How to Move Programs Between Hard Drives [2024 Full Guide]

Do you intend to move your programs from one hard drive to another? Our comprehensive 2024 guide has got you covered. Learn how to transfer programs between hard drives with ease and avoid losing your data. Read now to simplify your hard drive management.

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With the continuous advancement of technology, the size of digital files and programs keeps expanding, which requires more storage capacity. As a result, it's not uncommon to face a scenario where a particular hard drive, like the C drive, runs out of storage space while another hard drive has unused capacity. In such cases, moving programs from one hard drive to another can be a practical solution.

Transferring programs between hard drives can be daunting, particularly if you lack technical expertise. Rest assured. EaseUS aims to ease your worries by presenting a thorough and detailed step-by-step guide on moving programs between hard drives in this text.

Make Preparations for Moving Programs Between Hard Drives

Before learning about transferring programs between drives, you need to make everything ready for moving programs between hard drives. Here is the preparation job that needs to be done:

1. Prepare a new hard drive(SSD/HDD)

To transfer programs to another hard drive, you must ensure that two hard drives are connected to your computer. If not, you need to prepare a new hard drive first, then connect it to the PC and initialize the HDD or SSD.

Note
If you want to use a used hard drive as the destination drive, you may need to back up your partitions and disk in order to avoid unexpected data loss.

2. Download and Install a Reliable Programs Transfer Tool

Before starting the transfer process, you should first download EaseUS Todo PCTrans and get Windows built-in utility(Windows Settings, Command Prompt, and Registry Editor) ready.

EaseUS Todo PCTrans

  • Transfer programs, settings, and data to a new PC.
  • Create a full backup to keep your entire computer safe.
  • Data rescue-recover data from a broken or dead computer.

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How to Move Programs Between Hard Drives - 4 Ways

You can move programs between hard drives using Windows in-built utilities and third-party tools. This article will discuss four ways to move programs between hard drives on Windows. These include a specialized tool and three Windows utilities. Before taking the step-by-step tutorials on the four methods, you can get to know more details with the help of the comparison table:

⏱️Duration 15-20 Minutes
💻Goal Move Programs Between Hard Drives
🧰Preparation Computer, Two hard drives, EaseUS Todo PCTrans
🔒Difficulty

✔️[Easy] Move programs via EaseUS Todo PCTrans

✔️[Medium] Move programs using Windows Settings

✔️[Complex] Transfer programs via Registry Editor/CMD

🛠️Tools 
  1. Way 1. Move Programs via EaseUS Todo PCTrans
  2. Way 2. Move Programs via Windows Settings
  3. Way 3. Move Programs via Registry Editor
  4. Way 4. Move Programs via CMD

Way 1. Move Programs via EaseUS Todo PCTrans

Specialized software is always recommended to move programs between hard drives seamlessly and fast. The best tool to quickly transfer your programs from one drive to another is EaseUS Todo PCTrans. It allows you to transfer files, folders, applications, and user accounts from an old computer to a new one or from one hard drive to another.

With this tool, you can transfer programs without any restrictions or limitations. It also keeps the data secure and safe, meaning you can run the newly transferred programs without a hitch.

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Support Windows 11/10/8/7

Moving programs via EaseUS Todo is fast and straightforward. Here is how to transfer programs between hard drives using this tool:

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Todo PCTrans and select transfer mode

On the main screen of EaseUS Todo PCTrans, go to "App Migration" section and click "Start" to continue.

app-migration-1

Step 2. Select apps and another drive to transfer

1. Select the source partition and tick applications, programs and software (marked as "Yes") that you'd like to migrate.

2. Click triangle icon to select another drive or disk as your target device and click "Transfer" to start the migration.

Select apps to migrate

Step 3. Finish the migration process

When the transferring process finishes, click "OK" to complete.

You can restart your PC to keep all the changes, and you should be able to run your migrated apps on the other drive again.

finish app migration

Key Features of EaseUS Todo PCTrans

Along with transfer programs between hard drives, EaseUS Todo PCTrans also has other useful functions as below:

  • Transfer the user profile to another drive.
  • Back up your entire PC data by transferring it to an external hard drive.
  • The best junk and temporary files cleaner.
  • Resolve system issues like the "C drive is full."

