How to install OS only on C: & Programs on B: Drive Only.

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MaliciousOS

New Member
I've installed my OS on C: drive, but when I install programs to my B: drive some files get installed into my C: drive. They get installed into (%appdata%) hidden files. I want to make one drive as a bootup drive/system drive & another drive as a Mass storage drive. How can I do that without the some programs files being installed into my C: drive?



Asus Maximus V Formula, Z77 LGA1155
Intel i7-3770k
G.Skill Trident X Series 4GBx4 2400Ghz
2-1TB WD Black Caviar In Raid ZERO - Mass Storage
1-32GB SSD Sandisk - OS/System Boot-up Drive (ONLY)
1-2TB WD Green Caviar - HotSwap 5.25'' Drive Bay - Back-Up Drive
 

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There is no way around that. Some files have to go on the boot drive to allow the program to work.
 
The program itself is located on your secondary drive, but your user folder has a hidden application data that remains on your boot drive unless you create a symlink to another folder on your second drive.

What's the reason for not wanting that on your OS drive? If you reinstall the OS you will need to reinstall the apps anyways. What you're doing is generally for those who use an SSD and have limited storage.
 
Okedokey said:
Symlinks and junctions are different.

http://comptb.cects.com/overview-to...unction-points-and-symbolic-links-in-windows/
Click to expand...
From the article you posted "An NTFS junction point is a feature of the NTFS file system that provides the ability to create a symbolic link to a directory which then functions as an alias of that directory."

Sure he could use a junction point, and please correct me if I'm wrong, but for what he needs to do either will work but a symlink is exactly what he needs and is very easy to setup.
 
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The good thing about symbolic link is that it can also point to remote files and folders.
Not that I ever needed it,but that is a nice feature for the difference of hard links and junction points which ARE ALSO pretty good anyway.

I can see why MaliciousOS would like to do this since he only has an SSD of the capacity 32 GB and 1 TB drive to store programs and everything else on it. :rolleyes:

Still MaliciousOS you must take into the consideration that most of the programs (not all) WILL write registry keys and various types of values into the Windows registry which IS STORED on your SSD drive (if that's where your OS is installed to) so that can take some space.Not too much though...UNLESS if you have TONS TONS TONS of registry values written into the reigstry which take a LOT of space,but most of the people don't lol.
Those OTHER types of programs which do not write registry values and which store those values (settings and whatever) in their own files located in their application's folder path location itself WILL be then on your storage drive and will also work just fine using symbolic links/soft links.
This is one of the reasons why I make programs which store settings in their own files located in their own folders so that you can copy/paste it or cut/paste it wherever the hell you want and it will always work without the need for reinstallation or anything else.It will work straight out of the box so that's pretty cool. :o

MaliciousOS just take also into the consideration that in symbolic links if you decide to remove/delete,rename or move the target (being a program or whatever),that the link will still exist,but it will point to a non existing file(s) or directory(ies) so be sure to delete those links then as well (for the sake of your small 32 GB SSD drive lol). :D:P
Links don't take a lot of space anyway...unless if you have them so freaking much...and I mean REALLY MUCH. :cool:

Also in Windows Vista and newer there was a new command called "mklink" which can create simple links,junction points and symbolic links.

If on the other hand you use the most famous still not dead Windows XP,you can use the built-in utility called "fsutil".However that can only create hard links for files,but it will not create folder hard links or symbolic links.So in this case you can always use a third-party program to use symbolic links on XP.

Here are some third-party programs for that:

-linkd.exe (command line only)
-junction.exe (command line only)

-NTFS link (context menu)
-link shell extension (context menu)

-junciton link magic (GUI version)

All 5 of them are supported on Windows XP and later Windows versions so that's pretty cool.I would recommend you to use them only if you are on XP otherwise you can always use the built in "mklink" tool which is included in Windows since Windows Vista.Of course you can use any of those 5 tools on newer Windows versions too if you want,but there is no need since you already have "mklink".So try it and if you like it,use it...to save even more space on your 32 GB SSD drive. :D






Cheers!
 
WRXGuy1 said:
From the article you posted "An NTFS junction point is a feature of the NTFS file system that provides the ability to create a symbolic link to a directory which then functions as an alias of that directory."

Sure he could use a junction point, and please correct me if I'm wrong, but for what he needs to do either will work but a symlink is exactly what he needs and is very easy to setup.
Click to expand...

Because a junction maintains the link even when the target is moved, unlike a symbolic link.
 
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