Interesting issue

[lonewolfmage]

Hello all.

I am having an interesting issue with 2 IDENTICAL computers that have Windows 7 installed .. and was hoping you could help me out

Both computers have the SAME IDENTCIAL specs they are Dell Studio 1569(laptop) computers.
THe drives are partioned (per Dell C: for the OS, and D: for what SHOULD be the "other files", photos vids ect)

It seems like ALL FILES (programs, photos, videos etc) are being saved in the C: drive ,,, and there is NOTHING in the D: drive.

One computer HAS been reformatted (i.e. taken back to factory state via the built in restore and format ) (not by me) the other is still as it was when bought from the store.

How can i get the programs/files(mostly the files).. to make sure they 'Default" to be saved to the "D:" partition rather than the "C:" partiton

As it is now the C: partiton is filling up and NOTHING is going to the D: partition on both computers..mind you I am aware of the fact of just changing the file path to save the files ... but this is for freinds of mine that arent so "computer savy" and may forget or not exactly know HOW to do that ..

Any extra help to be able to set file paths automatically or what ever woudl be of great help..

Thanks in advance.
LoneWolf

Edited to add .. both systems have been scanned with Hijack this .. as well as a "cleaning up and out " with CCleaner.. nothing maliicous ( that I was able to determine) was found. Both systems are FULLY updated as far as windows updates other than possibly some optional updates(drivers). One System seems REALLY slow doing facebook games (i dont rightly remeber the games off the top of my head) while the other is fast.... one ( thew one with the issue) is wireless the other im GUESSING is wired .. im not 100% sure due to the fact that i was on telephone with the other person that has the same computer ( family member they both bought the systems at the same time form the same place) .

 

[bassfisher6522]

Generally speaking with retail PC's, the C: drive is the main drive for the OS and data. The D: drive is where the OS is stored for resetting it to factory defaults. If you click start orb, click my computer you should see the size of each drive. the D: drive should be about 10 Gb or some where there abouts.

 

[lonewolfmage]

Bassfisher~

The in lies the problem ..

EVERYTHING is being saved to the c driveOS(partiton) ..

Both of these systems have APPROXXIMATELY 300 gb of free Hard drive space on the d drive/partiton with nothing on it .. (which would give APPROXIMATELY 450-500 or so gb of full hard drive space).

I have never run nto this situation so its all "newbie" area to me ...

I would think it would "default" some how .. or some way to put files in the D drive(partiton) and not the C(OS) drive(partition)

 

[davehc]

"How can i get the programs/files(mostly the files).. to make sure they 'Default" to be saved to the "D:" partition rather than the "C:" partiton"

The only way to do that, if I understand your query, is to reinstall and select customised installs in each case, and select the D: partition/drive as the installation option. If it is not your intention to want to move the programs, then reinstall is, of course, not needed.

As it is now the C: partiton is filling up and NOTHING is going to the D: partition on both computers..mind you I am aware of the fact of just changing the file path to save the files ... but this is for friends of mine that arent so "computer savy" and may forget or not exactly know HOW to do that .. "

Well, you have supplied the answer. In most programs, there is an option for the default "save", or "save as". I can only suggest a simply written explanation to your friends would suffice.?

 

[TrainableMan]

If all your data is under libraries, you can move those libraries and I believe it will accomplish what you seek.

On your D: drive I would create a Directory D:\LoneWolfMage

Then in windows Explorer go to C:\Users\LoneWolfMage
Find subfolder Documents and right-click, location tab and change it to D:\LoneWolfMage\Documents
Find subfolder Downloads and right-click, location tab and change it to D:\LoneWolfMage\Downloads
Find subfolder My Music and right-click, location tab and change it to D:\LoneWolfMage\Music
Find subfolder My Pictures and right-click, location tab and change it to D:\LoneWolfMage\Pictures
Find subfolder My Videos and right-click, location tab and change it to D:\LoneWolfMage\Videos

 

[clifford_cooley]

Are you sure it is two independent drives and not one single drive that has been partitioned? I've come across a setup like this and it was a single drive with two partitions. And like you describe the user had filled up the first partition while the second remained empty.

