Move Users Folder Location in Windows 10  

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  1. Posts : 17,661
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #20

    The preferred way to sysprep is from Audit Mode before any user accounts are created. Install 8.1, after the last reboot when it asks for initial user name do not type anything but instead reboot to Audit Mode with CTRL+SHIFT+F3. Sysprep, reboot to OOBE, then create your user profile. Tutorial at Eight Forums: User Profiles - Relocate to another Partition or Disk.

    You must empty the D: drive first, copy your user files from each profile to external disk and format the D: drive. After sysprepping restore the backed up user files to corresponding folders on D:.

    I very strongly advice against copying old appdata, especially if going from 10 to 8.1. It is a sure way to trouble. But, of course it's your computer and you do what you'd like to. I'll mark you for follow up here to get noticed whenever you post, that old appdata will cause numerous issues and you will be back needing help with them.

    Kari
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 27
    Windows 10 x64 (b9841)
       #21

    Kari said:
    I very strongly advice against copying old appdata, especially if going from 10 to 8.1. It is a sure way to hell. But, of course it's your computer and you do what you'd like to.
    Haha. It sounds so stupid when I hear someone else say it. Maybe I'll just selectively copy settings files over. But for now, I am going to try method 2, give 10 one more chance.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 17,661
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #22

    I edited my post, check the last sentence which I added apparently after you read it .

    About AppData folder, there's a good reason why it's hidden and protected. Each installation gives the machine a unique ID. This ID is stored in many places in registry and in some app settings. When it does not match the factual machine ID, the problems start. The same when ID in registry does not match one stored in applications settings in AppData.

    It is always better not to copy AppData from one installation to another.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 27
    Windows 10 x64 (b9841)
       #23

    Kari,

    Will the Sysprep/Audit/OOBE method wipe my D drive? Or just D:\Users?

    ~S
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 17,661
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #24

    No, the drive will not be wiped when you sysprep. You need to wipe it by yourself before you use it as the <ProfileFolders> target. Sysprep will fail if there are existing user profiles on target drive.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 7,254
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
       #25

    This is interesting. I've always clicked on the Location tab in Properties and moved individual folders that way. Would this method also work on 8/8.1?
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 17,661
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #26

    swarfega said:
    This is interesting. I've always clicked on the Location tab in Properties and moved individual folders that way. Would this method also work on 8/8.1?
    Yes. This method works in Vista and Seven to relocate the Users and ProgramData folders and in 8, 8.1 and 10 to relocate the Users folder. Relocating ProgramData does not work in 8 or later, breaking the Windows Store.

    Tutorial at the Eight Forums: User Profiles - Relocate to another Partition or Disk.
    Tutorial at Seven Forums: User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation - Windows 7 Help Forums.

    The clear advantage of the Sysprep method is that it relocates the complete Users folder, with absolutely everything it contains (individual user profiles with their subfolders, AppData, Temp etc.), changing the environment variables so that also each and every user profile created in the future will automatically be created in the new location.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 4
    Windows 10 Technical Preview
       #27

    This appears to be broken as of Build 9926. I've followed the instructions (clean install version) exactly as always (I first discovered this trick on sevenforums, its been rock solid for me), but now, after booting into Audit Mode, running Sysprep with relocate.xml, and being rebooted by Sysprep exiting, I reboot to an error dialog on the Windows boot screen (with the five spinning dots center-bottom) that says:

    Install Windows

    Windows could not complete the installation. To install windows on this computer, restart the installation.
    It's possible I made a mistake, but I'd love to hear if anyone else has gotten this to work with this new build (Build 9926). Thanks.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 17,661
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #28

    algorhythm said:
    This appears to be broken as of Build 9926. I've followed the instructions (clean install version) exactly as always (I first discovered this trick on sevenforums, its been rock solid for me), but now, after booting into Audit Mode, running Sysprep with relocate.xml, and being rebooted by Sysprep exiting, I reboot to an error dialog on the Windows boot screen (with the five spinning dots center-bottom) that says:

    Install Windows

    Windows could not complete the installation. To install windows on this computer, restart the installation.
    It's possible I made a mistake, but I'd love to hear if anyone else has gotten this to work with this new build (Build 9926). Thanks.
    This warning has been since November in the beginning of the tutorial, just under the first blueish information box. I'm sorry if you did not notice it:

    warning   Warning
    Third Windows Technical Preview build, build 9879 was released today (12-NOV-2014). The sysprep method described in this tutorial has worked perfectly from Vista to W10TP build 9860 but this latest build seems to have issues with it. The method does not work, I have now tested past hours all possible scenarios.

    I believe this is a temporary issue and will again be fixed in later builds. I also continue searching for a solution. In the mean time, please do not use this method!

    For now you can use the registry editing method as told in this tutorial on our sister site the Seven Forums: User Profile - Change Default Location - Windows 7 Help Forums

    I have tested the above method now with build 9879 and it works without issues

    It is still broken in 9926.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 4
    Windows 10 Technical Preview
       #29

    Kari said:
    algorhythm said:
    This appears to be broken as of Build 9926. I've followed the instructions (clean install version) exactly as always (I first discovered this trick on sevenforums, its been rock solid for me), but now, after booting into Audit Mode, running Sysprep with relocate.xml, and being rebooted by Sysprep exiting, I reboot to an error dialog on the Windows boot screen (with the five spinning dots center-bottom) that says:

    Install Windows

    Windows could not complete the installation. To install windows on this computer, restart the installation.
    It's possible I made a mistake, but I'd love to hear if anyone else has gotten this to work with this new build (Build 9926). Thanks.
    This warning has been since November in the beginning of the tutorial, just under the first blueish information box. I'm sorry if you did not notice it:

    warning   Warning
    Third Windows Technical Preview build, build 9879 was released today (12-NOV-2014). The sysprep method described in this tutorial has worked perfectly from Vista to W10TP build 9860 but this latest build seems to have issues with it. The method does not work, I have now tested past hours all possible scenarios.

    I believe this is a temporary issue and will again be fixed in later builds. I also continue searching for a solution. In the mean time, please do not use this method!

    For now you can use the registry editing method as told in this tutorial on our sister site the Seven Forums: User Profile - Change Default Location - Windows 7 Help Forums

    I have tested the above method now with build 9879 and it works without issues

    It is still broken in 9926.
    Noticed it yes.
    Read it correctly in haste, no.
    Somehow I got it in my head that that problem was specifically with Build 9879, not also all builds since. Whoops.

    Is is possible to move back to C:\Users in order to do an update if you use the registry editing method? I had a previous install of the Windows 10 Technical Preview installed that I used the Sysprep method to move to D:\Users on and I was not able to get upgrades working by using regedit to move things back.
      My Computer


 

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