In modern computer use, browsers have become an indispensable tool in our daily life and work. As one of the default browsers of the Windows system, Microsoft Edge has won the favor of many users with its excellent performance and constantly updated features. However, as you spend more time in your browser, the storage space it takes up will gradually increase. In order to optimize the storage structure of their computers, many users want to install the Edge browser on a non-system disk (such as a D drive). This article will detail how to achieve this.
1. The method of directly installing it on the D disk
Typically, most software installers will provide a choice of installation paths. Unfortunately, Microsoft Edge is one of the components of the Windows system, and its installation path cannot be changed during the standard installation process. By default, it will be installed in a specific folder on the system disk (usually the C drive). Therefore, the traditional way of selecting the path through the installer does not work with the Edge browser.
2. Use symbolic links for path redirection
Although we can't directly select the installation path of the Edge browser during the installation process, we can redirect files or folders that should have been pointing to the C drive to the D drive by creating a symlink. This method requires a certain amount of command line operation knowledge, and care needs to be taken during operation to avoid system instability caused by misoperation.
The specific steps are as follows:
First, make sure you have enough space on your D drive to store your data from the Edge browser.
Then, you need to find the default installation folder of the Edge browser. This is usually located in the AppData folder under the user folder on drive C. Note that the AppData folder may be a hidden folder, and you may need to enable "Show hidden files, folders, and drives" in the "View" option of File Explorer to see it.
Next, we need to create a new folder on the D drive to store the data of the Edge browser. For example, you can create a folder called "EdgeData" in the root directory of the D drive.
Now we need to use the command prompt (run as administrator) to create the symlink. In the command prompt, you can use:mklinkcommand to create a link. For example, if you want to redirect C: Users Yourusername AppData Local to D: EdgeData, you would need to execute a command similar to the following:
mklink /j "c:\users\yourusername\appdata\local\microsoft\edge" "d:\edgedata"Please make sure to replace
yourusernameReplace it with your actual username and adjust the folder path to suit your needs. /jparameter means to create a directory link.
If the command is executed successfully, you have successfully redirected the data storage location of the Edge browser to drive D. From now on, all data generated by the Edge browser (such as caches, cookies, etc.) will be saved on the D drive.
However, it is important to note that this method has a certain risk. Because symbolic linking is a path redirection at the operating system level, it can have an impact on the stability of the system if not done properly. So, before you do this, it's important to back up your important data and make sure you understand the basics of command-line operations.
3. Use Windows system settings to move the Edge folder
In addition to the above symbolic linking method, there is a relatively simple but less recommended way to try moving the Edge folder directly to the D drive, and then pointing to the new location through the system settings. However, this method will most likely cause the browser to not work properly because the Windows system and many applications rely on specific file paths to access data and resources. If these paths are changed without updating the references in the system accordingly, the programs in question may not be able to find the data they need and fail.
In summary, while it is not feasible to install the Edge browser directly to the D drive during the standard installation process, there are some advanced techniques that can achieve a similar effect. However, these methods have certain complexity and risks, and users need to choose carefully according to their own technical level and actual needs. For most users, keeping the Edge browser installed by default on the system disk and managing storage space by regularly cleaning up unnecessary caches and data may be a simpler and safer option.
Digital technology answers