Force user to use second drive

[evilmatchbox]

I am not sure if this is the best place to post this but hopefully its fine.

 

I build pc's for people and often I up sell them to include a 64gb ssd or m.2 to put the operating system on.  I tell them all the time be sure not to install anything else on the ssd.  To often i get calls from people having issues because they have filled up the sdd completely.  Is there a program kind of similar to deepfreeze that is free?  Or maybe a better suggestion?  I want them to not be able to do anything to the ssd but still allow windows to update and be able to write to the ssd?

 

Thanks

[Mira Yurizaki]

If you make them into a standard user account, they'll need admin privileges (which requires a password) to install most things. Some programs install to the user's profile which is limited to just them. Windows update still works and they can write to any folder they create on the SSD, including their user folder.

[COUPER MILLAR]

Redirect documents, desktop, and other file directories to the secondary drive instead of the c drive. 

[manikyath]

2 minutes ago, evilmatchbox said:

often I up sell them to include a 64gb ssd

in what universe does a 64GB SSD still make sense in the first place?

 

you could redirect a WHOLE LOT of folders to the D: drive i guess..

[NumLock21]

Move the personal file location like documents, desktop, music, pictues, to the D:\.

Now when they save it automatically goes into D, instead of C

[Mooshi]

10 minutes ago, evilmatchbox said:

I am not sure if this is the best place to post this but hopefully its fine.

 

I build pc's for people and often I up sell them to include a 64gb ssd or m.2 to put the operating system on.  I tell them all the time be sure not to install anything else on the ssd.  To often i get calls from people having issues because they have filled up the sdd completely.  Is there a program kind of similar to deepfreeze that is free?  Or maybe a better suggestion?  I want them to not be able to do anything to the ssd but still allow windows to update and be able to write to the ssd?

 

Thanks

Change the location to a folder on the other drive.

 

[Mira Yurizaki]

One more thing. It's probably still risky but you can also move C:\Users to the second drive and replace it with a symlink. I used to do this when I had smaller capacity SSDs. It works best on a fresh install because things get dicey to move around on a used system.

 

You might be able to do this for Program Files too, but I haven't tried it.

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

64GB is just plain too small.  Windows on its own can fill that drive in a matter of months if you leave System Restore on.

You also have very little benefit from that SSD if your programs and games need to be installed on a secondary HDD.