Need advice-I think I made C: partition too small!

[tfcolligan]

Hello, new here. Good site.

I installed Win 7RC 32 onto a 160 GB hard disk which I partitioned. I allocated about 25 GB to C: system, and formatted the rest on to a D: drive for data. I've found that this may have been a mistake, as getting program installations to default over to D: are problematic (and not recommended by Microsoft, as per some previous threads I've read here).

And so I am running out of C space, and have several programs "manually" installed over to D. Quite frankly this is a pain, and I am about ready to throw in the towel and just try to extend the C drive. But maybe there is a way to avoid?

My question is this: what's my best approach to correct all this? Specifically, I'd like (if it is possible) for all my libraries/directories to default to D: so that I can readily reinstall Windows 7 (or downgrade) the C: System drive should it become necessary. This was my original goal and hope. I was able to have this with XP, although that was some time ago and I forgot the steps.

Anyone have an good suggestions for me, or should I just extend C: and give up this idea?

 

[noyb]

I store all my data in another partition .. do not use Documents ..
and try to keep my desktop stuff to a minimum.
I figured 50 gig should be enough .. so I made an 80 gig C drive.

Currently showing ~14 gig used and ~64 free

 

[DocBrown]

I remember several years ago, shrinking D drive with partitioning software. Moving the unallocated space next to the C drive. Then expanding the C drive to a larger size. Maybe somebody with more recent experience will read this and help us out, since Old-Timers disease affects "Doc's" flash memory

 

[tfcolligan]

Yeah, I had the same thoughts. But then I realized I am defeating my own purpose by not getting myself adapted to the whole "libraries" concept, since I may be in job environments in the future where I'll need to be able to support Windows 7 with all its newfangled functionality, and so forth.

I'm an old XP hound myself, and used your strategy on my Vista box to try to keep it all familiar and cozy. But now that 7 is out, and a lot of companies seem raring to roll, I figured I had better learn the stuff in its entirety. I am envisioning future corporate rollouts where the images will be set up in typical "small system c / large data d" fashion. I was just trying to emulate that kind of scenario to get a jump. Go figure.

 

[linuzo]

Welcome to sevenforums tfcolligan, I would recommend the smallest c: to be around 80GB for various reasons. It seems that with the large disks out there nowadays microsoft looks at 80GB perhaps as a XP guru would look at 25GB.

 

[noyb]

...I'm an old XP hound myself...

I was wondering if you were thinking XP numbers ... Vista/Fixta is a HDD hog.

 

[harpua]

This might be slightly OT here but just wanted to say that I was initially very skeptical about the library organizational feature, but let me tell you, it is just awesome and has really simplified my life. For example, now I can see all the video files I have scattered on various drives in one "folder" view. This is really a convenience for me.

I would suggest not trying to emulate patterns of organization from previous iterations of the OS and just being open minded about giving the new structure and features a fair trial. You might be pleasantly surprised as I was. Now I wouldn't want to go back to working without libraries, that's for sure, and I really thought it was a screwed up idea at first glance.

 

[mtnsteve]

My drive is partitioned with a 30 GB C drive (logical) and 566 GB on the primary partition (D) . I moved "My Documents" to my D drive because of all my music, DVDs and pictures I had.

Even with a bunch of programs installed on C (I'm installing everything to see what works) I'm only using about 19 GB.

I'll eventually try W7 without partitions, or perhaps 80 GB for the logical as suggested.

Oh yeah, I love the Libraries feature.

 

[Orbital Shark]

Hi tfcolligan & mtnsteve, welcome to the forums.

You might want to have a look in the registry (run regedit from the start menu).

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

You will find the default setting for Program Files & %ProgramFiles%

Note: Be warned I have not tried this and it would be best to backup your registry before attempting this. Also, a clean install with nothing else at all installed would be the best environment to try these settings.

How to backup your registry
Within regedit, right-click 'Computer' and select 'Export' and save the .reg file to any specified location. You can then double-click this file to fully restore your registry.

Hope this helps




Jeff

 

[OEM]

Hello, new here. Good site.

I installed Win 7RC 32 onto a 160 GB hard disk which I partitioned. I allocated about 25 GB to C: system, and formatted the rest on to a D: drive for data. I've found that this may have been a mistake, as getting program installations to default over to D: are problematic (and not recommended by Microsoft, as per some previous threads I've read here).

