Windows 7 Professional: relocate user-data + programs

1

From what I've seen on the web, there's no 100% reliable approach in Windows 7 to relocate user documents and third-party programs to a new location, e.g. the O/S on a dedicated SSD and the user-data on an external HDD.

But maybe I've overlooked a definitive solution to this problem? Or is there perhaps a commercial program that does the relocation flawlessly: future Windows updates and SPs installs do not get confused or undo the relocation so you end up with two locations, there are no BSODs or vestigial directories that cannot be deleted, the new location is recognized as the default location, etc etc?

Tim

Posted 2011-10-05T12:35:45.433

Reputation:

What you say "Programs", do you mean user profile programs, or "Program Files" and "Program Files (x86)"? – Coding Gorilla – 2011-10-05T14:18:53.853

Anything and everything installed on the computer after the initial installation of the O/S, with the exception of MSFT-published updates to the O/S. – None – 2011-10-06T13:22:27.147

Answers

0

Your starting sentence is correct: there isn't. I had read about this thanks to Google-fu and there are a lot of "you have been warned" messages about the disastrous results. You could try junctions (soft-linking) or hard-linking, or just backing it up "the right way." I think the MSFT response is "that is what roaming (network) profiles are for" but those are obviously less than flawless.

I have not heard of any commercial offerings, but I am curious to hear what others have to say on this topic. No one where I work is willing to invest in such a product so I have not researched so much.

songei2f

Posted 2011-10-05T12:35:45.433

Reputation: 359

Asked: 2011-10-05T12:35:45.433

Viewed: 68 times

Active: 2013-10-18T22:29:37.013