help installing XP

[Bill in Co.]

Hi:
Could you tell me how to do that? As it is now, I'm changing the
pathway in the programs I install manually to put them in D drive. But
it would be very easy to accidentally forget and install in C by
mistake.

How can I change the default location for the "Program files".

Trixie

Again, I wouldn't do that, if I were you. Most applications expect it in
its default location, and there is nothing to be gained by moving it.

 

[Bill in Co.]

Hi all:
Thanks for responses to my problems up there. Before reading much of
this I went back and finished the formatting and partitioning. I took
the advice to start over and allocate more space to the C: system
drive. I gave it 20 GB. I read on another forum from someone who said
he learned the "hard way" to allocate that much because some programs
must be installed in the c drive.
Funny thing, today while trying to reinstall my old copy of Outlook
98, I could NOT install it ! It kept telling me in required 11K KB and
that I had insufficient space. HA! *KB* and I had GBs! Well after
trying everything I could think of, I reinstalled it on another
Windows 98 machine I had also just reformatted (all on C drive - no
partitions) and it installed just fine. So then I got the idea to let
Outlook install where IT wanted to on the XP without changing the file
name or drive and it installed just fine. BUT that was on the C drive
(using its folder names). So far, that is the only program I've had
that insisted on going on the C drive. And its the oldest program I
still use. (I just don't place that much value on an email program.)
But I see where unexpected things may come up which will keep taking
room up on the C so I'm glad I took the suggestions (good ones!) to
increase that drive!

I had one comment as to the argument against partitioning this way
because of backup and restoring...

The only times (except once) that I have ever had to reinstall
windows, was always because of these getting corrupted. I would not
want to reinstall the same same setup that I had backed up in such a
case. I would want to wipe the drive clean and start fresh. Now if its
a hard drive failure, then yes, it would be good to have everything on
c in a backup location so it all could be restored.

But is that the only argument in favor of keeping it all on C??

Trixie

The point wasn't that it was useful primarily for reinstalling windows.
The point is, it is *prudent* to keep routine backups of your system and
applications (especially before you try installing some new programs or
updates), so if the system gets messed up after some installs, you can
restore EVERYTHING back to *exactly* as it was before installing that stuff
(even stuff like installing some MS security updates, or SP3, or program
updates, or whatever, which sometimes can create big problems and is hard to
reverse otherwise). Also, most programs will install some of the
application related stuff on C: (in the \program files and \application data
subfolders, for example), so trying to split it up into two partitions seems
a bit foolish. In such a case, restoring one partition without restoring
the other one won't put you back to where you were, so what's the point?
There isn't any, except perhaps to save some disk space, which is a moot
point today.

If you decide to keep it all together, 20 GB is a reasonable minimum for C:,
but 30 or 40 GB would give you even more future flexibility.

 

[Trixie]

The point wasn't that it was useful primarily for reinstalling windows.
The point is, it is *prudent* to keep routine backups of your system and
applications (especially before you try installing some new programs or
updates), so if the system gets messed up after some installs, you can
restore EVERYTHING back to *exactly* as it was before installing that stuff
(even stuff like installing some MS security updates, or SP3, or program
updates, or whatever, which sometimes can create big problems and is hardto
reverse otherwise).   Also, most programs will install some of the
application related stuff on C: (in the \program files and \application data
subfolders, for example), so trying to split it up into two partitions seems
a bit foolish.   In such a case, restoring one partition without restoring
the other one won't put you back to where you were, so what's the point?
There isn't any, except perhaps to save some disk space, which is a moot
point today.

If you decide to keep it all together, 20 GB is a reasonable minimum for C:,
but 30 or 40 GB would give you even more future flexibility.

Well, i am mainly backing up data. I have all the program files. But
if Windows' registry gets corruped, wouldn't restoring it from the
back up just mess it up again especially if you don't know *when* it
got messed up? That's the case here and why I ended up reinstalling. I
had a program that started have unexpected errors once in a while. Not
too bad. But then as time went on, it got worse and worse. I tried
everything to fix it. I tried restoring restore points, unistalling
SP2, unistalling other programs, etc., all to no avail.. And finally
ended up the reformat and reinstall. Restoring a back up wouldn't
help. So now, my backup automatically backs up all my data partition.
Those are the files I need. I don't need to back up programs. And its
much faster now since all I'm backing up is crucial data files off
that one partition. My searches are a lot faster now too. So isn't
that a good argument for doing it this way?

 

[Bill in Co.]

Well, i am mainly backing up data. I have all the program files.

No, not what I'm talking about. I was referring to the stuff added when
you install a program. It is created in the \windows folder, the
\application data folder, the \program files folder, etc, etc. NOT just
the programs themselves on the CD or whatever.

But if Windows' registry gets corrupted, wouldn't restoring it from the
back up just mess it up again especially if you don't know *when* it
got messed up? That's the case here and why I ended up reinstalling.

If you restore your system from an older image backup of the complete
system, then your system will be completely restored to the status it was in
when you made that backup (using the method I mentioned). I keep a few
such image backups of the complete system just in case (going back several
months). Presumably you'd have one saved that happened before the problems
started showing up. However, anything added since then would not be
restored. But more on that below.

I had a program that started have unexpected errors once in a while. Not
too bad. But then as time went on, it got worse and worse. I tried
everything to fix it. I tried restoring restore points, unistalling
SP2, unistalling other programs, etc., all to no avail.. And finally
ended up the reformat and reinstall. Restoring a back up wouldn't help.

IF one had waited until it to got to that point (which I wouldn't allow to
happen!), then no, it wouldn't, unless: 1) you had saved an earlier version
of the complete system for a backup, and 2) were willing to lose all the
changes and additions and data you had made since then. But as I said, I
wouldn't ever let it get to that point! (IOW, at the first sight of a
problem, I'd restore the backup I had just made PRIOR to installing the
program or update. It's just part of my housekeeping plans .

So now, my backup automatically backs up all my data partition.
Those are the files I need. I don't need to back up programs. And its
much faster now since all I'm backing up is crucial data files off
that one partition. My searches are a lot faster now too. So isn't
that a good argument for doing it this way?

Well, if it works for you. And especially if you consider it no
big deal reinstalling windows. That's the last thing I want to have to do
again (with all the changes and mods I've made, etc).

I should point out there are two different primary concepts here: One is
JUST backing up the user's data; and the other is backing up the ENTIRE
system and data, which is what I do (because I mess around a lot with it,
including program installs, some of which create problems). So if only
backing up the user data works for you, and if things go wrong with the
system and you don't mind reinstalling windows, then maybe that plan works
out ok for you.