How to change the path of installed programs in Windows

If you have worked for a long time in Windows and in any of its versions, you will have noticed that within the installation environment there is an area where the programs we install are housed at any moment. These are 2 elements that we must take into account from this perspective of analysis, something that we will mention below in a playful, simple and easy to understand way.

The first thing to mention is that when we install Windows, the default hard drive should generally be labeled "C:", although there are cases in which you can use a different one. By default, the unit name is the one mentioned above, within which the «directory» will be present.Program files»Or«Program Files" in English. This last directory cannot be changed arbitrarily, although if we are going to do it we must take into account a few aspects before proceeding, otherwise the system will become unstable.

32-bit or 64-bit directories in Windows

Up to Windows XP the default directory for installing applications was "Program files«, Something that came to change later from Windows 7, leaving a more exact definition as follows:

1. On 32-bit operating systems the installation folder is named "Program Files (x86)".
2. On 64-bit operating systems, the installation folder only has the name "Program Files".

This nomenclature that we have mentioned is present from Windows 7 to the most current version of the operating system proposed by Microsoft. Now, the firm has always recommended do not change these routes at any time, as this could represent some kind of instability in the proper functioning of Windows. Anyway, there are certain needs for which some people are forced to make these changes and modifications.

If you are working on a hard disk with a quite small capacity in terms of storage, a first alternative may be to review the space that the different applications are occupying that we have installed, something that becomes very easy to execute if we have Windows 8.1 on our computer and through the method indicated above.

If we do not have the possibility to review this information, then perhaps we will need to change the path of the files installed in Windows to a different partition (or hard drive) and where, if there is more space to continue installing more tools.

If, after having analyzed these situations, you have decided to change the path of the folder that houses the installed programs, then we recommend that you follow the following procedure:

• Start Windows in the conventional way.
• Calling a keyboard shortcut win+r.
• In the space we have to write regedit (the registry editor).
• We press the key Login.

With these steps that we have executed we will see the window that belongs to the Registry Editor Properly said; It is worth mentioning again that Microsoft never recommends making these types of modifications in the environment, since this may represent some kind of unexpected failure in the proper functioning of Windows. Once we have carried out the steps suggested above, we must go to the following path within the Registry Editor:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion

If we have followed each step punctually then we should pay attention to the area on the right side. There we will find the function that will help us to change the path of the programs installed in Windows, that is, the «ProgramFilesDir»For 64-bit applications already«ProgramFilesDir (x86)»For 32-bit applications.

We only have to double-click on any of the 2 functions that we have mentioned to change the default path, to a different one that we have decided as the new destination for the files that we will install in the future.

Without a doubt, which procedure is one of the simplest to follow, although previously you should create a Windows restore point (and at best, make a backup of the same) in the event that when restarting the computer, it does not work perfectly. If something goes wrong you can restore the system to a previous point entering the «Fail Safe Mode»Or performing the same steps we have suggested now, but leaving the directory paths as the default as advised by Microsoft.