If it is a partitioned drive then the second partition can be removed allowing the first partition to be expanded to full capacity of the drive. Looking in disk management will indicate if it is one drive or two.

 

[davehc]

I believe he does say they are partitioned in his first post

 

[bassfisher6522]

Can you post a screen shot of your disk managment window?

 

[Digerati]

EVERYTHING is being saved to the c driveOS(partiton) ..

Understand whenever you install ANYTHING, you should select the "Custom" install option. From there, you MUST select, manually, the location where the program will be installed.

If you do not manually do this EVERY time, Windows, by default, will install it on the boot drive.

It sounds to me like it is working exactly how it is set up.

 

[davehc]

Understand whenever you install ANYTHING, you should select the "Custom" install option. From there, you MUST select, manually, the location where the program will be installed. .

Correct - as I said!

It sounds to me like it is working exactly how it is set up .

Agreed. Nothing wrong. You are just accepting the normal program inatallation and OS defaults at this stage.

 

[TrainableMan]

I would think it would "default" some how .. or some way to put files in the D drive(partiton) and not the C(OS) drive(partition)

You would be wrong. As mentioned it CAN be set up with a customized install but it is setup all on one drive by default. And as I mentioned you can move the data folders now if you wish.

 

[lonewolfmage]

Hello all ~

Sorry for the delayed response to everyones suggestions..

Let me give a little more clarification

TM: I WOULD use youe suggestion (about the user names) But they are not MY computers they are for freinds of mine (see my explanation below)

C-C: yes they are 2 diffrent PARTITONS not 2 separate drives.

Like i mentioned I understand about using custom install all to well .. but again these are for freinds of mine one of wich WOULD understand what to do .. and MAY do it regualrly .. the other well shes TOTALLY computer illterate .. she just uses the darn thing for Facebook and e mails. The other has lots of family pics and such on her computer .. that im sure if the system got messed up she would NOT be a happy camper.

Question(s) about one of the suggestions .. it was mentioned removing the second partiton ... since these are Dell branded PCs and this is the way they were configured when bought (C: (os)< where everything is currently being saved and slowly running out of room and D: (no label shown in disk management)< nothing in this partition at all )

1) would that not POSSIBLY corrupt the drive ? (the reason I ask is I did that one time to my own system with a similar issue(not exact) at one point and that kind of "borked" my system an I ended up having to do a format and reinstall).

2) how excatly would I go about doing that ?(safely)

3) could i not just (as suggested by TM) move the files to the d: drive and THEN some how "hide " the partion and then some how "force" the system to ALWAYS save files /and or progrmas that are NOT OS specifically needed to the D: Partition ?


Thanks for your help so far everyone .. all suggestions will be taken under advisement

~Lonewolf

 

[yodap]

To be clear LW, you open computer and click on the D partition and it opens and there is nothing there? It is how big?

If you don't already have a copy of it, DL and burn http://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html
to a cd and boot the computer from it. From there you can have your way with resizing those partitions or joining them. If there are hidden recovery files on there then that could cause a problem. I have gotten rid of my Dell recovery partition without a problem and use a 3rd party program (Easeus Todo BU) http://www.todo-backup.com/business/free-backup.htm
To back up system images and incremental back-ups.

If your friends don't want to be bothered backing any thing up once in a while, then they have to understand they may lose stuff.

 

[TrainableMan]

TM: I WOULD use youe suggestion (about the user names) But they are not MY computers they are for freinds of mine (see my explanation below)

Well in that case you would substitute their logon-id for the lonewolfmage.

 

[beamish]

Hello; Visited the Dell Q and A site.
There are a couple of posters with the same problem.
They have 60GB "c" partition and 400GB "d" partition.
No solutions listed. Others have a small "d" recovery partition.
All listed with the Dell Studio 1569.
Check if the two laptops have Recovery Disc. If not suggest
owners aquire such recovery media, before making changes.
Is it possible to aquire a partition tool from the hard drive provider?
Wish you and your friends a workable solution to the problem.

