Move Users Folder Location in Windows 10  


  1. Posts : 17,661
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #270

    KNelson762 said:
    I've got a big problem--any help would be appreciated!!! I'm at my wit's end.

    I have a brand-new Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Build 10240 desktop. It has a 240GB SSD (Drive C:\) and a 1TB traditional hard drive (Drive D:\). After setting up the computer, I noticed that my SSD was filling up pretty quickly since I do graphic design work. I wanted to move the users folder from the C to the D. So, I thought I followed Method #2's directions to the letter, and everything seemed to be going fine, but when I got back to my desktop after the boot, I ran into the same problems jaminroe and Nico ran into on page 8 of this thread:
    As has been told repeatedly in this thread, the Method 2 (relocating Users folder on an existing Windows installation) might cause existing user accounts losing Start Menu and Search functionality. All new accounts will work OK. A simple workaround is to create a new user account for yourself, make it an administrator account, then copy your data from the original user account to the new account, and finally delete the original account.

    KNelson762 said:
    So, figuring I had goofed up somewhere, I decided to start over like Nico and reset my computer and try again.
    If you'd rather start from scratch than create a new account to get Start and Search to work again, you should clean install, not reset.


    KNelson762 said:
    Here's where I ran into big problems: A few minutes into my system reset, I received a notification that the reset had failed and could not be completed. The computer restarted, and now, whenever I power on the computer, it gets stuck in a boot/reboot loop. When I press F11 to open the boot menu and try to use the recovery/boot disk, all my drives are grayed out as being unable to install Windows.

    Can anyone help?
    Clean install Windows 10, do the Method 1.

    Clean install tutorial: Windows 10 - Clean Install - Windows 10 Forums.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 2
    Windows 10 Pro
       #271

    Fixed!


    THANK YOU.

    In my panicked state, I wasn't seeing/reading anything clearly. Thanks for everything!
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 17,661
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #272

    Good to know you got it fixed :)
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 4
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
       #273

    Wondering if someone can help me.

    I used Method 1 on a clean install of Windows 10 around when the OS was first released, and everything has been working wonderfully. Until now.
    Since a few days ago, the start menu and Cortana have stopped working. I don't know if this issue is related me having moved the user folder all those months ago, but it seems like I'm not the only one running into this issue. I've tried the variety of fixes found online, and none of them have worked.

    I'm thinking of resetting the OS, but will this also reset the settings for moving the user folder? Am I better off just doing a clean install again?
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 17,661
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #274

    kakkun said:
    I'm thinking of resetting the OS, but will this also reset the settings for moving the user folder? Am I better off just doing a clean install again?
    Hi Kakkun, welcome to the Ten Forums.

    This is quite a common issue in Windows 10, as can be seen if you search the web: Windows 10 Start and Search not working - Bing

    Start and Search will work on all new accounts you create. The solution I recommend in these cases requires a bit work but is much faster than a clean install:

    • Create a new temporary local account using a dummy name. By default the new accounts are standard, be sure to make it an administrator (this is extremely important, see the tutorial for how to change the account type to administrator)
    • Sign in to this new account, the Start and Search should work
    • Copy your personal documents, pictures, videos, music and everything else (except the hidden AppData folder!) from your original user profile folder to corresponding subfolders in the new dummy account
    • Remove your original user account, the one with non-working Start and Search (tutorial)
    • Reboot, sign in to the new dummy account
    • Create a new user account for yourself with your name (local account) or email (MS account), remember to change the account type to Administrator (extremely important!)
    • Sign in to your new account, copy your files from the temporary dummy account to your user folders
    • Remove the dummy account

    That's it.

    Kari
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 4
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
       #275

    Kari said:
    Start and Search will work on all new accounts you create. The solution I recommend in these cases requires a bit work but is much faster than a clean install
    Thank you Kari! I'll definitely try that out.

    Am I correct in assuming that a third account is created instead of simply using the dummy account, so that the original account name can be reclaimed?
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 17,661
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #276

    kakkun said:
    Thank you Kari! I'll definitely try that out.

    Am I correct in assuming that a third account is created instead of simply using the dummy account, so that the original account name can be reclaimed?
    Yes. That's the point. As long as your old account with non-functioning Start and Search exists, you cannot create a new account with the same name (local account) or email (MS account). Reboot after you have removed your original account is not always required but quite often if not rebooted, the system still have some pointers to the original username and does not let you to use the same name. Reboot should take care of that.

    By the way, some alternative ways to open the Settings app to be able to create new accounts in case the Start is not working and you cannot open Settings from there:
    • Keyboard shortcut WIN + I (letter i, not L!) opens the Settings app
    • Right click on desktop, select Display settings or Personalize. The Settings app will be opened on Display or Personalize page, now browse to Accounts
    • Right click the Start button, select Run, type shell:appsfolder and click OK, browse to Settings and open it

    Kari
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 17,661
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #277

    I've added this video to the tutorial:



    Part 2 will be about doing the same on an existing Windows installation, I will make and add it in a day or two.

    Kari
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 2
    Win 10 Pro
       #278

    Does Administrator account work after move?


    Hello Kari,
    Thanks for all you are doing to make this process make sense.

    The (usually inactive) Administrator account is needed sometimes. Does it have the problem of Start & Search not working also. If so, can that special account be deleted and recreated?
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 1
    Windows 10
       #279

    Hi Kari.

    I've got a wee problem. I have an updated version of Windows 10 apparently. That means as I'm well aware that sysprep won't work. That's all well and good. However, as it stands now I'm in the Audit mode as of the above method. When I try to run sysprep to get out of it, I get the "can't validate your installation" error message.

    What can I do to get out of Audit mode now? And is there a way to get sysprep to validate the installation?

    I tried to delete the upgrade reg_dword, the upgrade key, and change a value in the registry according to this (How to run SysPrep on an Upgraded Operating System | Learn, Acquire, then Apply...) info before it set me into a boot spin so I had to reinstall.

    Do you have any ideas of how I can get out of Audit Mode or run sysprep from here?

    Jonah
      My Computer


 

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