I looking to hear about new ideas about organizing the file structure in a brand new clean install.  I've got a new Purrrfect Audio computer on the way next week and I'm thinking about the drudgery of installing a Bunch of plugins, and sample sets as well as five different audio/midi recording hosts.

In my case, I'll have a 500 gig O/S drive and a 1 terabyte blank drive that is intended for audio.  When it gets here I intend on taking the 1 terabyte Audio drive out of my existing computer and add it to my new one because it is loaded with active projects that I need to access as well as every Toontrack library available to me.  That's a lot of downloading otherwise.
 
I'm sure we've all got the Cakewalk VST plugins folder loaded with VSTs but I am rethinking that and I am considering a central location that is less proprietary and easier to access in the folder trees for my other hosts.  All the plugin developers seem to have their own idea where you should install their product and I swear some of them scatter things all over the place.  Add to that Pro Tools and the way they do things with RTAS and AAX.
 
I'm recalling my current set up and laughing at myself because I wouldn't allow a folder on my computer named Steinberg at one time.   Maybe I should just call it VSTplugins and put it in the root folder?

I allow Sonar to install into it's "proprietary" folder location but then I create a junction point between the proprietary folder and c:\vstplugins-64 for example.
This way I can install into either directory because both directories are one.
Check out Junction Link Magic for more information.
Hope this idea helps...

gustabo,
 
that seems like a cool tool.

gustabo
I allow Sonar to install into it's "proprietary" folder location but then I create a junction point between the proprietary folder and c:\vstplugins-64 for example.
This way I can install into either directory because both directories are one.
Check out Junction Link Magic for more information.
Hope this idea helps...

This looks like a cool tool.  Do you happen to have any Toontrack products?  I'm wondering if their installers get confused by this.

are you getting Win7 with this new computer?  and if so, why not 8?
 
but to your original, what's wrong with a couple of VST folders...put wherever you want them.  If I recall, Toontrack doesn't like you moving stuff around, once installed.  I've got the sample files on my C drive when I installed EZD loong ago, and there isn't any way to move them.  I've got the space as it isn't taking up that much...5-6 gigs or something like that, but it was an error and I don't want to uninstall and do over, as it's working as is.
Hard drives are cheap, and a pile of dedicated drives for stuff seems that way to go to me... and I'd use Cake's system of storage with directing the audio of course, somewhere else.  I'm no computer geek for sure, but I'm not sure I'd just leave the .dll files on the C drive.
 
and it looks like the Junction link magic isn't supported by Win8...so that might make a decision for you too.

lastly...and OT... why don't you upsize those drives for another $30 or so.  ITB C and 2-3 TB for the other empty drive.  Upgrades with studiocat for those items seem about the price of a dinner out for a night.

Hey mixmkr,
 
I'm not going to diagree you but IIRC what toon track does not like is relocating samples, not dll's.
 
In fact if you image you C: drive an all dll's are there that is optimum IMO as a restore the C: drive retains all installs.
 
Copy your drive of samples (hopefully not C: ) for backup purposes. IIRC Toontrack does not care if your system changes from one physical E: drive (my example samples drive) to another physical E: drive for the samples (not 100% on this). 

Mod Bod

gustabo
I allow Sonar to install into it's "proprietary" folder location but then I create a junction point between the proprietary folder and c:\vstplugins-64 for example.
This way I can install into either directory because both directories are one.
Check out Junction Link Magic for more information.
Hope this idea helps...

This looks like a cool tool.  Do you happen to have any Toontrack products?  I'm wondering if their installers get confused by this.

Yes I do and no they don't get confused by it.
Actually, if you load the proggie and let it scan your hdd, you will see that you already have a lot of junction links already courtesy of Windows.
Actually, the screenshot on Junction Link Magic's page demonstrates that:

Bapu.... Superior allows you to point to the samples, but EZD does not.  Mod will be the expert on this, but I think Toontrack even told me this way back, on their own forums.
That said, I only use EZD for the crazy sets now or if I want something REALLY fast...like under a nano sec...

mixmkr
Bapu.... Superior allows you to point to the samples, but EZD does not.  Mod will be the expert on this, but I think Toontrack even told me this way back, on their own forums.
That said, I only use EZD for the crazy sets now or if I want something REALLY fast...like under a nano sec...

Agreed on EZD, but when I rebuilt my DAW I was careful to install EZDrummer (basic) with the samples on my E: drive and then every pack after that "knows" to install inside the EZD samples location (even updates). It all comes down to initially installing EZD carefully (read: Advanced mode) and not zip through the NEXT buttons.