How to Move Installed Programs to Another Drive in Windows 11

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Are you receiving low disk space warnings on only one of the internal hard drives on your Windows 11 PC?

It's not a huge issue, but you can avoid seeing those messages again by moving some of your programs to another drive on your Windows 11 machine.

It's generally recommended to have at least 15-20% free space on your main drive, especially the C: drive. This is because most Windows 11 updates are stored on the C: drive, so you need the room for future updates and system settings.

Fortunately, if you have free space on another drive (like Drive D:), you can easily move some programs from the C: drive to D: in Windows 11. This way, you can run your Windows 11 smoothly without having to uninstall any programs.

And, folks, it's not difficult to move installed programs to another drive in Windows 11. You can quickly shift programs from the C drive to D or any other drive using manual steps or software.

So, let's see how you can effectively move installed programs from one drive to another on your fresh Windows 11 PC.

Moving a program from the C drive to the D drive manually can be a bit complex, as it often involves changing installation paths and potentially moving files. Here's a general guide to help you with this process: 1. **Backup**: Before making any changes, ensure that you have a backup of your important data, just in case something goes wrong during the move. 2. **Program Files**: Identify the program's installation folder on the C drive. This is usually located in `C:\Program Files` or `C:\Program Files (x86)` for 32-bit programs on a 64-bit system. 3. **Create Destination Folder**: On the D drive, create a new folder with the same name as the program's installation folder. 4. **Copy Files**: Using an explorer window or a file manager, copy all the contents of the program's installation folder on the C drive to the newly created folder on the D drive. 5. **Registry Editing**: This step is crucial but also risky. You might need to edit the Windows Registry to change the program's installation path. Open the Registry Editor by pressing `Win + R`, typing `regedit`, and hitting Enter. Navigate to `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall` (for system-wide installations) or `HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall` (for user-specific installations). Find the relevant key for your program, which will likely have the program's name. - **Caution**: Modifying the registry can cause serious issues if done incorrectly. If you're not comfortable with this, consider using a third-party tool designed for this purpose. 6. **Change Registry Path**: In the selected key, locate the `InstallLocation` value. Double-click it and change its data to the new location on the D drive. 7. **Shortcuts**: Update any shortcuts to the program on your desktop or start menu. Right-click the shortcut, select 'Properties,' and modify the 'Target' field to reflect the new location. 8. **Reboot**: Restart your computer to ensure all changes take effect. 9. **Test the Program**: Launch the program from the new location to see if it runs correctly. If there are any issues, you may need to repair or reinstall the program. Remember, not all programs can be moved in this manner, especially those that are deeply integrated into the operating system or have dependencies on specific locations. Some programs may require a fresh installation in the new location. Always proceed with caution and, if possible, consult the software's documentation or support for guidance.

If you're technically proficient, you can use one of three methods to move an installed program from one drive to another:

1. Move Programs from C Drive to D Drive using Windows Settings

You can use the Apps & features and Apps & Games settings to seamlessly move apps to another drive. However, this method only moves apps that are partially installed on the C drive to the D drive. If you're okay with that, do this:

via app and feature downloads.

1. Right-click the Windows icon, and then choose "Apps & features" or navigate to "Settings" > "Apps" > "Apps & features." 2. Select the app you wish to move, click the "Move" button, and then choose the drive you want to transfer the program to, such as Drive D:. 3. Now, wait for the moving process to complete.

App and game transfers

Transfer apps and games

1. Open the search bar, type "Storage," then open it. 2. Next, click on "This PC (C:)" to view your C drive's storage usage, then click on "Apps & features." 3. Scroll down to "Apps & features," select the program you want to move, and click on "Move." 4. Choose your destination for the program, such as D: drive, and wait a few minutes for the transfer to complete. 5. Restart your computer once the process is finished.

2. Transfer the program from the C drive to the D drive using the command prompt.

Can you handle Windows commands? If so, you might be able to use a registry command to move installed programs from the C drive to the D drive. However, a small misstep in altering registry settings can crash your entire system. So, proceed with these steps only if you're very confident in your abilities.

Transferring through the Registry Editor

Create a folder named "Program Files" on Drive C. Press Windows + R, then type CMD in the Run search box, and paste the program folder to the new location. Enter the following command line:

This command translates to: Robocopy "C:\Program Files" "D:\Program Files" /mir In Chinese, this command means: 使用Robocopy工具将"C:\Program Files"目录下的所有内容镜像到"D:\Program Files"目录，参数"/mir"表示镜像源目录到目标目录，会删除目标目录中源目录没有的文件。请注意，这个操作可能会替换或删除目标目录中的现有文件，请谨慎使用。 Please note that this operation may replace or delete existing files in the target directory, so use it with caution.

This command translates to: Robocopy "C:\Program Files" "D:\Program Files" /mir In Chinese, this command means: 使用Robocopy工具将"C:\Program Files"目录下的所有内容（包括子目录和文件）镜像复制到"D:\Program Files"目录。"/mir"参数表示镜像模式，会删除目标目录中源目录没有的文件和子目录。

Next, open the search box again and use the tip in Windows 10/11 to find the folder's location:

"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion"

How to Move Installed Programs to Another Drive with Software

Manually moving an application from the C Drive to the D Drive isn't difficult. However, if the “Move” option next to the program is grayed out, or you're not comfortable using the command line, this software is your best bet for transferring programs between drives.

And with user-friendly app transfer tools like Todo PCTrans, you don't have to do it manually. You can download this software for free on your Windows 11 and migrate your programs to another drive in just three steps.

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The simple steps to transfer installed programs from the C drive to the D drive using Todo PCTrans are as follows:

Step 1: Launch Todo PCTrans tool, select "App Transfer", and then click "Start" on the main interface.

Step 2: The program will scan and display all supported programs automatically.

Find the programs you want to change the location of and select them. In addition, click on the triangle icon to choose the destination location to move them to.

Select the programs and target location

Step 3. Click on “Move” to start changing the installation location of the programs.

Note: After the transfer is complete, just restart your computer to save all changes.

Bottom line

Transferring programs between drives isn't complicated. You can do it with Windows settings, registry hacks, or even simple copy and paste. The important thing is to have a powerful tool like the free Todo PCTrans when you don't want to go through the tedious manual process.

Therefore, if your C drive is overloaded, use the Todo PCTrans tool to alleviate the burden and improve Windows 11 performance.