No more hesitation. Let EaseUS Todo PCTrans look after your partitions and keep them in a good state from now on. Click and share this page on your social media platform to help other users that stuck at move programs between hard drives:

 

Way 2. Move Programs via Windows Settings

It is also possible to move programs between hard drives using Windows Settings. You can access the "Apps & Features" tab and move the desired program to another drive. However, this method doesn't work for all programs. Follow these steps to move the program via Windows Settings:

Step 1: Use the "Win + I" to access Windows Settings, and here click "Apps." Select "Apps & Features" from the left on the next screen.

click apps to select apps&features

Step 2: Scroll down and find your targeted program. After selecting the program, click "Move" and choose the new drive to move the program.

click move to choose new drive

Way 3. Move Programs via Registry Editor

You can also move the program from one drive to another using Registry Editor. However, modifying the Registry Editor can be risky, and you should only attempt this method when you have complete confidence in your skills. Here is an example of moving "Program Files" and "Program Files (x86)" from C to D drive. Use the following to move programs via Registry Editor:

Step 1: To start, you need to copy the "Program Files" and "Program Files (x86)" folders" from the C drive to desired drive, like the D drive. Launch the Run function using the "Win + R" key.

launch the run function

Step 2: Type "Regedit" in the Run function and press "OK" to open Registry Editor. Now navigate to the "MICROSOFT" folder using "SOFTWARE" through "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE."

access the microsoft file

Step 3: In the "MICROSOFT" folder, access the "CurrentVersion" subfolder through "Windows." Now right-click "Program Files" and choose "Modify."

tap modify the folder

Step 4: Change the "Program File" path by replacing the drive letter with your selected drive. Afterward, perform the same instruction for "Program Files (x86)."

change the file path

Way 4. Move Programs via CMD

When moving the program from one hard drive to another, you can also use the Command Prompt. Use the mklink command to change the program via CMD. This command will help you move "Program Files" and "Program Files (x86)" from the C drive to the D drive. Moreover, you can choose your desired program and drive. Below are the steps to move programs via CMD:

Step 1: Start by copying the "Program Files" and "Program Files (x86)" folders to the D drive from C. Now use the Windows search bar to access Command Prompt and run it as administrator.

copy paste the program files folder

Step 2: Head to the Command Prompt, run the command mklink /J "Program Files" "D: Program Files" command. You can replace the program name and drive letter according to your needs.

use the mklink command

Conclusion

In conclusion, transferring programs from one hard drive to another can free up storage space in a C drive or move files onto a different and faster hard disk. For example, if you recently added SSD to your computer, you probably want to free up your C drive or move the Windows to another drive. However, transferring programs between hard drives is a challenging task that requires the right tools and techniques. In this instruction, we have explored various methods to move programs between hard drives, and we can confidently recommend EaseUS Todo PCTrans as the best choice.

EaseUS Todo PCTrans is an efficient and reliable program that simplifies transferring programs, files, and data between hard drives. Its intuitive user interface and comprehensive features make it a fantastic tool for individuals and businesses seeking to move programs seamlessly and securely. By clicking the following links, you can read more related articles about moving programs between hard drives:

FAQs About How to Move Programs Between Hard Drives

If you have additional questions, you can read the answers below to the FAQs about moving programs between hard drives.

1. How to move programs from C drive to D drive in Windows 11?

Follow these steps to move programs from C drive to D drive in Windows 11:

Step 1: Open Windows Settings and click "Apps" to access "Apps & Features."

Step 2: Here, find the targeted program and select it. Afterward, tap "Move," like the desired drive, and click "Move" to start the moving process.

2. Is moving files from C drive to D drive safe?

If you take the appropriate precautions, transferring files from the C to D drive is typically considered safe. You should only move non-system files and personal data, such as documents, music, videos, and pictures. It is better to keep system files on the C drive.

3. Can I transfer an installed program to another computer?

Yes, you can transfer an installed program to another computer. However, moving an installed program to another computer can be challenging and often requires using third-party tools. The best means to transfer an installed program to another computer is EaseUS Todo PCTrans.

About the Author

Updated by Sherly

Sherly joined EaseUS in 2022 and she has always loved writing articles and enjoys the fun they bring. She receives professional training here, focusing on product performance and other relative knowledge. She has written over 200 articles to help people overcome computing issues.

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Written by Roxanne

Roxanne is one of the main contributors to EaseUS and has created over 200 posts that help users solve multiple issues and failures on digital devices like PCs, Mobile phones, tablets, and Macs. She loves to share ideas with people of the same interests.

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  • EaseUS Todo PCTrans Free is a useful and and reliable software solution created to serve in computer migration operations, be it from one machine to another or from an earlier version of your OS to a newer one.

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  • EaseUS Todo PCTrans is by the folks at EaseUS who make incredible tools that let you manage your backups and recover your dead hard disks. While it is not an official tool, EaseUS has a reputation for being very good with their software and code.

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  • It offers the ability to move your entire user account from your old computer, meaning everything is quickly migrated. You still get to keep your Windows installation (and the relevant drivers for your new PC), but you also get all your apps, settings, preferences, images, documents and other important data.

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How to Move Programs Between Hard Drives [2024 Full Guide]

Try smart Windows 11 data transfer tool to move all data in 1 click.

EaseUS Todo PCTrans

  Free Download

Support Windows 11/10/8/7