Running programs on an external HD in OSX

[PhotographicOSX]

I have a program overload on my computer, and was wondering if I could Just Drag and drop the programs to my external HD and run them from there? If not could I transfer them to the external HD and then back to the computer when I need them? I don;t use the programs that much, but don't want to delete them but need room for new ones that I need to use. The Programs I want to transfer over are Adobe Dreamweaver CS3, Fireworks CS3, Flash CS3, Illustrator CS3, and Corel Painter IX. Please help me, Thanks.

 

[TheReef]

It usually depends on the program but I've had great success with many.

Why don't you just copy the apps over and try, if it doesn't work delete them.
They will need to have access to your users home folder so that could cause issues, installing them from the original disks (and determining from the installer if they can be installed on a volume other than the startup disk) would probably be a better option.

 

[rpaloalto]

It is better to keep adobe wherever it was originally installed. Their is a whole bunch of support files installed all over the place with adobe.

Why not just put itunes, iphoto and other's on the external. Most other mac programs should have not to many qualms about being moved. If you have a lot of cs3 plugins you could store those on the external. Just make sure you change were each program looks for the plugins. through their individual preferences.

 

[Metuas]

It is better to keep adobe wherever it was originally installed. Their is a whole bunch of support files installed all over the place with adobe.

Why not just put itunes, iphoto and other's on the external. Most other mac programs should have not to many qualms about being moved. If you have a lot of cs3 plugins you could store those on the external. Just make sure you change were each program looks for the plugins. through their individual preferences.

iTunes perhaps, but iLife is very finicky about being moved. I moved it to a separate partition, and it rather screwed up many things, like Garageband loops, iPhoto projects, and other things. In addition, it became unstable and crashed more often.

Adobe applications won't even run from a separate partition unless you've installed them there (I've tried).

General rule of thumb: if large chunks of the application reside permanently as shared components on the boot volume, leave them there.

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

If they're small tiny apps that you "installed" by drag/drop, then certainly. But the ones with Installer, most likely no, since Installer put most of the support files on the installed HDD. If you put your personal data on the primary HDD, switch it around. Move the primary data (personal stuff) onto an external and the apps on the original computer HDD. That makes more sense.

 

[PhotographicOSX]

Thanks,

Thank you everyone you have been such a help, I need to update my computer due to its limited space, but this will work for now.

 

[PhotographicOSX]

What about transferring them over and then back

I don't use my Adobe Dreamweaver, and Flash CS3 yet. I will need to use them next year for school. Can I drag and drop these to the External HD and then drag and drop them back to the apps folder next year? So they are not taking up so much space?

 

[itickings]

I don't use my Adobe Dreamweaver, and Flash CS3 yet. I will need to use them next year for school. Can I drag and drop these to the External HD and then drag and drop them back to the apps folder next year? So they are not taking up so much space?

If you feel like gambling, yes.

I imagine things can get very screwed up if you for example happen to run the updater while the applications are in the wrong place. Personally, messing with CS3 is one of the last things I'd do. There are tons of other stuff that can safely be erased or moved.

 

[PhotographicOSX]

Thank you.

I am not going to risk losing or messing up my adobe programs, so I'm just going to transfer my iTunes Library over to the external HD. Which leaves me more than enough room for my new video editing programs. Thank you all for the help.

 

[rpaloalto]

Both itunes, iPhoto's library are easy to move. Don't move the actual app.
Just their libraries .
Inside your home folder under music, you will find your itunes folder. Move that, to your external. Same with iPhoto. In your home picture folder. You will see your iPhoto folder. Move that to your external.

How many apps do you have? And how big is your HD?

 

[CallsignBaron]

FWIW - I run X-Plane (all 60 GB) from an external drive.

 

[itickings]

FWIW - I run X-Plane (all 60 GB) from an external drive.

Running applications from an external drive is not a problem as such, as long as the application was installed there if it used an installer, or if it is of the "drag and drop" type.

It is entirely plausible to run the OS from one external drive, keep most applications on another external one and have the data on one's internal drive.

Moving an already installed CS3 to an external drive is an entirely different story...

 

[PhotographicOSX]

Did it.

Yah my adobe programs are already installed to my computers HD so I can't move them. But I did move my iTunes Library to the external HD. And that alone freed up more than enough space to download what I needed. Thanks everyone