Finally, delete the remaining files and folder from the external drive and everything will go back to normal.
Again, this is how things are working in Windows 10 build 10122. In this case, you want to uninstall all the apps from the secondary storage before changing the settings, and then you can reinstall the apps in your system. However, the data stored on the external drive will not migrate to your PC.
If you want to stop using a secondary location to install apps, simply go back to the Storage Settings, and choose "This PC". (Be warned! Depending on how the app was designed, you may lose some app data in the process.) The best way to get around this limitation is by uninstalling the apps you want, then change the setting to install apps to a new location, and now reinstall the apps again. Though, Microsoft is also building a feature to move already installed apps to an external drive, but it's not working at the time of this writing in Windows 10 build 10122. It doesn't move existing apps to a new location. This feature only installs new apps to the secondary location. Here are a few other things you need to know However, keep in mind that personal files stored in your profile folder will not be encrypted by this feature.
Also, the app files stored on the new drive are encrypted, so if you lose the drive no one will be able to access the data. You'll click an app, and it won't start, but simply reconnecting the drive or SD Card will bring things back to normal.Īlso, when you change the settings to install new apps into a secondary location, Windows 10 will create three folders: the first folder has your profile name, then there is the "WindowsApps", which is where the apps will be installed, and finally there is the "WpSystem" folder, which is where all related application data will be saved. Now, what happens if you disconnect the drive? Short answer: Nothing.
Nonetheless, it's always a good idea to make a backup of your files. However, you cannot not use mapped network drives to install and store Windows apps, and you can always use one drive at a time.įurthermore, the feature does not require you to format the drive, so you can safely use a personal external drive with data already on it, knowing that nothing will happen to it.
This option means that you're not limited to SD Cards only, as you can also use an external USB or secondary hard drive, or a USB thumb drive. I have also tested the feature with a regular USB thumb drive, and it both cases the feature worked perfectly. It's worth pointing out that for this guide, I'm using a virtual machine in which I have created and mounted a secondary hard drive.