Moving program files

We may earn a small commission from affiliate links and paid advertisements. Terms

xj0hnx

I wanna be sedated
VIP
Ok, so recently I have reorganized my PC, reinstalled, and configured most everything back to how I like it.

I partitioned my Windows drive into two, one for Windows, and the other for ppics, music, videos, storage basicly. I only alotted 20G's for Windows and all it's parts and have HL2 installed on the same partition, along wiht a bunch of my programs.

I want to move most of my program files over to the data partition, and run them from there, so that if Windows does somehow get a virus I can contain it and not have it effect on programs, and has less places to go. Now, I now some programs make an entry into the registry, and some will not function if they are moved. I moved a couple to try it out, and they run fine.

What would keep a program from running if it is moved, as long as I change where it is looked for?
 
Some programs rely more heavily on registry entries than others, so I think it would be mainly trial and error.
 
The ones I am not moving for sure are Halflife 2 and my antivirus. ONes I am most curious about are Limewire, DVDShrink, Nero, and some others like that. I have moved Pocket Tanks, Everst Alcohol 120%, but those don't have Java integration like Lime wire and Azureus.
 
I would think that Nero wouldn't be able to be moved, nor the antivirus. HL2 might, and the rest of them might.
 
Successfully moved:
Doom 3 ( <|Z@(K3d ver5ion)
Alcohol 120%
Ad-aware
Limewire
Pocket Tanks Deluxe
DVD Shrink
Everest Ultimate Edition
CloneCD
Photoshop CS2 and all related folders
Partition Magic

Unsuccessful:
GetDiz NFO reader
ImToo Audio Converter
Adobe Acrobat
Nero

I don't know why ImToo wouldn't, it isn't really tied to anything. HL2 uses Micro$0ft NETframew3rk so I didn't want to try moving it, as it is annoying to reinstall and update. EVerything else is either Window$ related or too integrated to bother with.
 
You can safely move HL2 where ever the hell you want. All the files required to run it are located in your C:\valve folder. Valve conviently did this so that you can move your game arround without having to reinstall your mods. The only thing that you'll have to change are the shortcuts to it.

*edit: so if it wern't clear, just move the whole Valve folder where you want it. It should still run.
 
Originally posted by Citizen_Insane@Aug 17 2005, 07:13 PM
You can safely move HL2 where ever the hell you want. All the files required to run it are located in your C:\valve folder. Valve conviently did this so that you can move your game arround without having to reinstall your mods. The only thing that you'll have to change are the shortcuts to it.

*edit: so if it wern't clear, just move the whole Valve folder where you want it. It should still run.
[post=541298]Quoted post[/post]​

What about the Steam folder, just leave it, or should it go too?
 
the registry is basically the database for your settings and config.

when you go to remove a program through the control panel, you won't be able to, because it won't find it.

it won't keep a profile set up for you, because it can't find it.

your best bet, is to un-install, and then re-install, placing the desired install place on D:, not C:
 
Yea, I tried to uninstall CloneCD via the CP, and it says it thinks it is already uninstalled. I guess I could just right click delete, or use the uninstaller in the program file? And then regedit > find > <filename here> and delete the remnensce manually.
 
the uninstaller in the folder won't work either because it too looks for registry entries to tell it where the program is installed.
 
it goes C:\Valve\Steam\lots_of_files

Just move your whole Valve folder. If you don't have a valve folder and just a Steam folder, move that.
 
Just a note....

If you move the files, none of them will survive and be usable if you do a reinstallation of windows.


Got some more work to do.
 
Back
Top