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Move the "Program Files" in Xp?


pointertovoid

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Hello you all!

I couldn't find the option to move the "Program files" folder in TeakUI v2.10 (also known as TweakXP) running on Xp as I used to do in W2k, so I moved the folder using TweakUI v1.33 (the one for W2k).

Meanwhile the XP works imperfectly, and I don't have the computer at hand to experiment further. Hence the question:

Can the "Program files" folder be moved in XP? Is it safe to do this?

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Uhm... interesting question 

Basically, when you install a program, links are created in the registry entries by Windows Installer which is the one in charge of creating them and use them in order to repair an installation, uninstall a program or roll back changes whenever some errors occurred. In fact, you need to specify the path in which a program will be installed at the installation time. In this case, you are trying to use tweak UI from Windows 2000 to move the programs files folder. Such a tool will also have to modify every link in every registry entries. Unfortunately though, Windows 2000 is slightly different from XP, especially because XP can run a greater version of Windows Installer than 2000.

In a nutshell: I don't think it will work, but you may be extremely lucky and if nothing changed between 2000 and XP and between these two versions of Windows Installer, then it will.

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Well, the only good thing about being old (at least before being visited by that old German gentleman Al *something*) is that of remembering old tools. ;)

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,21065,00.asp
 

http://web.archive.org/web/20120418153743/http://htmole.altervista.org/info/coa2.htm

it works nicely in XP too. (and with a couple tricks also in Vista):

jaclaz


 

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Just to add, I ran XP for several years with the Program Files and Documents and Settings folders moved to other locations and re-named, with no problems.
I did have a dual boot system, which made it a lot easier.
I just copied the folders to the new location using Windows 98, and then went back into XP and searched and replaced all the relevant registry entries, which I had Registry Workshop installed to do easily.
Worked fine, with no problems.
I moved them back to their default locations a few years later when I had re-configured my drive setup, and again no problems.
:)
 

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