Move Users Folder Location in Windows 10  

Hello Kari,

First thanks a lot for this tutorial.
I'm planning to clean reinstall Windows 10 Pro using an ISO a downloaded using Media creation tool.

The ISO does not contain the install.win file. It contains an install.esd

Should I clean install with my Win 10 Pro ISO then follow method 2 using the ISO file located here Tech Bench ?

Or should I clean install directly from the last mentionned ISO then use method 1?
In that case, what version of Windows will I get?

Thank you for help

Good evening from Switzreland.

Thomas

Hello Kari,

Thank you for your quick reply.


Sorry if asking again, I don't know what to choose.


Should I clean install with my Win 10 Pro ISO
then follow method 2
using the ISO file located at Tech Bench ?

Or should I clean install directly from the last mentionned ISO then use method 1?
In that case, what version of Windows will I get?

Thanks a lot,

Thomas

Hello, Kari, your tutorial is great, I saw the video as well, I really don't know why is not working for me.. I did a clean install, everything processed fine but after the sysprep command, when I restarted windows, I wen't through the steps then I selected express setup and I got this error message:

Explorer.exe Application error. The instruction at 0x00007FFF64B0CCG0 referrenced memory at 0x0000000000000000. The memory could be read. Click on OK to terminate the program.

Then a black screen and only the mouse is working, I tried to use Win + E, Ctrl + Alt + Del but still nothing happens..

This is the xml I used:

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
<settings pass="oobeSystem">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<FolderLocations>
<ProfilesDirectory>D:\Users</ProfilesDirectory>
<ProgramData>D:\ProgramData</ProgramData>
</FolderLocations>
</component>
</settings>
<cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:E:\sources\install.wim#Windows 10" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

EDIT:

I see on the install.wim# I have "Windows 10" maybe this is the problem? I have installed Windows 10 Home, should I write "install.wim#Windows 10 Home" instead?

Hello Kari, thank you for your fast reply,

This is the way I have downloaded the ISO and burned it into DVD-R, I did the installation and it worked fine then I tried to find out how can I move the users folder and I found your tutorial so I decided to re-install windows and proceed with your tutorial, so I believe that the installation media is not an issue, as I installed from the same DVD-R my mac Macbook on my second partition where I don't need to move Users folder and windows works just fine there...

What I'm doing now is I created a second xml "relocate-back.xml" and I put back Users and ProgramData folder and restart windows, I will see if I receive the error message from the explorer again, if not then I will try to relocate Users and ProgramData folder by following second method of your tutorial, from an already installed windows installation.

EDIT:
I relocated back Users and ProgramData folders and now it asks me to create a user account, so, so-far so good, I will try to relocate again to Driver D and see if I will get error messages again.

Hi, Kari. I'm new to the TenForum and find it an invaluable resource. THANKS, so much for doing this.

I have recently gotten win 10 to install correctly, after 2 previous messed up attempts. Luckily I backed up all my data files and program settings. My PC is set up with a 250GB SSD as my boot (win 10) drive, C:, and I have several other internal drives. I want to relocate my Users folder to my E: drive and will follow Method 2 to do this. Keeping in mind the potential problem of the moved Users account not working correctly (Start button not working, etc), my issue is that I want the username on this (home) PC, let's call it Bob, to be the same as the username I use on my WORK PC (Bob). Unfortunately, I have already set up my home PC with my work username (Bob). So, when I create a new user on my HOME PC, I will have to use a different name, let's call it Joe. Is there a way I can rename this new home account from Joe back to Bob?

Thanks...

swissts said:

using the ISO file located at Tech Bench ?

It seems like getting a .WIM file is a problem now. Because the link to the Tech Bench page no longer works

P.S. Sorry. Seems like some temporary problems took place. The page is reachable again.