AOMEI Partition Assistant
How to Move AppData to Another Drive on Windows 11
This post will introduce you to a powerful applications/folders transfer utility to move AppData to another drive on Windows 11.
By Dervish / Updated on November 10, 2023
Can you move AppData folder?
I have 3 drives, Boot(C:), Data(D:) and Restore(E:). My C: drive almost full, it contains my Appdata\Local (50GB), and my D: has 377GB free, I wonder if I can safely move the AppData folder to D:? I tried creating a User\username\AppData folder in D:, and I am going to manually move it to the new folder. I see it's copying everything right now, will this work?
- Question from Superuser
What is in the AppData folder?
The AppData folder is also known as the Application Data folder. It is a folder for storing data used or created by Windows programs. The AppData folder contains data not part of the original installation files.
When you install a program, all the files needed to run it are stored in the Program Files or Program Files x86 folder, and data other than these files is stored in the AppData folder. These data include program cache, temporary files, configuration files, etc. The benefits of such storage are more secure, prevents data corruption, and is also easier for users to manage.
Nowadays, more and more people want to move AppData to another drive on Windows 11, 10, 8, 7. Why is this happening? Please read on.
Can the AppData folder be moved to another drive?
Yes, you can move AppData to another drive. But you cannot move the AppData folder by copy and paste.
Because the available space of the system drive is closely related to the performance of Windows. Therefore, when the system drive is almost full, users expect to move some unrelated folders to other drives to free up the system drive, such as the AppData folder. This is because the AppData folder is not a system file and moving it will not cause an error on Windows.
When moving the AppData folder, many people’s first choice may be to copy and paste, however, copy and paste is minimal, and it can only operate on some simple folders. Copy and paste actually just copies the files on the surface, not the other data used to find and access those files. Even if some files are moved to the new location, they cannot be used because the drive letter has changed, and the system cannot find the path.
So, how to move the AppData folder to another drive on Windows 11 without problems?
Windows 11 Move AppData to another drive successfully
To do this, you need to seek help from AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. This is a powerful program/folder transfer utility (Support to Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP). Move folders feature helps to move folders from one drive to another safely and easily, so that you can free up more space on the original partition. The moved folders will work fine at the destination location, and you can restore them to the original location as well.
If you want to move installed programs to another drive then you can try the App Mover feature. Please download the Demo version to see how to move AppData to another drive on Windows 11.
Step 1. Install app transfer tool.
Install and launch PA Professional, select the “App Mover” under "Free up".
Step 2. Choose moving type.
You will see 2 options: APP Mover or Move folders. In this step, we choose "Move folders".
Note: You can click Manage/Restore to restore apps/folders to the original location.
Step 3. Choose the target folder and start.
Please click “Add Folder” to add the AppData and choose the target drive. After that, please click "Move".
Step 4. Move finished.
Wait a moment, you will see the AppData folder have been moved successfully.
Bonus tip: More tricks extend system drive space for Windows
In addition to moving programs/folders, you can also directly allocate the free space of another partition to the system drive, which is an easy, fast and convenient method to extend the system drive.
Step 1. On the main interface of AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, right-click the partition with excess space (here, take D as an example), and select "Allocate Free Space".
Step 2. Here, choose how much space to allocate to the system drive. Then click "OK".
Step 3. Go back to the main interface and click "Apply" to perform the operation.
Tip: If the current disk space is insufficient, you can even clone the hard drive to a larger one.
Sum up
This is the whole process of how to move AppData to another drive on Windows 11. With the help of AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, you can do it easily and safely.
Last but not least, if you want to move installed programs/folders on Windows Server, please switch to AOMEI Partition Assistant Server, which can help you manger Server PC timely and flexibly.
FAQs about moving AppDate to another drive on Windows 11
What is write protection on a hard drive?
Write protection is a feature that prevents data on a storage device, such as a hard drive, from being modified, deleted, or overwritten. It is often used to safeguard important files or prevent accidental changes.
How do I change permissions to remove write protection?
On Windows, you can right-click on the drive, select "Properties," go to the "Security" tab, and adjust the permissions to allow write access. On macOS, you can use the "Get Info" option and modify the permissions under the "Sharing & Permissions" section.
Can I remove write protection from a hard drive on a Mac?
Yes, the process is somewhat different on macOS, but you can change permissions and modify settings to remove write protection. Refer to the "Get Info" section mentioned earlier or use the "sudo chflags nouchg" command in the Terminal.
What precautions should I take before attempting to remove write protection?
Before making any changes, ensure you have a backup of important data on the hard drive. Changing settings or using third-party tools carries some risks, and having a backup helps protect your data in case something goes wrong during the process.
