How to Change the Location of Installed Programs in Windows 11 in 2022? Your Guide Is Here
- Complex Level: Easy
- Applies to: Switch and change the location of installed apps on Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP and Vista, etc.
This page shows new Windows 11 users how to change where new content is saved in Windows 11, especially for applications like Office, Adobe software, and even some extremely huge games.
| Workable Solutions | Step-by-step Troubleshooting |
|---|---|
| Fix 1. Use App Migration Software | Try every USB port available; Determine you\'re using USB 2.0 or 3.0...Full steps |
| Fix 2. Use Apps and Features | Step 1. Press Windows + I keys to open Windows settings, click on "system" and select "Apps and Features"....Full steps |
| Fix 3. Use CMD Command-Line | Step 1. Open your C drive and find out the app you want to move to another drive...Full steps |
| Fix 4. Using Registry Editor | Step 1. Press Windows + R keys to open the run dialog, type regedit, and click "OK"...Full steps |
Why Do You Want to Change the Location of an Installed Program in Windows 11
Though being designed with many new features such as a new user desktop centered Start menu and taskbar on Windows 11, Microsoft still keeps the most classic Windows system design in its newest operating system - Windows 11. All new content will automatically be saved and installed on the Local System C (This PC) Drive is still the same on Windows 11.
As a result, the C drive will soon get full with the following content:
- Downloaded content.
- Installed applications and software.
- Operating system.
- Personal folders, like Documents, Pictures.
- Desktop contents, etc.
How will you resolve this issue when the C drive gets full in Windows 11? You can turn to fix this issue in many ways, such as changing the default download location, moving user folders like Documents, Pictures, and Desktop to another drive, deleting useless large files, etc. Changing the location of installed programs in Windows 11 is also a very efficient way that helps to free up large space in the system C drive.
In this next part, we'll discuss how and what method you can rely on for changing apps' location in Windows 11 without any boot issue. Let's see.
How to Change Location of Installed Programs in Windows 11? [4 Ways]
According to experienced and professional Windows administrators, we collect 4 efficient ways to move apps around Windows 11 successfully without losing any app data or boot issues. Let's see:
- #1. Third-Party App Migration Software
- #2. Apps and Features Tool in Windows 11
- #3. CMD Command Line
- #4. Registry Editor
Among the 4 methods, which method suits you the most? Check the comparison table, and you'll learn which method suits you the most:
| Comparison | App Migration Software | Apps and Features | CMD | Registry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transfer Content |
|
|
|
|
| Difficulty Level | Easy | Easy | Medium | Complex |
From the comparison table, it's clear that the third-party app migration software is the most comprehensive solution for Windows 11 users to change the location of installed applications. However, if you are looking for an easy and efficient method, you can't miss Method 1. Let's see how to migrate apps and change the install location of your programs in Windows 11 now.
#1. Change Location of Installed Programs in Windows 11 Using App Migration Software
Professional app migration software can directly help you move the C drive installed programs, software, and even games to another local drive on your computer without any boot issue. Qiling Disk Master, with its App Migration feature, is exactly what you need.
It allows you directly move multiple programs and apps from C drive to D or even a second hard drive at one time on your computer without losing any personal data or boot issue. Here are the detailed steps:
Step 1. Run Qiling Disk Master on your PC
Go to "Backup and recovery" and click "File sync" to continue.
Step 2. Select programs to move from C drive to another drive
1. Tick the C drive and select programs (marked as "Yes") that you want to transfer.
2. Click the browse icon to select another drive on your computer as the destination, and click "Proceed" to start the process.
Step 3. Finish the transferring
Wait patiently until the transferring process finishes and click "OK" to confirm.
When it has done, you can restart PC if necessary. This will keep all changes on your PC and then you can run and programs from another hard drive without reinstallation.
Aside from this, you can also apply Qiling Disk Master to:
- Move apps from other drives to C drive
- Move the Desktop folder to another drive
- Transfer apps or programs to another computer
- Backup and rescue data and programs in computer
- More...
#2. Use Apps and Features Tool in Windows 11 to Change Location of Installed Programs
Apps and Features tool is a Windows built-in tool that helps change the location of some installed programs on Windows computers. Windows 11 users can also apply this tool to switch some C drive installed programs from C to other drives.
Here are the steps:
Step 1. Press Windows + I keys to open Windows settings, click on "system" and select "Apps and Features".
Step 2. Wait for the Apps and Feature to open, select the programs or application you'd like to transfer and click "Move".
Step 3. Select the drive where you want to move the program to, such as D: drive.
Step 4. Click "Move" to confirm.
If you need to move several programs, you'll need to repeat the process several times. For a more efficient way, you can totally trust Qiling Disk Master.
#3. Use CMD Command-Line to Move Apps Around Windows 11
Another efficient but more complex solution to move apps around Windows 11 is to run CMD command lines. To do so, you must be very careful while running the following steps on your PC.
Some experienced Windows administrators recommend that you create a restore point in Windows 11 if you face any issues while moving apps around Windows 11.
Here are steps to move apps around in Windows 11 using CMD:
Step 1. Open your C drive and find out the app you want to move to another drive.
Step 2. Create a text document, copy and paste the two command lines in the file:
- Robocopy "Source" "Destination" /sec /mov /e
- Mklink "Source" "Destination" /j
Replace the Source with the path location of the target program in your C drive.
Replace the Destination with the path where you want to move the app to on your PC.
Step 3. Type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt and select "Run as Administrator".
Step 4. Once the command prompt opens, type the first line in your text file and hit Enter:
- Robocopy "Source" "Destination" /sec /mov /e
Step 5. Type the second line in the command prompt and hit Enter:
- Mklink "Source" "Destination" /j
Wait for the process to complete. After this, you can open the target new drive and see if the selected app folder have been successfully moved here.
Note: You need to be very careful while running the command lines, and if any error occurs, it could be Windows that doesn't allow you to do so. In this case, you should stop the operation and return to Method 1 for help.
#4. Change App Location from C to Other Drive in Windows 11 Using Registry Editor
The last workaround for moving apps from C to another drive in Windows 11 is using Registry Editor. And before you start, you should also confirm where you want to move the apps to.
Here are the steps:
Step 1. Press Windows + R keys to open the run dialog, type regedit, and click "OK".
Step 2. Once Registry Editor opens, follow the path here to open the folder in Registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
Step 3. Double-click on the ProgramFilesDir (x86) key and change the default value "C:\ProgramFiles" to the new drive path.
Step 4. Click "OK".
Step 5. Double-click on "ProgramFilesDir" and change the default value from "C:\ProgramFiles" to your new drive path.
Step 6. Click "OK", close Registry, and restart your computer.
Bonus Tip: How to Change Windows 11 Default Installation Folder
Aside from the above 4 methods to change the location of installed programs in Windows 11, it's also important that you change the Windows 11 default installation folder to save disk space in the C drive.
Here are the steps that you can follow:
Step 1. Press Windows + I to open Windows Settings, click "System" > "Storage".
Step 2. At the Save locations section, click "New apps will save to:" column, and select a new drive to change where your apps, documents, music, pictures, and videos are saved by default.
Conclusion
This page covers 4 reliable methods that help move installed programs in Windows 11 from C drive to another drive without any boot issue.
Among the 4 methods, Windows beginners can totally trust Qiling Disk Master to migrate apps from C to another drive.
Experienced Windows users can also try the other 3 methods if they only want to move some basic apps around Windows 11.
Changing the location of installed programs in Windows 11 is possible and easy. As long as you turn to the correct methods, you can directly execute the operation like an expert on your own.
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