I have a quick question. I need to reformat my OS and currently install all my programs/games to a seperate SSD. When I reformat my C drive, How do i get everything from my P: drive (P: = Programs directory) to repopulate my control panel > uninstall program list as well as show up in the start menu again? I remember doing this in the past and luckily only had a handful of programs and just reinstalled everything. Really dont want to do that again.

Thanks,
CynicZ

You can either clone w/e drive all your stuff is on now...or just do a clean install of everything on the SSD.

The clean install is the best option.


/e If what you have on your current drive...won't fit on your new SSD, then you pretty much have to do a clean install of everything.

This post was edited by Ghot on Aug 29 2016 05:39pm

I'm not using a new SSD? Perhaps I worded that badly lol.
My current setup is the following
C:/ = Operating System
P:/ = Program installs.

I plan on turning off the computer and unhooking the P:/ drive. Once unhooked I will start the PC back up and perform a complete wipe of the C:/ drive with the operating system on it. Once I have a fresh copy of windows I will turn off the PC, plugin my SSD with the P:/ drive, and boot back up.
Essentially the only thing I am planning on formating will be the operating system and leaving the rest of the programs installed to the SSD they are already installed on. Once I am done and have it plugged back in, I am wanting to repopulate the start menu/installed programs list with everything from the P: drive like it is now.

Ok...when you format the C: drive you will lose the file path to the Program installs drive.

It kinda depends on what kinds of programs you have installed on the P: drive.

For those that are portable or have no registry entries, you can just make a new shortcut from the programs executable, to your C: drive.

For those that do involve the registry..it will be at best, a lot more difficult, and at worst impossible. When you format the C: drive you are wiping out the registry, and therefore any registry entries made by the programs installed on the P: drive.


If there's a way to fix all the destroyed file paths between the program and the OS...I don't know about it. Now if you're just talking a bunch of STEAM games, that's a bit easier.

This won't work at all. The applications may be on the P: drive, but all the system registry information for those applications is on the OS drive (the Windows registry). The only apps that work normally after a wipe like that are ones designed to be portable. You'll have to reinstall everything.