Utility to easily change program files, download,documents folders

ZippyDSMlee said:

I thought maybe nirisoft made a simple utility to change the default locations, I want to "dumb proof" not installing programs to the C drive in win 10.

Changing user folders is easy enough. Changing default program folders is much trickier and really not a good plan.
If you end up having to reinstall Windows, you will end up with all sorts of mess on other drives.

Better to keep program files on C drive and make image backups.

Not all programs happily install to other drives anyway e.g. MS Office.
Portable programs e.g. games i.e. ones that do not require registry changes can be installed to other drives.

cereberus said:

Changing user folders is easy enough. Changing default program folders is much trickier and really not a good plan.
If you end up having to reinstall Windows, you will end up with all sorts of mess on other drives.

Better to keep program files on C drive and make image backups.

Not all programs happily install to other drives anyway e.g. MS Office.
Portable programs e.g. games i.e. ones that do not require registry changes can be installed to other drives.

So there's no way to have all newly installed stuff automatically pick a different folder? That's mainly the thing I want. IE to have new programs pick d:\programs instead of C:\program files.

ZippyDSMlee said:

So there's no way to have all newly installed stuff automatically pick a different folder? That's mainly the thing I want. IE to have new programs pick d:\programs instead of C:\program files.

a) no (well not without a lot of hassle using flakey junction links)

b) bad plan as I said.

So there's no way to have all newly installed stuff automatically pick a different folder?

Think. Even if you direct a program you've downloaded to be installed to, say, D:\Programs - many folders and files can be created on C: in various places regardless of that. Exactly what and where depends on the program.

In some cases you may find the install folder you have created contains very much the minority of space taken by the program.

All registry keys and start menu shortcuts for that program are, of course, on C: anyway.

Years ago a registry hack wsa published to do that. Should you come across that, do not use it. It makes upgrading Windows impossible.

For interest:
Move Users Folder Location in Windows 10

and if you look at the this and the various tutorials linked below the main text you can find out how to change default folder locations easily.
Move Location of Downloads Folder in Windows 10

BE WARNED
As I have said numerous times before this is potentially DANGEROUS - should you make a mistake you can really mess things up. That's why it says 'make a system (disk) image)' before attempting this.

And again, as I've stated before, as installing 3rd party programs can fill these with THEIR working folders, far better to create yuor own- which you can add to libraries - or create new libraries for them- as you wish, ensuring e.g. 'My Documents' contains your documents and absolutely nothing more than that.

bro67 said:

You can change the folder locations without reinstalling Windows. It is done all of the time with Corporate networks that use a mapped network folder locations for user roaming profile.

@bro67

I used roaming profiles under Solaris as well as Windows before also retiring happily from the grind. However, the OP doesn't indicate that he is using his system in a corporate environment.