How to change the default download location?

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Since support has yet to respond, I’ve posted another topic in the feature requests section.

Hi there @Robert.DeJong @Bongkog Bongkog 

Thank you for your query and for your patience. I've asked our devs for a safe way to do this. It isn't an option for the app, but you can check our ideas forum for the respective feature request 

That's an excellent workaround for Windows users @Ecoxis what a brilliant share! Thank you 

Hopefully you'll get a few more likes and some points for the leaderboard in our homepage 

@Ecoxis Where is the Deezer .exe located? I’ve been looking under Appdata and haven’t been able to find it. Thanks for this solution though, its a great help!

Hi!

Could you please describe how to do that in more detail? I' m not exactly sure what you mean by ‘Windows config panel'. When opening Settings/Apps and Features (where all the programs are listed) and go to deezer, I don't get any option that says 'move'. I guess I'm in the wrong place to start with.

@Ecoxis, our friend @Franz Härtl needs your help 

Perhaps we can also confirm the Windows version!

@Rudi Sorry, somehow I missed your reply. My OS is Win 10 pro, 64 bit, v21H1 (build 19043.1237). 

@WhoCares Thank you for the screenshot! It clarifies a lot. So I have actually been in the right place, but for some reason the button I find in that spot (which in German says "Edit" not "move", not sure if it's a bad translation or a different function) is greyed out.

@Franz Härtl 

Have you found a way?

I’ve tried messing with my registry on Win7, but Deezer ignores the install settings, instead wriggles itself back onto C:\Users\*\AppData\Local\Programs\deezer-desktop.

I have hundreds of progs, and deezer is the ONLY one installing into this obscure location (and the only one I can remember NOT ASKING  )

It’s very hard for me to believe that a company wanting money for their service delivers such a product. Support hasn’t helped yet.

Ideas, anyone?

RANT:

Well it’s been a whole year, after being turned off of Deezer by the stunning lack of basic features I decided to go back to Spotify, now I’ve decided to go back to Deezer because I’ll use whoever is more competitive.

I originally asked this question to put some pressure on the Deezer developers to implement a basic feature that IMO should be illegal not to have; basic control over where things are located on your computer that you bought with your money, built with your time & skills, and maintain without any assistance from the companies that lazily install software wherever they please like they own the place.

The accepted solution is only possible on very recent versions of Windows. Personally I use Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC which uses build 1809 and does not have that option available in Programs & Features, not to mention Windows 7 like @oeaeuess which doesn’t even have that menu at all.
Side-note: Shouldn’t the person who posted the question be responsible for selecting an answer?
 

SOLUTION:

This solution will work on any version of Windows since Vista, and works by creating a symbolic link (symlink) to trick the Deezer executable into thinking it’s located in your appdata while actually being located somewhere else:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the task manager.
   Find Deezer & press “End Task” to make sure nothing is running in the background.
2. Pick a new location for Deezer. In my case I’ll be using the Windows Music library directory that I moved to another drive, located at “W:\Music\Deezer”.
   Create the directory & copy everything from here:
   C:\Users\<YOUR_USERNAME_HERE>\AppData\Local\Programs\deezer-desktop
   to the new location.
3. Once you’re done, delete the original “deezer-desktop” directory from your AppData.
4. Open an Administrator command prompt by searching for “cmd.exe” in the start menu, R+Clicking on it and selecting “Run as Administrator”.
5. Run this command to make a symlink to the new deezer location:
   mklink /D “C:\Users\<YOUR_USERNAME_HERE>\AppData\Local\Programs\deezer-desktop” “W:\Music\Deezer”
   Obviously, replace “<YOUR_USERNAME_HERE>” with your username, and “W:\Music\Deezer” with wherever you want deezer to be located.
6. Launch deezer normally.

Hi @Robert.DeJong 

Thanks for sharing this with us 

UPDATE:

The steps above will relocate the Deezer binary, but does not change the song download directory:

C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Roaming\deezer-desktop\…

You can repeat the process for this directory as well to change the download directory.

tl;dr:

1. Move this directory to wherever you want to put downloaded songs (if you copy it, delete the original):
   C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Roaming\deezer-desktop
    
2. Execute one of the following commands depending on which shell you use:
   cmd:    mklink /D “C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Roaming\deezer-desktop” “<NEW_LOCATION>”
   PowerShell/pwsh:    New-Item -ItemType SymbolicLink -Path ~\AppData\Roaming\deezer-desktop -Target “<NEW_LOCATION>”

Cheers @Robert.DeJong 

This does only work if you have the Windows store version. The standalone is only installable to the C: drive, so the other solution of moving it with CMD or registry would be the options remaining. 

This is absolutely ridiculous. I will be resorting to spotify if that is not changed. Less knowledgeable people will be at a total loss on what to do if they also use small ssd’s. also yes something we’re all spending money on should NOT be so lack luster. No wonder it doesn’t come up when you look up where  to stream lossless files!

Thanks @Robert.DeJong , lame that we still don’t have a proper vanilla solution 😑