire partition too. I need to tell Windows that my O: drive is no longer part of the Windows system, and just a regular storage drive like the S: drive above it. Here's a screenshot of what i mean.





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dalchina said:

If you were to use Macrium Reflect (free-paid) for disk/partition imaging, I don't think you'd have that problem - you're able to select or deselect partitions as you will.

Thanks for the tip im considering this option instead of using the inbuilt Windows Image. However i still am concerned about Windows seeing my other drive as system, and would feel more comfortable knowing it no longer saw it as system.

dalchina said:

Unfortunately, having read thru some guides on moving the apps, there's nothing about moving them back. I have asked a question under the relevant tutorial.

Thanks, i guess i could just disconnect my O: drive power wise and see if Windows freaks out. If it doesn't then hey ok, i'm probably good to go.

I'll give Macrium a try to clone the C: and restore to a larger C: It's Windows thinking my O: drive is part of the system that was giving me some concerns.

dalchina said:

Move Apps to another Drive in Windows 10

- explains what happens if you disconnect the drive where they are.

Also Brink says that you should just be able to reverse this in exactly the same way. (I've never tried either).
You could try one app and see if that works. I don't recall reading of anyone ever having done it.

i have reversed everything that was on my O: drive back to my C: and i've then gone onto changing the permissions of the remaining folders so i take ownership, and deleted. however somewhere in the system, it still thinks my O: drive is part of the windows system.