install programs on...

[espee2]

This is such a newbie question I'm embarrassed to ask but... Is it
possible to install programs in an empty partitioned hardrive space?
or can I only install them on the drive that has Windows installed on
it?

 

[BillW50]

In
espee2 typed on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:38:47 -0700 (PDT):

This is such a newbie question I'm embarrassed to ask but... Is it
possible to install programs in an empty partitioned hardrive space?
or can I only install them on the drive that has Windows installed on
it?

As long as it is not a removable drive, you should be fine. Some
programs won't install on removable drives. Although there is a trick to
fool them into believing they are being installed a non-removable.

 

[Guest]

You can install them on another drive if you wish. In the installation
program, just change the path. As long as the partition is already formatted
you shouldn't have a problem

I install on D:\, E:\, F:\ and only keep C:\ for system files

 

[espee2]

You can install them on another drive if you wish. In the installation
program, just change the path. As long as the partition is already formatted
you shouldn't have a problem

I install on D:\, E:\, F:\ and only keep C:\ for system files

Makes sence to me, Thanks

 

[DL]

Thats a complete waste of time/effort, since the installation of any app,
unless avery simple one, will in any case install files to the win drive,
apart from of course the reg entries.
So if you format the win drive to reinstall win you will still have to
reinstall your apps.
So whats the advantage?

 

[BillW50]

In DL typed on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:07:21 +0100:

Thats a complete waste of time/effort, since the installation of any
app, unless avery simple one, will in any case install files to the
win drive, apart from of course the reg entries.
So if you format the win drive to reinstall win you will still have to
reinstall your apps.
So whats the advantage?

REINSTALL? That is the moron technique! Smart people use backups. Why
don't you ever take responsibilty for your actions and leave us good
people to clean up the mess you leave behind?

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

The vast majority of applications need to be installed on the boot drive.

 

[BillW50]

In PA Bear [MS MVP] typed on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:39:40 -0400:

The vast majority of applications need to be installed on the boot
drive. --

BULL! Any application that allows you an option to install it at, will
let you. That is like 99% of them will.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

This is such a newbie question I'm embarrassed to ask but... Is it
possible to install programs in an empty partitioned hardrive space?

I don't know what you mean by "empty partitioned hardrive space,"
but...

or can I only install them on the drive that has Windows installed on
it?

....you can almost always install them on any drive you want. However,
some parts of the program are usually installed on the system drive,
regardless of where you choose to install it, so there is hardly ever
any benefit to doing what you suggest.

 

[Daave]

This is such a newbie question I'm embarrassed to ask but... Is it
possible to install programs in an empty partitioned hardrive space?

No, you must first create a partition and then format that partition.
And still it's not a great idea because almost all programs wind up
altering the partition that Windows is installed on anyway. It's much
simpler to keep all programs on the same partition as the OS. This way
if you regularly image that partition, recovery from a disaster would be
quite quick (just make sure you also have a strategy for regularly
backing up all your data!)

or can I only install them on the drive that has Windows installed on
it?

Although you can install them elsewhere, you'll be happier if you keep
them on the same partition.

 

[milt]

No, you must first create a partition and then format that partition.
And still it's not a great idea because almost all programs wind up
altering the partition that Windows is installed on anyway. It's much
simpler to keep all programs on the same partition as the OS. This way
if you regularly image that partition, recovery from a disaster would be
quite quick (just make sure you also have a strategy for regularly
backing up all your data!)


Although you can install them elsewhere, you'll be happier if you keep
them on the same partition.

What difference does it make? If you have you reinstall you have
reinstall everything and if you are restoring... no diff there either.

I never install all the programs on C drive... just some. Makes it
easier to keep track and doesn't require most of my drive to be the C
drive. I mean using that logic, why have more than 1 partition at all?

 

[Guest]

What are you talking about P A Bear? Of course they don't!

--
SPAMCOP User

 

[Daave]

What difference does it make? If you have you reinstall you have
reinstall everything and if you are restoring... no diff there either.

I never install all the programs on C drive... just some. Makes it
easier to keep track and doesn't require most of my drive to be the C
drive. I mean using that logic, why have more than 1 partition at all?