And so I am running out of C space, and have several programs "manually" installed over to D. Quite frankly this is a pain, and I am about ready to throw in the towel and just try to extend the C drive. But maybe there is a way to avoid?

My question is this: what's my best approach to correct all this? Specifically, I'd like (if it is possible) for all my libraries/directories to default to D: so that I can readily reinstall Windows 7 (or downgrade) the C: System drive should it become necessary. This was my original goal and hope. I was able to have this with XP, although that was some time ago and I forgot the steps.

Anyone have an good suggestions for me, or should I just extend C: and give up this idea?

I would try this...

Since vista, ms has put in some new tools to allow a user to extend and shrink volumes in disk management. I would try and shrink drive D: and if it gets you enough space to add to C: try extending that newly freed up space to C:. What might happen though is the free space created will be on the wrong side of D: so, you might have to use the "extend the drive" option for c: to use that space.

Another option if you have another hard drive is to temporarily move everything off of D:, delete that partition, and then, right click on C: and choose extend. Extend it, but leave enough for you to recreate a D Drive to move everything back to it that you copied off.

Lastly, and I have no idea how much you've installed onto D: as "programs files", but uninstall those programs, temporarily move the rest off, delete partition D, extend c:, recreate d: copy everything back onto it.

Good Luck

 

[tfcolligan]

Thanks to one and all for your responses. I'll sort this all out and report back on what I did. Meanwhile, let me just say that I've found sevenforums and everyone here to be most helpful and informative. I've been browsing some of the threads, etc. Fantastic place to be. Glad I found you. Tom

 

[Uber Philf]

haha, ok well i was thinking, if you make your C drive 50gb, and leave the D drive for your files, In the D drive make the dcouments, pictures, videos and music, and set the library to add those folders into the library, so when you go to look for music, go to the library, and to music, and it will have your music from D drive in it..

I hope ive come to it correctly..

EDIT: and if you have like downloads, and other custom folders, add them into the library as well, and set the D drive downloads folder for default downloads


Enzo.

 

[tfcolligan]

Thanks Enzo and Harpua

Thanks Enzo. Based on what I am hearing from both you and Harpua, I am coming around on this whole library thing. Still, I'm going to need to expand C: a bit for program installations. I am glad that I caught all this now, before I installed too many applications on D:. Not that I mind a total Windows 7 reinstall, mind you. Right now it's the experimental phase. My old laptop is great for working with this. Fortunately, I've only got my Skype and one or two other easily downloaded apps on D.

What is bothering me now is that I like 7 so much, I am actually pondering wiping Vista from my good laptop, even though it's only about 9 months old. Must find strength. It's still under warranty.

 

[Uber Philf]

haha, well as long as youve made a recovery disc for vista, if it all goes pare shaped, format it with the recovery , and its a bit confusing installing programs on different drives, just gets too messy, trying to figure out where uve installed firefox, or what ever program.., and as a few have said, w7 boots quicker then vista, tbh, i find w7 more stable, with vista i was formatting once a month.. S:

Enzo.

 

[Generator]

Could this be a solution maybe?

How To Mount and Access New Partition, Volume or Drive As Folder Path In Windows » My Digital Life

I have the same problem and Im in the process of trying it but I got 80Gb to backup first and its gonna take an hour before I can try (safely that is!).

 

[tfcolligan]

Duly noted Enzo! And now back to our own humble hemisphere, and Generator's thoughts (although I must admit, all this good will amongst we colonists and folks from the land of our mother tongue makes me just a wee bit misty and nostalgic-like).

Generator, you've provided what looks to be an intriguing link. I only glanced it over. Sadly, I must now secure a night's sleep before I embark upon further ponderings or actions. I will indeed check this out tomorrow. Thanks!

 

[Uber Philf]

No problems

Don't forget to post back your findings

Enzo.

 

[Generator]

I'll post my result as soon as my data is secure on another drive.

I'm fed up with un-installing just so I can install something else, I made my partition 60Gb thinking it was enough but how wrong I was!

 

[Uber Philf]

haha, depends how much many programs you intend to run.., if its not alot 60gb can be enough.

Enzo.

 

[Generator]

Yay it worked! and here's my tutorial on how to mount drives as folders!

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11253-mount-drives-partitions-folder.html