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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I'm new to Band In A Box and this is irritating. Why are all the data files installed in the same main folders as the program files? How can I move all the data files to a separate drive (where data files from ALL my other applications are) and keep the program files on the C: drive, and preferably in C:\Program Files\ ?

My SSD C: drive contains all my applications, application data and system data. All my data files are on a larger (albiet slower) D: drive. EXCEPT, Band In A Box 2018 forces data and program files into the same main folder.

And come on! Put the BIAB program files in the program files folder where they belong! There's a good reason that write access is restricted in system folders like C:\Program Files\. Installing on the root drive appears to be sloppy or lazy programming; something I might expect from a $10 shareware app, not from an established mainstream application.


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Originally Posted By: el camaleón
And come on! Put the BIAB program files in the program files folder where they belong! There's a good reason that write access is restricted in system folders like C:\Program Files\. Installing on the root drive appears to be sloppy or lazy programming; something I might expect from a $10 shareware app, not from an established mainstream application.

Randy, Welcome to the forum.
The recommended location to install BiaB is x:\bb\
Where 'x:' is the drive you select, and for most users this is C:\
Nowhere else is recommended.

You are also very mistaken about installing in Program Files, and it appears you are not aware that there has been a paradigm shift from that methodology for many years now.

Microsoft themselves now no longer recommend the use of \Program Files\, and instead recommend creating a path at the drive level itself, or in the \Libraries\Documents\ folder.

So to be quite clear, the BIAB program files do not belong in the program files folder. You are incorrect on that matter, and while I don't work for the PG Music company, the way it is installed also does not reflect "sloppy or lazy programming".

It's a very workable and accepted implementation method.

Welcome again.


BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Professional & Windows 11, Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors
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OK, I apologize for the derogatory comments. I (and almost all of the software companies that I've gotten software from in the last 20 years) must have missed that paradigm shift.

I'm really not trying to flame anybody. I'm trying to find a way to install program files and data files on separate drives.

Whether program files are installed on the root or under the Program Files directory is really just a difference in organizational style. But the data files should be separate! I backup my program and system drive separately from my data drive. If the program drive crashes, I would normally opt for a fresh install rather than restore from a backup. But the data files can't be restored EXCEPT from a backup.

Keeping the data files with the program files means I have to be careful not to fill up my SSD C: drive. Meanwhile, my spinning D: drive sits with 750+GB free space. And no, I'm not installing the program on D:

I tried the steps in Support FAQ #166 ("Can I store the RealTracks and RealDrums on a different hard drive than the Band-in-a-Box® and RealBand program?"), but haven't been able to get past a few error messages, so I'll probably uninstall everything and reinstall to default with limited options. And grumble about paying so much for limited software.


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When you run the install program, there are options for where you want to install files.
Just perform a basic install.

Then create a folder, e.g. D:\bb\ on your D drive.

Move the C:\bb\drums\ folder to that location (D:\bb\drums\)

Then move the RealTracks folder from C:\bb\RealTracks\ to that location (D:\bb\RealTracks\)

Then in BiaB go to Options > Preferences RealDrums and name the custom folder
Repeat for RealTracks.

Your SSD has minimal data, your RealTracks and RealDrums are on your D: drive. You should be good to go. wink


BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Professional & Windows 11, Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors
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Randy,

Unlike most Window program applications, Band-in-a-Box does not write any data entries into the Windows registry during installation. That means the program can run from anywhere including the primary drive, secondary drive, external drive or even a USB drive.

There are a few files, mainly fonts, that must be installed on the primary drive for the program to properly operate. Those files are installed by running "Setup.exe"

Band-in-a-Box and RealBand needs to know four file locations or paths. Where is the Band-in-a-Box (bb) folder? Where is the RealBand folder? Where is the RealTracks folder? Where is the RealDrums folder?

Since you've installed everything to your primary drive but don't want all the files on the primary drive create four folders on your secondary drive: bb, RealBand, RealTracks and RealDrums.

COPY everything that's in each primary drive folder into it's corresponding folder on the secondary drive. For instance copy C:/RealDrums to E:/RealDrums.

Create new desktop shortcuts for Band-in-a-Box and RealBand. Test to make sure both shortcuts work.

Rename the primary drive folders to something easy to recognize, for instance rename c:/bb to c:/abb, c:/Realdrums to c:/aRealdrums, c:/RealBand to c:/aRealBand and c:/bb/RealTracks to c:/bb/aRealTracks. Test your desktop shortcuts to make sure both programs work.

Once you're comfortable that everything is working correctly, delete the primary drive folders.

Rats! VT beat me to the answer. laugh


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I tried those steps (same as described in Support FAQ #166, "Can I store the RealTracks and RealDrums on a different hard drive than the Band-in-a-Box® and RealBand program?") and green messages popped up saying there was no files where the files were (???).

Getting ready to try another fresh install. What's the difference between that method of copying/pasting program directories and just specifying installing the program to the data drive in the first place?

But that still doesn't address my basic question of keeping my content (data) files separate from the program files.


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My aim is to have program files installed on the faster SSD C: drive (yes, applications are a little more responsive and run smoother), and content/data files on the larger/slower HD D: drive. From what I can tell so far, PG Music doesn't allow for that scenario. What's the point of copying/pasting the whole directory to a different drive? Or more simply just installing to D: in the first place?


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Originally Posted By: el camaleón
My aim is to have program files installed on the faster SSD C: drive (yes, applications are a little more responsive and run smoother), and content/data files on the larger/slower HD D: drive.
An admirable aspiration.
Quote:
From what I can tell so far, PG Music doesn't allow for that scenario.
Unfortunately so.
Quote:
What's the point of copying/pasting the whole directory to a different drive? Or more simply just installing to D: in the first place?
You can probably do what you want, effectively, by using Windows' symbolic links. If you try that, I'd be interested to hear if it works.

Good luck and Happy New Year to all. -Ron

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Originally Posted By: el camaleón
My aim is to have program files installed on the faster SSD C: drive (yes, applications are a little more responsive and run smoother), and content/data files on the larger/slower HD D: drive. From what I can tell so far, PG Music doesn't allow for that scenario. What's the point of copying/pasting the whole directory to a different drive? Or more simply just installing to D: in the first place?


As others have said it isn't exactly what you want but you could: (1) install Band-in-a-Box on your C drive, e.g. C:\bb. (2) Then once you've done that, move the C:\bb\RealTracks folder to your D: drive (it doesn't matter where on your D: drive, e.g. D:\bbfiles\RealTracks) (3) Then, in Band-in-a-Box, open the RealTracks Preferences dialog and select D:\bbfiles\RealTracks as your 'Custom folder'.

The RealTracks folder can be very large because it contains hundreds of large audio files. That is the main reason for being able to relocate it. The same thing applies to the C:\bb\Drums folder, though the Drums folder is much smaller.


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Yes. That's what I had tried to explain. You can have separate program and data. It definitely is possible.


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Hundreds of large audio files? Thousands!


BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Thank you, Andrew, this answered the question I had when I came to the forum. I just upgraded from 2017 and wanted to continue to use the external hard drive that it came installed on to hold all of the audio files, but was not sure how to do this until I saw your post. cool

I've been a BIAB user for almost as long as the program has been in existence. Love PGMUSIC!


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Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe

This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.

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Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!

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Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!

We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!

Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.

Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!

Special offers until December 31st, 2025!

All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.

Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!

XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.

Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!

Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!

We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!

Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!

In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!

Special offers until December 31st, 2025!

All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.

Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!

Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.

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