Using an external hard drive for storage space and programs

In summary: Applications that are installed on your computer and use its files (such as AutoCAD) generally need to be installed in the same place on the hard drive as the program itself. However, most programs that you buy (or download) don't come with any installation program, and so you have to put them on an external drive, or on a drive that you mount as a drive letter on your computer, in order for them to work.In summary, if you have an unusually small hard drive on your laptop and want to free up some space, you can move data to an external drive, delete it from your computer, and run apps from the internal drive.
  • #1
sarah25
4
0
I have a laptop and I'm running Windows 7.
I recently downloaded AutoCAD and some other CAD software and I needed extra storage space on my laptop, so I bought an external hard drive.
I was wondering if there was any way I could reinstall any programs onto the external HD to clear up some space in my internal HD.
If not, I can always just use my external HD as a backup, which I was planning to do anyway.
(The external HD I bought is 1 TB, just throwing that out there.)

Thanks!
 
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  • #2
You'd have to use the installer for the product you want to move. On windows besides just copying files to various places, the registry database is updated with key value pairs indicating things are stored, what things can be imbedded in a ms word doc...

So just copying stuff over may not work as the registry keys won't be updated.
 
  • #3
So, could I use the installers that came with the programs (if they're still on my computer) to reinstall it to E: (my external HD)? And after that, could I run that on my computer instead of running it from my internal HD?
 
  • #4
Yes I think so why not try it on a simple program first? I personally don't install things that way but there's no reason for it not to work unless the product is enforcing some rule like that to fight piracy.
 
  • #5
You must have an unusually small hard drive on your laptop if it is getting filled up with nothing but applications. Usually what fills up disks is DATA, not applications, so data is the thing to put on external drives.
 
  • #6
jedishrfu: Thanks for all the help!

phinds: What do you mean by data? (Pictures, music, videos, etc.?) Because if that's the case, could I just move all of my media to the external HD, delete them off of my computer, and run my apps from the internal HD?
 
  • #7
My wife has her disk filled with 45 gigs of photos she taken over several years and doesn't want to remove them. Phinds is correct if you've loaded your drive with music, videos or photos that you no longer access regularly you can back them to an ext drive and delete them from them from the laptop drive to free up space.

Also if you have iTunes installed and you imported your music into it you may duplicate storage. I found that on my computer I had 5gb of music in iTunes and the same songs stored in another directory. If you've downloaded videos via iTunes they'd be stored there too.
 
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  • #8
sarah25 said:
jedishrfu: Thanks for all the help!

phinds: What do you mean by data? (Pictures, music, videos, etc.?) Because if that's the case, could I just move all of my media to the external HD, delete them off of my computer, and run my apps from the internal HD?

That is exactly what I would do (and in fact IS what I do although I DO keep frequently-used data on the local hard drive)
 
  • #9
phinds said:
You must have an unusually small hard drive on your laptop if it is getting filled up with nothing but applications. Usually what fills up disks is DATA, not applications, so data is the thing to put on external drives.

It depends a bit what you call "applications" and "data". For example in computer music generation, a single sample library (which would probably be thought of as an application by the person who bought it) might contain 100 Gb or more of data, plus a very much smaller amount of executable code.

And you need all that data on the fastest drive available, not on an external drive running through a USB hub.
 

1. How do I use an external hard drive for storage space and programs?

To use an external hard drive for storage space and programs, you will first need to connect the hard drive to your computer. This can be done via USB, Firewire, or Thunderbolt connection. Once connected, you can then transfer files and programs onto the external hard drive just like you would with a regular internal hard drive. Keep in mind that some programs may require you to install them on your computer's internal hard drive, so be sure to check the program's system requirements before transferring it to the external hard drive.

2. How much storage space does an external hard drive typically have?

The amount of storage space on an external hard drive can vary, but most models offer anywhere from 500 GB to 10 TB of storage. It's important to consider your storage needs and choose a hard drive with enough space to accommodate your files and programs.

3. Can I run programs directly from an external hard drive?

Yes, you can run programs directly from an external hard drive. However, it's important to note that this may cause slower performance compared to running the program from your computer's internal hard drive. Additionally, if the external hard drive is disconnected while the program is running, it may cause errors or crashes.

4. How do I ensure my external hard drive is properly backed up?

To ensure that your external hard drive is properly backed up, you can use a backup software or manually transfer important files to another storage device. It's also important to regularly check the health of your external hard drive and replace it if it shows signs of failure.

5. Can I use an external hard drive for both Mac and PC?

Yes, you can use an external hard drive for both Mac and PC. However, the hard drive must be formatted to a compatible file system that both operating systems can read and write to, such as exFAT or NTFS. Keep in mind that formatting the hard drive will erase all existing data, so be sure to back up any important files before doing so.

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