Windows 7: User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation

Hey Kari Thanks for your great tutorial. I followed the instructions carefully and everything went well. Except for one thing... For some reason, the drive (D: ) I moved my Users folder in is a Dynamic volume, which pisses me off since I can't back it up as an image using Acronis True Image. Then I tried to convert it back to Basic volume... Which I can't since there is a system file on it. So to break this vicious cycle, I need to move back my Users folder to my C: drive. Reading the previous posts, I found that you can reverse the process by changing a few things in the answer file and running sysprep. I put my windows installation CD in drive F: and booted in sysprep using the run command you gave earlier. I created the XML which looks like this (I am using Home Premium 64):


I opened command prompt but when I tried to enter command lines I got this...

What did i do wrong? Is there another command to use when evertything is already installed and user has been created? Anyways, I rebooted in OOBE mode, created a new temporary user and logged back in my real one, waiting for your genius to strike again. Everything seems to be fine except that damn command path that won't work like I thought it would... (PS: sorry i was lazy about cropping screenshots)
(PPS: please keep it as simple as possible since I am not really a computer whiz, more of a gamer :P)

I am doing a fresh install of WIN 7 on a new build with an SSD drive for C: boot drive and two 4TB in Raid 1 for storage and data. I followed the tutorial using Audit Mode to move the program data files and user files from the SSD to the data hard disk. When I entered the commend Sysprep.exe /audit /reboot /unattend:C:\relocate.xml I received the following error message: "System Preparation Tool 3.14 Windows could not parse or process unattend answer file [c:\relocate.xml]. The answer file is invalid. The error was detected at line 4 column 1 of the answer file." I checked the file relocate.xml I created against that in the tutorial posted in the forum and it is identical except for the appropriate drive letters. Can anyone assist?

Looking at why your command didn't work is cause you had a space in between \ and Windows . Its all one thing no spaces example
CD \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\SYSPREP . You only have a space between " CD and \ " if it doesn't open up to that command then try typing in C:\ and it should go to C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep . Like in the image below. Typing \Windows is the same thing as typing C:\Windows .




@ JPOLIKA … Looking at the tutorial it looks like the relocate.XML file is located inside the D:\ . Try placing the file to a USB flash drive and just change the letter to the letter of the Flash Drive .

@VistaKing First thing didn't work, it wasn't the space. As for second solution, I tried it before first posting but didn't know I had to put "cd" before "space"C:\ (don<t know shit about this stuff :P) so I gave it a try and guess what... IT WORKED !!!

So I want to say big thanks to both Kari and VistaKing pour their great help in making my rig super fast and all prep'd up for gaming . I can't tell you how much it means to finally be able to stop beating my head against my desk trying to figure out how to make everything work correctly. THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!

Glad you have solved your issue . Glad to help .

@ Jpolika: do not put the answer file on C:, put it on another drive. If still not working post the answer file as you have it here.

About that ThreatSignal's issue which VistaKing already solved:

It was the extra space. Removing it would have CD'd C: drive to correct folder. However, even if you had fixed it the next command (sysprep) had not worked for you were on the wrong drive, the D: drive.

For future readers sake I will try to explain this:
CD is a command used to change the current working folder, acronym coming from words Change Directory (Directory = how we called Folder back in the old days...). If the CD command is given with preceding drive letter for example CD C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep it changes the working folder on said drive (C: in this example) but does not go there if the command is given when you are currently on another drive. You were on drive D: so you had stayed there even after succesful CD on C: drive.

When the CD command is given as VistaKing told without preceding drive letter as CD \Windows\System32\Sysprep, the CD command searches the current D: drive for that folder path and when not found, gives an error message.

Correct procedure for you had been first to change current drive by typing C: and pressing Enter, thereafter CD command on C:. Or vice versa, change the working folder on C: and then jump there with C: + Enter:



You could also have given the command to open sysprep directly just writing the path and command name and pressing Enter. This way it is the same in which drive you currently are, command is run anyway:
Kari

Kari I will try the thumb drive method next time we are up at this location where the new machine is in about 2 weeks time. Thanks for the information.

It must not be a thumb drive, it can also be another HD partition, D: or E: or anything.

Kari ,
Thank You for clarifying the CD command to ThreatSignal. I have the ProfileDirectory and ProgramData Directory done inside Windows SIM and save the file as Autounattend.xml and place the file inside the root of a Flash Drive . It wipes the drive and partitions it and puts the Users and ProgramData folder into D automatically .

I'm so used to command line I never stop to think not all users know or like it. To start Sysprep UI in a "modern" way:
Press Win + R to open Run dialog, type %windir%\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe, click OK.

Kari