Safe way to transfer or move programs from c to drive on Windows 11/10?

You can move apps from c to d on Windows 11 or Windows 10 through the control panel and then reinstalled.
The installed program explicitly allows the selection of a custom path during installation (common for most business software, office suites, etc.). And there is no need to modify system environment variables or use third-party tools.

How to Transfer apps/programs from C to D on Windows 11/10:

Step 1: Open Control Panel

Windows 10/11: Press Win + S → type “Control Panel” → select “Programs” → “Programs and Features”.
Or via the system settings path: Settings → Applications → Applications and Features (Windows 10/11).

Step 2: Uninstalling a program

Find the target program in the list → Right-click and select “Uninstall”. Follow the prompts to complete the uninstallation process. If the program prompts “Do you want to delete desktop shortcuts/start menu items” → It is recommended to check Delete (to avoid residual files interference).

Note: Some programs (e.g. Adobe series) may ask for administrator password, so you need to get administrator privileges in advance.

Step 3: Cleaning residual files (optional but recommended)

Manually delete the residual files in the following locations (caution should be exercised):

• C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86)
• C:\Users\Your User Name\AppData\Roaming
• C:\Users\Your Username\AppData\Local

Step 4: Reinstall Apps to D Drive

If the original program does not retain the installation files, you need to download the official installation package again (make sure the version is the same as before). Double-click the installation package  and run as administrator. In the “Installation Location” or “Destination Folder” step of the installation wizard, manually enter or browse to the path of D drive. Follow the prompts to complete the installation process.

With these steps, you can safely transfer the installed apps from the C drive to the D drive. If you encounter problems with a specific program, we recommend consulting its official documentation or contacting technical support.