default install destination registry location

id like to, if it is a registry entry, change it so it defaults programs to want to install to d:\xxxx rather than c:\xxxx
all i can find is stuff about where windows defaults to look for the windows cd.

any ideas?

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion]

"ProgramFilesDir"="d:\\Program Files"

Not all install programs look there though, so you'll probably end up typing it in a lot anyway.

the problem with doing that is anything ive already installed to c:\program files is now linked to d:\program files and doesnt work
without editing the shortcut of course
thanks!

the problem with doing that is anything ive already installed to c:\program files is now linked to d:\program files and doesnt work

Have you tried? The last time I did this, it worked fine, for all the applications I had installed at that point.

If I'm not mistaken, there is an option in TweakUI that does just that.
Although that might just be a menu-driven way to do the same thing as Ricin suggests. (but maybe it does someting else too?)

If I'm not mistaken, there is an option in TweakUI that does just that.

I couldn't find it. It does have a big-ol' list of special folder locations that you can configure. C:\Program Files is not on the list. Maybe it's somewhere else in TweakUI.

Its list of folders seems to correspond with the ones returned by my program. My program's prettier, but doesn't have an Edit button.

Hmmm... I know that I've used TweakUI at one time to do just that, but the program itself seems to have gone through some changes since then. (I'm talking about the TweakUI that was coded for win 9x). It guess it's possible that you can't do that anymore now.

I don't really mind, I now just manually change the installation path from c:\program files\x to d:\program files\x each time I install something. Never had any problems doing that.

anything ive already installed to c:\program files is now linked to d:\program files and doesnt work

How do you mean "doesn't work"? Do you mean that all the shortcuts now look for a different location? They shouldn't... Even if the shortcut thinks that the program is in a different location, when it can't find it, it will usually start searching for the executable.

It really shouldn't affect old or new programs. I had a friend who insisted on installing new programs to plain old C:, simply because he didn't want MS telling him where to install his applications. I thought that was one of the odder ways to stick it to MS, but whatever.

it makes all installed programs using the %programfiles% look to d:. yeah, itll work if i let them search first time i run them. but it makes for some ugly icons.
but it does seem to work for the most part.

Its list of folders seems to correspond with the ones returned by my program. My program's prettier, but doesn't have an Edit button.

Roger, where's the registry store the setting for "My Pictures"? I always wanted to change that.

No idea, I don't look in the registry. I use SHGetFolderLocation, which takes a selection of CSIDL_ numbers.

Ah well. No big deal. And anyway, I discovered that TweakUI has a setting to change that folder anyway. Had it all along, didn't think to look there until I read this thread. Cool! Thanks!