Moving Programs to a dedicated SSD...

[ItzFeeZyHD]

I was gonna move all my programs to a dedicated SSD, separate from OS files. My questions is, can I just re-install those files to their own folder on the new SSD or do i need to have Program Files and Program Files (x86)? Just curious.... and once I do that can i delete the Program Files and Program Files x86 off of my OS drive?

[Godlygamer23]

The program folders in your boot drive also contain Windows Media Player, Windows Defender, etc. You can't just copy and use them because it'll break the registry entries for those programs. Reinstalling programs to another drive is fine, but moving program files to another drive will cause problems.

[Senzelian]

I was gonna move all my programs to a dedicated SSD, separate from OS files. My questions is, can I just re-install those files to their own folder on the new SSD or do i need to have Program Files and Program Files (x86)? Just curious.... and once I do that can i delete the Program Files and Program Files x86 off of my OS drive?

You can install almost any program whereever you want. Of course you can simply delete all the files in those two "Program Files" folders if you're sure you don't need them anymore.

There isn't anything critical in them. You might not be able to completly delete them, because there are some Windows files in them. Windows will notice you that it cannot delete those files.

The program folders in your boot drive also contain Windows Media Player, Windows Defender, etc. You can't just copy and use them because it'll break the registry entries for those programs. Reinstalling programs to another drive is fine, but moving program files to another drive will cause problems.

He said he wants to re-install them, which isn't a problem.

[Godlygamer23]

He said he wants to re-install them, which isn't a problem.

And he also wants to remove the Program Files folders which contain Windows components.

[Senzelian]

And he also wants to remove the Program Files folders which contain Windows components.

Which windows will simply not allow and only delete all the files that he installed by himself.

It takes a lot more to brick Windows 

[ItzFeeZyHD]

You can install almost any program whereever you want. Of course you can simply delete all the files in those two "Program Files" folders if you're sure you don't need them anymore.

There isn't anything critical in them. You might not be able to completly delete them, because there are some Windows files in them. Windows will notice you that it cannot delete those files.

He said he wants to re-install them, which isn't a problem.

 

The program folders in your boot drive also contain Windows Media Player, Windows Defender, etc. You can't just copy and use them because it'll break the registry entries for those programs. Reinstalling programs to another drive is fine, but moving program files to another drive will cause problems.

Thanks, and theres no importance in the difference between the two folders? one is 64bit and the 86 is 32 correct? it wont matter if you mix the two together in one drive?

 

(read on a forum post a long time ago that if you have a x86 (32 bit) program in the regular program files it won run correctly.... don't know if that was true or dose not matter anymore.)

[Godlygamer23]

Thanks, and theres no importance in the difference between the two folders? one is 64bit and the 86 is 32 correct? it wont matter if you mix the two together in one drive?

 

(read on a forum post a long time ago that if you have a x86 (32 bit) program in the regular program files it won run correctly.... don't know if that was true or dose not matter anymore.)

It's just a folder AFAIK. Having 64 bit programs and 32 bit programs in the same folder shouldn't affect anything. If you wish, I can test it now.

[Godlygamer23]

Which windows will simply not allow and only delete all the files that he installed by himself.

It takes a lot more to brick Windows 

I did not say it would brick Windows. I said it would cause issues - and it would if he deleted those two folders(and you can force delete them) and wanted to use the Windows programs found in those folders.

[ItzFeeZyHD]

@Godlygamer23 and @Senzelian thanks for the info!

[Senzelian]

I did not say it would brick Windows. I said it would cause issues - and it would if he deleted those two folders(and you can force delete them) and wanted to use the Windows programs found in those folders.

I actually tried to delete the complete Windows Internet Expolorer folder.

Some files actually got deleted. After I restarded they were back.