Microsoft's enterprise team is no longer testing the relocate Users folder feature, so going forward you will have to put up with the risk of this not working as expected. It may work in one build and not in the next.
Microsoft now only officially tests redirecting folders like the Desktop folder and Documents folder.
Note
Please notice:
Some members seem to have their own agenda, posting their personal thoughts and pure rumours as facts.
I ask readers of this tutorial to completely ignore the false information posted by @SmileyPK.
To abandon Sysprep method to relocate Users folder would require a complete change in Windows code. That will not happen. The Sysprep method has worked since Windows Vista, it is working with current builds of Windows 10, and it will work with future builds of Windows 10.
If Microsoft will completely change the way Windows is coded disabling the Sysprep method to relocate Users folder, it will be posted in this thread. However, this is very unlikely to happen as the method is deeply built-in in Windows code.
Just relax. Relocating Users folder has worked, is working and will work.
Kari
So Kari, do you have any suggestion for me TomSeay. With the problem I am seeing?
Only error I can find in your answer file is a missing backslash (\) character. Extract from your answer file:
<ProfilesDirectory>D:Users</ProfilesDirectory>
Correct syntax:
<ProfilesDirectory>D:\Users</ProfilesDirectory>
Other than that, I do not see any errors.
My recommendation is to do one more clean install, following instructions for Method One.
Sysprep is supported.
The relocation unattend setting will also continue to exist.
However, this is an enterprise feature. It's not meant for home users. And the enterprise area at Microsoft isn't testing this, anymore. That doesn't mean it won't work; it just means you may have unexpected problems, such as the Start menu having problems.
Use at your own risk. You have been warned.
@SmileyPK Dude... honestly, that is pure nonsense, Start Menu works the same no matter where the users folders are, as long as the paths are valid in the system enviorment list of paths, it will work. There is not such a thing like this only working for enterprises or enterprise editions of Windows 10, because they all rely on the same code for doing this tasks, splitting code for every edition is just a waste of money and man-hours, all windows editions have the same features in their core, just enabled according to the edition you activate, that's the reason why you don't have group policy editor in home editions, because it's DISABLED, not removed, there is a VAST difference.
Sysprep and relocation of users folders will work, unless they completely redo windows from scratch (that means, replacing the NT core we are currently using with something entirely different), which will not happen, at least not in the short or even mid term (and probably not even in a long term) just because that represents a lot more of investment needed for the OS to be rewritten, tested and bug tracked... the NT system works fine by now so, don't expect that soon...
I bring this up, because the NT system supports sysprep and all the commands and scripts you use for it, meaning it also supports user folders relocation, no matter if start menu now relies on the new XAML (or whatever is called) code, it will still need to retrive the tile and installed program (or shorcuts) data from the user folder, so, in short, that means it will work, even if your appdata folder is on another partition.
People has problems with this tutorial because they are trying to sysprep a system that is OEM customized, that means the OEN already USED a sysprep xml answer file to customize the system for customer sell, if you try to sysprep an OEM system, THIS WILL FAIL. This aplies to ANY version of Windows 10, even the enterprise ones...
I have tested this in a virtual machine and a clean install of windows 10, thsi works, Start Menu works, everything works... try it on an OEM customized image and you will have errors or plain not working at all... please, don't spread false rumours or information.
Thank you @Kari, for the tutorial, BTW
I start reading this but already there's 100 pages.
My situation is:
10PC on local network, workgroup.
1 NAS on local network
I reading about moving this profiles. And idea is to move profiles from all PC to NAS.
Questions:
- Will this work?
- Will this allow to login on any PC (like in domain)
- What in situation when some software isn't installed, link be broken?
Have anyone try this? i'm not talking about moving profiles to another disk in the same machine only to move them to network drive.
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