Can I delete Program Files from HDD if used for just media (Movies and Games)

EthanHE · Oct 31, 2016

As the title says. I've got an SSD and a HDD with Windows and all necessary stuff on the SDD. I have all my movies and games on the HDD (which USED to be my only drive which is why it still has the windows files).

Can I delete Program Files, Program Files (x86), WIndows from the HDD if all I want to use it for will be for storage without causing any problems?

I'll have Kodi on my SDD and will have it pull from the HDD

greens · Oct 31, 2016

Certainly! You should really consider doing a quick reformat though, plenty of hidden and system files that you can't readily delete from file explorer.

USAFRet · Oct 31, 2016

What drive is the OS on?
If not the HDD, why does that have a 'Program Files' folder on it?

A little more backstory needed here.

greens · Oct 31, 2016

He said it was his old drive, simple enough.

USAFRet · Oct 31, 2016

OK, then, Ethan...As a test...power off, disconnect the old drive, power up.
Does it boot properly?

If so, wipe that entire drive (as mentioned above), and use as desired.
Delete the original boot partitions and everything else, thusly:
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/4f1b84ac-b193-40e3-943a-f45d52e23685/cant-delete-extra-healthy-recovery-partitions-and-healthy-efi-system-partition?forum=w8itproinstall

EthanHE · Nov 1, 2016

USAFRet :

Sorry for not replying earlier. Didn't get an email notification.

Anyway, yes the HDD (which is now (E) was my only drive at one point. Then I got my SSD and made that my new (C) and that's where Windows OS boots from.

Now here's the issue - the E: drive already has my movie/game stuff on it since I was already saving those things when the HDD drive my only drive. I can't move/copy the files to my SSD because it doesn't have enough room on it. Reformatting the E drive would get rid of everything on it, wouldn't it?

Is there a way I can selectively delete those otherwise un-deletable files?

EthanHE · Nov 1, 2016

greens :

Wouldn't that get rid of my movie/game files as well? Unfortunately, I can't move/copy them to my SSD because there isn't enough room.

USAFRet · Nov 1, 2016

EthanHE :

Well, you're in a bit of a pickle.
Ideally, you'd want to wipe that drive completely, and then use it for movie/games, etc.

Depending on exactly where these movies and games are, they may be intricately inside the existing Windows OS on that drive.
Movies in your /User/Video folder, games here and there.

Do you have access to another drive, even just to borrow? An external USB drive, maybe?

EthanHE · Nov 1, 2016

USAFRet :

Luckily the paths for each are not attributed to the OS on that drive. And I might. I've got several friends who work in tech and have pretty much a stores-worth of random parts. I'll see if I can borrow something.

So let's say, hypothetically, I do get a spare drive and move my "keep" files on there. Then should I just re-install Windows and wipe everything on both drives (SSD and HDD). I just reinstalled Windows the other day (virus issue) so it won't be a time consuming thing if I have to do it again

USAFRet · Nov 1, 2016

EthanHE :

No.
The OS on the SSD is just fine. No need to mess with that.

For the old HDD:
Find/beg/borrow/buy another drive. Internal or external.

Copy ALL of your movies/docs/pics to that. The actual files, not the top level folders they live in.
For instance, do not copy the entire "Videos" folder. That folder has NTFS permissions tied to the original user from the OS on the HDD> The files inside that folder do not.
So just copy the files.
Repeat for any other files you wish to keep.

For Steam games, do this.
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7418-YUBN-8129

Basically, you copy the SteamApps folder to this new temp drive
After, when you've wiped that current HDD, move it back.
Then, designate that folder, whatever you called it, as a location in your Steam client.

The reasoning behind all this moving around is so that you can start with a clean slate on the old HDD>
Rather than bits and pieces of the old OS and permissions lingering in there.

(Plus, you need another drive for backups anyway. No time like the present)

EthanHE · Nov 1, 2016

USAFRet :

EthanHE :

No.
The OS on the SSD is just fine. No need to mess with that.

For the old HDD:
Find/beg/borrow/buy another drive. Internal or external.

Copy ALL of your movies/docs/pics to that. The actual files, not the top level folders they live in.
For instance, do not copy the entire "Videos" folder. That folder has NTFS permissions tied to the original user from the OS on the HDD> The files inside that folder do not.
So just copy the files.
Repeat for any other files you wish to keep.

For Steam games, do this.
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7418-YUBN-8129

Basically, you copy the SteamApps folder to this new temp drive
After, when you've wiped that current HDD, move it back.
Then, designate that folder, whatever you called it, as a location in your Steam client.

The reasoning behind all this moving around is so that you can start with a clean slate on the old HDD>
Rather than bits and pieces of the old OS and permissions lingering in there.

(Plus, you need another drive for backups anyway. No time like the present)

I'll be borrowing a friends 500GB drive later today which is more than enough.

I had my pathways as such C:>Movies and C:>Games so there arn't any long pathways. In that case, can I copy the folders themselves or would I still need to copy the individual files like you had suggested?

After everything is all moved, then all I should need to do is right click my HDD and select Format, correct?

USAFRet · Nov 1, 2016

EthanHE :

USAFRet :

I'll be borrowing a friends 500GB drive later today which is more than enough.

I had my pathways as such C:>Movies and C:>Games so there arn't any long pathways. In that case, can I copy the folders themselves or would I still need to copy the individual files like you had suggested?

After everything is all moved, then all I should need to do is right click my HDD and select Format, correct?

I would create NEW folders in that temp external drive. Copy the contents.
Format the drive? You need to go into Disk Management, and delete ALL the existing partitions.
Make the whole remaining space one large partition, Format that and give it a drive letter.

EthanHE · Nov 1, 2016

USAFRet :

EthanHE :

USAFRet :

I'll be borrowing a friends 500GB drive later today which is more than enough.

I had my pathways as such C:>Movies and C:>Games so there arn't any long pathways. In that case, can I copy the folders themselves or would I still need to copy the individual files like you had suggested?

After everything is all moved, then all I should need to do is right click my HDD and select Format, correct?

I would create NEW folders in that temp external drive. Copy the contents.
Format the drive? You need to go into Disk Management, and delete ALL the existing partitions.
Make the whole remaining space one large partition, Format that and give it a drive letter.

I think that's all I need to know! Thank you guys so much. Hopefully, tomorrow I won't have any problems and can close this thread.

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