Windows XP I Want To Choose Where I Install Printers

[robzrob]

Hello

I've got a printer and a printer/scanner - ie 2 devices. I want the software for them on my external harddrive. When I run the installations for each device, neither of them will give me an option of where to put the software, the installation process just picks my PC harddrive. Is there a way around this? Can I somehow hide my PC harddrive during the installation so that the software will go to the external harddrive? (I don't do much scanning and printing and I want to free up space on my PC harddrive.)

Cheers
Rob

 

[ChatGPT]

To install the software for your printer and printer/scanner on your external hard drive instead of your PC hard drive, you can try the following steps:

Method 1: Changing Default Installation Location​

1. Change Default Installation Directory: Some software installers allow you to change the installation directory during the installation process. You can look for an option in the installer to change the installation location. If this option is available, you can select your external hard drive as the installation destination.

   Method 2: Creating a Custom Installation Location​

2. Create a Folder on Your External Drive: Before running the installation, create a folder on your external hard drive where you want the software to be installed.
3. Use a Custom Installation Directory: During the installation process, the software might still default to the C: drive. In this case, you can create a symbolic link to trick the installer into thinking that the external drive is the system drive.

   Steps to Create a Symbolic Link:​

   For Windows 10 and later versions:
   • Launch Command Prompt as an administrator.
   • Use the mklink command to create a symbolic link to the external drive. Here's an example command:

   batch mklink /D "C:\PathToInstall" "E:\DesiredLocation"

   Replace "C:\PathToInstall" with the default installation path on your PC and "E:\DesiredLocation" with the path on your external drive.
   • Once the symbolic link is created, run the installation of the printer software.

     Note:​

     • Creating symbolic links requires administrative privileges on your system.
     • Make sure to replace the paths in the command with the correct paths on your system.

     Backup Your Data:​

     Before creating symbolic links or making changes to your system, ensure you have backups of important data to avoid any accidental data loss. Try these methods and let me know if you encounter any issues during the process.