Hey again guys. Alright...whenever I seem to download something Microsoft, it seems to want to install on my C: drive...since this drive is rather small, and I'd rather not have anything else on it, is there a way to change the "default" drive to the D: drive? Like, I want all default installations to be directed to there. If this is not possible...oh well, but let's see how it goes...thanks!

~urluckyday

it depends on which drive you have Windows installed on. if your Windows installation is on your C drive, then most things that you download from Microsoft are going to get installed there (assuming the stuff you're downloading is just updates. things like .NET and DirectX should technically be able to be installed anywhere).

since those updates are crucial for Windows to operate, Microsoft doesn't provide you with an option to set where those files get installed to. its more or less a "dummy prevention" since the vast majority of people don't know where those files need to be installed.

at any rate, all this conjecture about what you're trying to install doesn't really tell us much. of course that leads to this question: what exactly are you trying to install???

I wonder why Microsoft, who rule the world btw, don't offer such a feature? ^^

:dozey:


Seriously, they do somehow. Most software just reads the environment variable %ProgramFiles% and add their own path. You can check/set it with the command SET in the command line. Alternatively you can check/set ProgramFilesDir or ProgramFilesPath in the registry under HKLM/Software/Microsoft/CurrentVersion/.

^They do rule the world...flamer...and I dunno if they do or not...besides...your mac doesn't do that does it?

Uhh...well, like, I just installed Windows Desktop Search, and it didn't let me choose which drive to put it on. I mean, yea, most programs give me a choice, just certain ones dont...not really that big of a deal i guess..

I have a PC running Linux. I've seen a Mac only once for 20 minutes 10 years ago, and I would never buy one. And no Linux does not have drive letters or a "Program Files" directory.

Did you check the environment variable thing? And some programs come with a setup.ini where you can set the installation path.

Most things downloaded from MS are system hotfixes and system based apps. Each with a cadre of hidden system files. They are made to live within teh system drive, and there they shall die....

...assuming the stuff you're downloading is just updates. things like .NET and DirectX should technically be able to be installed anywhere..

.net and DX is so intertwined with system files, drivers and registry entries...surely not!
heck. DX cant even be cleanly properly uninstalled ! (discounting dodgy third party apps claiming they can achieve this)

standalone apps like MS Office etc, sure - but system updates need to go on system files

@ urlucky day - what were you truing to install anyway ??drives are dirt cheap nowdays - 20gb is more than enough for an xp system drive, 40gb for vista. You can pop all your games and apps on another drive no sweat.

mtfbwya

Oh i know...but that's the problem. I have a 250 gig drive that has about 10 gigs of stuff on it. It's really great for what I need, but the problem is...for some programs, the default setting is to install on the C: drive...which, sometimes you can change...other times you can't...that's the only problem...I have the space...just don't get the chance to use it all of the time...

If someone told me right, hard drives are dirt cheap so just get an external one if your running out of memory.

@ urlucky day - what were you truing to install anyway ??drives are dirt cheap nowdays
hmmm

Wow, so my post was practically useless :D

Wow, so my post was practically useless

:p

http://img459.imageshack.us/img459/5562/skimreadingad2.jpg)


Oh i know...but that's the problem. I have a 250 gig drive that has about 10 gigs of stuff on it. It's really great for what I need, but the problem is...for some programs, the default setting is to install on the C: drive...which, sometimes you can change...other times you can't...that's the only problem...I have the space...just don't get the chance to use it all of the time...

I dont think you are going to get around that one easily, or even if feasible at all :( even if you just make a partition, if that drive conks out, whatever is on that physical drive is at risk. But again, it really depends on what you are trying to install :)

the idea of a system only drive is a great one, used by many geeks knowledgable pc users. I have one on each of my rigs. That way, if your windows install decides to crap itself, thats all you need to re-install. All the cool stuff, photos, music, games, will stay on your other drive safe n sound, and not get taken down with the ship, so to speak ! (Im sure quite a few of us have been burnt by this before!)

Think about a 20-40gb drive as a system drive and you can use your other drive(s) for the cool stuff :)

mtfbwya