Like any operating system, Windows is designed to keep files of different categories in specific folders. For example, images, documents, videos and even programs.
When you install a program, Windows creates a new folder with all the files needed to make it work, which is placed on the disk chosen during the installation which, by default, is always disk C, the main one where the Windows system is installed .
While things like documents and photos can be moved to another disk with a simple copy / cut and paste (even if you have to do it in another way to move the Windows user folders), it is not possible to dry copy the folders programs from one disk to another, because these would lose internal references (which are stored in the Windows registry keys and other hidden files) and would no longer work (unless they are portable programs that do not require installation) .
When we need to create space on disk C and when we bought a new disk where we want to install all the programs, instead of reinstalling all of them it is possible to move them one by one using a specific procedure.
What you need to use is the symbolic link, that is a link that tricks the system into believing that the program is actually where it was originally installed, while instead it has been moved to another disk or another partition.
The symbolic links created on disk C, therefore refer to the real files that reside and occupy the space of another disk (D or E).
Windows will not notice anything changed and everything will continue to function normally.
The symbolic links are used to move folders from one disk to another and now let's see, in practice, how to move a program to another hard disk or SSD, both manually and using a simpler software capable of managing them automatically.
The manual procedure is simple even if it requires the use of the Command Prompt.
First of all, open explorer resources, go to C: / Program Files or Program Files (x86), locate the program to be moved, for example LibreOffice 5, cut and paste its folder on the other disk, perhaps recreating the same path ( then in F: / Program Files ).
Then open the Start menu, look for the CMD command to find the command prompt to run as administrator (in Windows 10 and 8 press the right button on the Start menu to do it first).
In the command prompt, make sure that the letter of the drive where you are moving the program is displayed.
To change the disc, just write the letter with a colon and hit enter.
For example, if we find C: written, simply write D: or E: or F: and press enter.
Below, write the following command and press enter:
mklink / J "C: \ Program Files \ LibreOffice 5" "F: \ Program Files \ LibreOffice 5"
A confirmation message will tell us that we have created a junction for that folder.
Then open, in Windows Explorer, the path C: / Program Files and note that LibreOffice 5 appears with a link icon and that pressing twice on it opens the original folder as if it were still there.
To prove that everything worked, simply open the program from the icon on the Start menu.
If you prefer not to use the command prompt, you can use programs that do all the work of moving automatically and more easily.
One of this is FolderMove, a simple software that allows you to choose the disk on which to move the installation of a program without any problems.
Obviously it is based on the creation of symbolic links, so it will be run as a Windows administrator.
Other similar programs are Steam Mover or Application Mover, already described in the guide on how to create symbolic links in an easy way .
All these programs are simple enough to use, they only ask you to enter the current path of the program followed by the folder where you want to move it.
