When you install Windows 95, 98, or NT 4.0, Windows installs accessories in its Program Files folder. In addition, many applications attempt to install their folders in the Program Files folder by default. The idea is basically good ù organising applications hierarchically, rather than letting each of them create its own folder in the root directory, makes them easier to find.

Keeping applications in the Program Files folder, apart from data files, also makes backups more efficient. You can make one (occasional) backup of all your applications and separate (daily or weekly) backups of your data files, which change more often than your applications. Separating applications from data files also prevents you from accidentally deleting important data files when you uninstall applications.

But what happens when you start running out of room on your Windows drive? (This occurs commonly as you add applications, particularly since programs typically cram many files into the Windows folder as well as into their own folder.) Fortunately, as Daniel Finley discovered, you can make most programs install to another default location (for example, d:\apps\program) by changing a single key in the Windows Registry.

Before you edit the Registry, back up the following files: system.dat, system.da0, user.dat, and user.da0. Then select StartûRun, type regedit, navigate to hkey_local_machine\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion, and change the ProgramFilesDir key to the path you want.

If you want to move existing programs to a new drive, you have two choices: uninstalling and reinstalling, or moving files and editing the Registry and other system files. Either way, it's a lot of work.

To take the first approach, find out where your application's settings and preferences are stored, since you'll lose them when you uninstall. Some applications store settings in an .ini file, but this varies greatly among applications. (Hint: search your application folders by date ù a file with a much more recent date than the others may include preferences.) Back up these files. Your next step is to choose StartûSettingsûControl Panel and double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon. Select the application, click Add/Remove, and follow the prompts on the screen to run the application's uninstaller. Then reinstall the application to your new drive. Finally, restore any preference files to the corresponding locations on the new drive. Since some applications store their settings in the Registry, you may have to redo some of your preference or customisation settings (they were probably eliminated during the uninstall process). But you won't have to do large-scale Registry editing.