Personally, I keep everything on one partition. I image the hard drive
one time, then make subsequent incremental images. And for me, it's just
as easy to keep track of everything on it as it would be if I created
several partitions.

But some people like keeping data in a separate partition. As long as
they regularly back it up, that is a good strategy, too. And this way,
when they image C: (which would contain the OS plus the programs), it
(the imaging process) doesn't take as long. And if they were to restore
that image, again, it wouldn't take as long.

If you decide to install programs to a drive other than C:, the above
strategy falls apart because when one restores the image of C:, the only
absolute guarantee it will work 100% is if the image of the other
partition that contains those programs was done at the same exact time
(because of how installation routines almost always wind up altering the
C: drive in numerous ways). What one could do instead is image the
entire hard drive (i.e., all the partitions). But borrowing from what
you just said, "using that logic, why have more than 1 partition at
all?" (And that is why I prefer to use only one partition on my hard
drive.)

Actually, this article by Ken explains it much better than I can :

http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=326

 

[DL]

Your spouting ****

In DL typed on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:07:21 +0100:

REINSTALL? That is the moron technique! Smart people use backups. Why
don't you ever take responsibilty for your actions and leave us good
people to clean up the mess you leave behind?

 

[Twayne]

The vast majority of applications need to be installed on the boot
drive.

Not true. Most can be, and they can even be installed to external
drives. You're probably thinking of dev progs et al. If they can't run
on another drive, the installs won't allow you to do so IME; there will
be no choice given.
For the OP, obviously EVERYTHING doesn't really go to the other
drive; several pieces of them will still go to the win drive if they are
using the registry. More and more programs these days are being written
without using the registry and that's a good thing. All that goes in
the registry is the add/remove entry. This would be most GPL licensed
ware, etc..

Twayne

 

[Twayne]

I don't know what you mean by "empty partitioned hardrive space,"
but...





...you can almost always install them on any drive you want. However,
some parts of the program are usually installed on the system drive,
regardless of where you choose to install it, so there is hardly ever
any benefit to doing what you suggest.

Actually, there is; my sister extended her C drive for a long time until
she bought a larger one, by installing programs to her external drive.
A few removes/reinstalls cleared out quite a bit of space for her on C.

Twayne

 

[Twayne]

No, you must first create a partition and then format that partition.
And still it's not a great idea because almost all programs wind up
altering the partition that Windows is installed on anyway. It's much
simpler to keep all programs on the same partition as the OS. This way
if you regularly image that partition, recovery from a disaster would
be quite quick (just make sure you also have a strategy for regularly
backing up all your data!)


Although you can install them elsewhere, you'll be happier if you keep
them on the same partition.

It keeps things a lot simpler, that's for sure. If one puts them on
another drive it's a good idea to create a Program Files folder for them
so they're findable, IMO.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Personally, I keep everything on one partition. I image the hard drive
one time, then make subsequent incremental images. And for me, it's just
as easy to keep track of everything on it as it would be if I created
several partitions.

But some people like keeping data in a separate partition. As long as
they regularly back it up, that is a good strategy, too. And this way,
when they image C: (which would contain the OS plus the programs), it
(the imaging process) doesn't take as long. And if they were to restore
that image, again, it wouldn't take as long.

If you decide to install programs to a drive other than C:, the above
strategy falls apart because when one restores the image of C:, the only
absolute guarantee it will work 100% is if the image of the other
partition that contains those programs was done at the same exact time
(because of how installation routines almost always wind up altering the
C: drive in numerous ways). What one could do instead is image the
entire hard drive (i.e., all the partitions). But borrowing from what
you just said, "using that logic, why have more than 1 partition at
all?" (And that is why I prefer to use only one partition on my hard
drive.)

Actually, this article by Ken explains it much better than I can :

http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=326

I was just about to reply to this message saying that I agreed with
everything you were saying, but then I got to the last paragraph
above, and saw that I didn't have to. Thanks very much for the kind
words.

 

[Daave]

I was just about to reply to this message saying that I agreed with
everything you were saying, but then I got to the last paragraph
above, and saw that I didn't have to. Thanks very much for the kind
words.

You're welcome. I hope this helps OP.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

You're welcome. I hope this helps OP.

So do I.