I like the fact that the downloader have an option to change the default download folder. I would love it if it was somehow possible to make the installers use a default installation folder for the games that you can set yourself. I never install on my C: and I always have my own folder on another partition where I install all my games (even Steam is installed there). Is there something in Windows that I have to do to make that specific folder the default folder for installing games? I've accidentally installed games to C:/whatever at times because to change it is not so evident.

On the first dialog of the GOG installer, click the Options button on the lower left corner of the dialog. Point the install to the desired location . . . =)

That's not what he means. He knows he can change it on an installation-to-installation basis. What he wants to know is if there's a way to change the default installation folder, so that he won't have to change it manually every time.

Sadly, I don't think this is possible. I guess the installer takes the path of the program files folder from the Windows registry, so unless you change that (which I'm not sure is possible, and in any case probably not recommended), I don't think there's any way of doing it.

GOG would need to make a function in the installer that allowed for the setting of a default path as a registry key. It would then look for that key on launch and use that path rather than the program files path, if it existed. But that would require that all existing installers were updated, which I think is unlikely.

None that I am aware of either, it is easy to change at install so . . .

you could use a symlink to do it but talk about a pain in the ass to set up >.< basicly you'd repoint the program files(x86) to your other drive. the main problem would be not destroying your comp when it can't find a needed file you haven't copied over yet

Long story short: simply changing the directory each time is infinitely quicker, easier and less likely to have horrible repercussions than the alternatives.

Make a folder where you want all your GOGs to be installed (I'll use D:\Games\GOG in this example). Make sure there is NOT a folder in your program files called "GOG.com"

If you're on 2000 or XP rather than Vista or 7, you'll need a program called Junction (don't worry, it's from Microsoft themselves, so the only thing you need to worry about is the commands I type up for you), put that program somwhere in your path, for example the windows folder.

Open a command prompt (run as admin if you're on Vista or 7) and run the following commands in order, substitute the real path as neccesary:
CD /D %programfiles%
MKLINK /J GOG.com D:\Games\GOG (for Vista/7)
JUNCTION GOG.com D:\Games\GOG (for 2000/XP)

Now you should have a junction, or symlink (not exactly the same thing, but similar enough for this exercise, NTFS supports both) called GOG.com in your program files directory.

Most GOG games install to the Program Files\GOG.com directory by default, Jack Orlando does not because it cannot handle dots in the path (instead the directory is called GOGcom), so you'll have to treat at least that one as a special case (or create a GOGcom junction as well if you wish).

All GOGs will THINK they're installed in program files, while all their data really sits at D:\Games, and I think the normal restrictions of program FIles (in Vista and 7) does not apply. This also does NOT mess with any other applications because it ONLY creates that GOG.com folder as a junction, not the whole Program Files folder. You can chose wether to accept the default path or tell the installer explicitly to install into D:\Games, doesn't matter.

They are called symlinks not junctions >.<

Forgive the formatting, but this is the output of mklink, as I said, NTFS supports both junctions and symlinks, though they're similar enough that it doesn't really matter in this case. Also, the junction tool that I linked to, can only create junctions, not symlinks.

C:\Program Files>mklink
Creates a symbolic link.

MKLINK [[/D] | [/H] | [/J]] Link Target

/D Creates a directory symbolic link. Default is a file
symbolic link.
/H Creates a hard link instead of a symbolic link.
/J Creates a Directory Junction.
Link specifies the new symbolic link name.
Target specifies the path (relative or absolute) that the new link
refers to.

they're actually still symlinks just microsoft added a back trace to them at the other end (you can do that with normal symlinks anyway so that doesn't really change them from being symlinks)

Oh well, so it's a special case of symlink, I still don't see the description as wrong though.

The idea is that you don't really want to do a soft link to a folder as that's essentially a shortcut to the folder, and even though most of the times it works it's not the recommended option.

A hard link (and by extension a junction) directly points to the folder and acts to the OS as if it is the original folder (and not a shortcut). This is important because some installers and software explicitly check for shortcuts and either spit out errors or deny setup.