How to Install/Run Applications from an External Hard Drive (New)

When your C drive is out of space, or you just want to store some applications on an external device, Windows can help. You can install all new programs to an external device or secondary internal drive with the built-in settings. Here are the steps to install/run Windows 10 Apps to an external hard drive or second drive.

Part 1. Install Windows 10 Apps to an External or Second Drive

Connect your external hard drive to your PC. Follow the details below to install new programs on an external hard drive.

Step 1. Click the Start menu and select Settings (the gear icon).

Step 2. Select "System > Storage > Change where new content is saved.

Step 3. Use the New apps will save to dropdown menu to select your external drive.

Part 2. Run Application from an External Hard Drive

You have learned about how to install new applications to an external hard drive or second drive. What about installed applications? How to move and run the applications from an external hard drive?

Purposes of this part

• To recommend a piece of Windows easy transfer software - EaseUS Todo PCTrans.
• To promote its reliable product feature, which is being able to transfer programs to an external storage device.
• To persuade most of you, the Windows users, to try this feature out on the basis that the accumulated data and programs are draining your hard drive memory and space, which decreases the computer performance, making it run extremely slow.

Solution implementation

1. On your computer, download and install EaseUS Todo PCTrans.
2. Bring an external hard drive, USB flash drive, or a memory card that is available to you.

Tip: You can execute a massive transfer of the executable application from a Windows machine to the external storage unless the drive cannot hold the many.

First, move your apps to the external hard drive.

Step 1. Connect your external hard drive to your computer. Open EaseUS Todo PCTrans and select "App Migration > Start".

Step 2. Find and choose the applications (marked as "Yes") that you want to transfer. You can select multiple apps. 

Click the triangle icon and select your external hard drive as the destination to store the apps. 

Step 3. Then, click "Transfer" to move your programs to an external hard drive.

Second, plug the external drive back into your computer.

• The application location has been changed. It is no longer on the local disks on your computer.
• On the day you want to use the application, bring the drive with you, connect it again.

Third, get ready to run the application from the external drive.

• Go to the Windows File Explorer, open the external storage.
• Double-click on the application.exe file.
• You can see the application will begin to prepare it to set up.
• Enjoy. You can run the application from the external hard drive in the same way as it's on the local hard disk.

Conclusion

That's all about installing and running applications from an external hard drive. If you want to free up space and change the installation place, select Part 1. If you want to move installed applications to an external hard drive, refer to Part 2.