 

[TrainableMan]

Temp files remain on C: but you put the libraries on D:. People store documents to My documents, Pictures to My Pictures, etc and if you have redirected the library pointers then that IS where the files will go.

NOTE: it can NOT be the root (D:\) so you create a folder off the root with the user or each users userid and then you relocate. If you have multiple users you will need to relocate while logged on to the corresponding account.

Note2: This does have a disadvantage on a multi-user computer in that each user can easily see the other users files because they are not locked unless you set permissions like they are set by default under C:\users. An administrator account can easily grant themselves permissions anyway but it is something to consider.

Another possibility is very easy with Disk Management: just to delete the second partition and simply extend C: to have one big C: and no D: at all.

 

[Kougar]

The easiest option and one I'd recommend is what Trainableman suggested on the first page... simply change the user libraries to the D drive. This can make everything in the My Documents folder save to them, but from the user's standpoint nothing has changed and the user would be none the wiser. With the user libraries, all links and OS shortcuts would automatically redirect to the new location.

The D partition is the system reserve... it was created by the OEM (Dell) to hold the recovery files for the computer, instead of them shipping multiple discs with the system. Theoretically you could delete it and "expand" the C partition onto it as it isn't needed for Windows to function. However, that said the purpose of the D partition (and why it does not ordinarily show up in My Computer) is it contains everything needed to restore the system to its factory state. If you delete it you lose this ability.

If the hard drive space is needed THAT badly, you could make the recovery discs yourself using the System Reserve recovery files, then remove the partition and expand the C partition to take over the empty space. But if you (or the computer users, in this case) lose the system reocvery DVDs or they don't work then you'd have to pay Dell to ship you new ones. I'd recommend what TrainableMan already suggested given these aren't your own systems, or simply getting two new hard drives.

 

[lonewolfmage]

Thanks all around

Hello all ~

Thanks for ALL the sugestions .. they definately give me some things ot think about ..

Some things to respond to ..

Yodap..yes you are correct there is NOTHING in the D: partiton it shows ) gb used of X ammount( i forget the exact ammout) of GB free thanks for that link .. I'll grab a copy of that program .. its appreciated

Beamish .. what they are saying on the Dell Q&A site ( which I did look at as well) .. is EXACTLY the situation that is occuring on these computers. The Small C: partition and the larger D: partiton with nothing on it .

TM...stupid question but im guessing its not possible .. could i not just "click and drag" the files to the D: drive ?? and then keep them there and things will "fall into place" so to speak ?? im trying to make this as easy as possible for these owners .. other wise I will do as has been suggested by you and others reagrding deleting the D: partition and just expanding the C: partition .. again as I mentioned above IF they have they recovery media.

Kougar.. thank you .. and see above as to what I mentioned to TM about the partitions and recovery media. One thing that you mention tho that has me stumped was/is:
The D partition is the system reserve... it was created by the OEM (Dell) to hold the recovery files for the computer, instead of them shipping multiple discs with the system.

The thing is there is NOTHING in the D: partiton it is TOTALLY empty... so im GUESSING that all of the recovery files you are mentioning are on the C: partition so by deleting and expaning the C: partiton SHOULN"T hurt anything . Since there is nothing on the D: partiton any way . (at least according to Disk Management and right clicking on the partiton in "My Computer" )

Thaks again all for your sugestions.
~LoneWolf

 

[TrainableMan]

You may want to make sure it's really empty. Protected and System OS files are hidden by default.


Yes you can drag & drop but when dragging to another drive the default is to copy rather than move and if all you do is copy then the Library does NOT get redirected, so be sure to hold the SHIFT key down so that it is moved.

 

[lonewolfmage]

TM~

Thanks for that (I acctualy forgot about that DUUHHH on me ) .. I WILL double check to make sure the Partiton is TRUELY empty... and then go from there

I cant do anything till later this week unfortunately due to work constraints.. but as soon as I figure this out using all provided suggetions ..I will make this as solved .

Thanks again all .
~LoneWolf