Drive letter assignments: Put Windows on D:?

Wouldn't it be great if the SSD were named something other than C: and the HDD were named C:?

If the HDD were named C:, then everything would by default install itself to HDD.

That way the unsophisticated users would never stick crap on the SSD that I want reserved for Windows and a couple of choice programs.

Anybody know how to accomplish this in Win 7?

 

why do you want to make life complicated and install program to HDD when you have SSD ? That way, you are paying for something that is expensive and not being used 95% of the time.

 

You can install stuff wherever you want. Every program installer has an option to pick the directory you wanna install the stuff on. By default the installers will pick the partition Windows is on so if you want the program on another location, you have to specify it.

If it's too simplified, maybe just give more significant names to your drives other than letters?

 

Chimp: I'm setting up a small SSD with the programs *I* want on it, and only those.

Melody: Yes, if I were there, I could select Custom Install and put the programs where I want them. But people other than me are going to be installing stuff on it occasionally, often when I'm 1000 miles away.

Ideally, the SSD would be named anything but C:, and the default trees in the registry, like %ProgramFiles%, will point to the HDD.

Somebody just suggested that I reassign the drive letters in Disk Management. I didn't think I could change the letter on the Windows drive after Windows was installed. If that works, I can handle the rest in the registry easily enough.

 

No matter what drive you install Windows on, when booted from that partition, it will be the 'C:' drive.

Don't go on a wild goose chase, okay?

 

i've drive letters disabled everywhere. who cares about those in 2011 anymore?

 

davepermen, but... you're a programmer (right?) - that doesn't count.

 

i'm most of all an enduser. one that wants the pc to serve me. and having drive letters does not serve me anything. it's just archaic old crap from the last millenium that's still here because people got used to it and can't get over it.

first, i'm an end user. then, i'm a musician, then i'm a supported, and then i'm a programmer. thus my main focus, as a programmer, too, is always the end user focus.

 

drive letter is a very good way to refer to things, try to guide mom or pop over the phone without the drive letter.

 

drives have names, you know? pluging in a phone shows a phone icon, you know?

and btw, how can i guide her without knowing the drive letter? can be different if she has some card readers or something. do i want to remember all setups?

nah.. never needed, not even in support cases, not even over phone.

 

try to compare this(over the phone) :

'click the start button then 'computer', double click that C drive'

with

'click the start button then 'computer', double click that ur can you tell me what drive is under local disk'

'oh, I have two, one said 'what the hell is this drive' and another one said 'XSSDKDKKD''

of course dynamic drive letter is difficult but "C:" being the system/windows drive is almost universal.

 

I agree it's unconventional to have Windows on the D: drive.

However, it sounds like you want programs that automatically install to the Program Files folder to basically point elsewhere.

Take a look at this, which I used to move the whole USERS folder to my D: drive, but requires a fresh Windows install, but works like a charm.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...ifferent/565f16a5-e5ed-43c9-8422-4f56aebb296e

I'm sure there's an unattend command that can be put in that xml file for the Program Files directory as well. Probably "ProgramFilesDir"