D: \ program files

[Singularity]

I will partition my new HDD in RAID 0 soon.
Partition:
C: \ wndows 7
D: \ program files.

Now i've read on many sites on the web that if you do that, some program will install (partially ) on de C partition
even when you choose the D partition. So that the data will get spread across multiple partitions.

Someone said that you shuold never seperate the prog files from the OS because those two are embedded.

I've also found a tip how to seperate them:

Under Windows Vista, select "Run" from the Start menu.
Click Start> Run (or Windows key + R)
Type regedit and click OK.
Scroll to the key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion

On the right window, double click on the key ProgramFilesDir and modify data in this key by the new path for the installation folder.
For example, enter the path D: \ Program Files, to change the partition on which the facilities are.

My question:
How to really do this and is it actually better to leave them together on one partition?

 

[sandmanwn]

yes some info still gets dumped onto the C: partition.

You can fix this by moving the Environment variables to the D: partition. Some programs also store items in your My Documents folder, but that too can be relocated to the D: partition.

 

[Singularity]

How to do that. Just by copy - paste?
Will it affect performance?

 

[kamel5547]

I don't se emuch of a need to seperate programs from Windows... if you reformat you have to reinstall everything (unless you really want to play registry roulette and try restoring an old version of your registry to the new OS).

 

[Singularity]

No i don't. I just need a lot of space for my games and apps and thought that a huge 300-500 gb C partition would be to big and disorganized.
Or could i install games in a Game files partition?

 

[sandmanwn]

in windows 7 its in the control panel under user accounts.
a link to the left says change my environment variables.

you can change where your temp variables are stored there.

I know how to change the user directory in XP but I have not found it yet in Win 7. This is where most games create a folder for user game profiles, video playback storage, etc.

I'll reply again if I find out where the user folders can be changed in Win7

 

[112inky]

yes some info still gets dumped onto the C: partition.

You can fix this by moving the Environment variables to the D: partition. Some programs also store items in your My Documents folder, but that too can be relocated to the D: partition.

 

[captaincharisma]

yea i don't see why you would do this unless your os HDD is really small. even if you offload everything to the D drive you would still have to reinstall all your programs if you have to reinstall your OS. best is to use the partition to store thing like pics, music,video, game saves etc etc.

 

[sandmanwn]

its fairly simple. if you take away all the pieces that clog up and slow down your OS installation it will last longer.

I've been running an XP installation for 6 years doing this very thing. Most people can't make it 6 months without a reinstall like its a planned event. :lol:

 

[captaincharisma]

i doubt it would last much longer anyway because you cannot place the registry on a separate drive/partition. and its worse when that starts getting polluted

 

[Singularity]

it's a bit of a pickle. next week my new Core i7 gaming rig will be completed. With 2 Samsung spinpoint 1 TB in RAID 0. Enough space.This is what i had in mind:
C-OS
D-Prog Files
E-Apps ( eg video editing, photoshop, 3D rendering etc)
F-Game Files (install.)
G-Games
H-My documents
I-films - series - documentaries

Probably to much or what.

 

[sandmanwn]

personally usually go with...
C-OS
D-Progs/apps/games
E-Storage

 

[Singularity]

seems more simple indeed.