title: Changing Program Files default location in Windows 7
body: <p>Folks,</p>
  
  <p>When I get a new PC, I always first partition my disk into C, D and E - then install Windows on C, other software on D, and use E for my own work.  To make my installs easier, I first change the registry location of  ProgramFilesDir (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ProgramFilesDir) to "D:\Program Files".  Once I do this, all new installations go to  D:\Program Files. Life was good.</p>
  
  <p>Now I have Windows 7. I see that the Registry includes all these entries now...</p>
  
  <pre><code>CommonFilesDir
  CommonFilesDir (x86)
  CommonW6432Dir
  ProgramFilesDir
  ProgramFilesDir (x86)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>By the time Windows 7 was installed, the two "CommonFiles" directories already had stuff installed. I decided to leave these untouched.  The rest I changed to their D-drive equivalents.</p>
  
  <p>So two issues...</p>
  
  <p>First, new software installs STILL want to go to C:\Program Files.  I always have to change the "C" to a "D" - which I've never had to do before.  (Yes, I've rebooted plenty since making the registry change.)</p>
  
  <p>Second, I'm finding that Visual Studio 2010 seems especially confused by this.  I have installed .NET 4.0, and even tried repairing it, but VS 2010 insists I don't have 4.0 installed.  (I've heard that others have this trouble, too, and VS 2010 seems to really want to be on the C-drive.)</p>
  
  <p>Any help, dear friends, with either issue?</p>