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    Changing Vista 64-bit default program installation directory

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by Jakamo5, Sep 30, 2008.

  1. Jakamo5

    Jakamo5 Tetra Vaal

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    Ok, I've looked at two other threads on this forum, and they aren't worth bumping up because they give bad info.

    Recently set my laptop to a raid array with 2 volumes, and reinstalled, I have my OS on one volume (C: ), and I want everything else to go on the other (D: ). So I made a D:\Program Files and D:\Program Files (x86) because I know vista likes to separate 32-bit and 64-bit stuff, and I want these folders to be the default installation directories.

    Vista 64-bit has two registries (one for 64 bit, and one for 32 bit), and two registry editors to go with them. There is one regedit.exe in c:\windows and one in c:\windows\syswow64. Both have a hkey_local_machine>software>microsoft>windows>current version which has two keys ProgramFilesDir and ProgramFilesDir (x86). If I simply modify their values to start with D: instead of C:, it does change the default installation directory.

    Here's the problem, if I do that... a lot of programs/executables stop working, including regedit. Even when I locate regedit.exe and double click it, windows will give me an error saying it could not be found. Same thing with msconfig, services, and a bunch of others including everthing that I download, and including things that are on the D drive. So then I have to boot in safe mode to get back into regedit and undo the changes.

    As you can see, modifying those keys is out of the question, so does anyone have alternatives to change the default installation directory in Vista 64 bit? I tried working with Environmental Variables but could not figure that out.
     
    Jakamo5, Sep 30, 2008
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  2. Shyster1

    Shyster1 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    You probably have to add the new filepaths to your %PATH environmental variable as well - I believe that's kept in another part of the registry, but it should also be editable from the system properties submenus.
     
    Shyster1, Sep 30, 2008
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