User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation

Kari · 29 Dec 2014

Yes. I thought you'd like to do this on an existing Windows setup which is also possible. You will have no issues doiung this on a new, clean install.

FredM · 29 Dec 2014

Long time ago since last installation. How can I format the SSD before clean installation? When I enter the Win7 DVD I can do custom install but not format the partition in between. Attached you see that on the SSD I have now a partition of 17GB Recovery partititon, and partition "OS-install 94.83GB with only 5% free space.

How can I prepare the SSD optimally formatted for the Windows install?

Thanks for your fast responses :)

Fred

FredM · 30 Dec 2014

Hello

It took me all day to get Windows installed properly. I needed chipset and landriver update, etc to get Windows working. the sysprep went OK, but after running it. I had the user profile folders on C: and D: but after saving the Home sharing password file in Documents it came to de C-drive and not D:

I carefully followed your instructions and tried even twice. Below is the content of the relocate xml file:

<?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

fflineImage cpi:source="wim:E:/sources/install.wim#Windows 7 HOMEPREMIUM"
xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

Kari · 30 Dec 2014

Your system specs say yoyu have Enterprise edition, but in the answer file you have Home Premium?

Please test this: Open an elevated command prompt, type DIR %USERPROFILE%:

User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation-2014-12-30_17h48_30.png

Press Enter, check which folder was listed. If it's C:\Users\Your_Username something is wrong. If it's D:\Users\Your_Username in your case (E:\Users\Kari in my case) everything is as it should be:

User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation-2014-12-30_17h49_37.png

In most cases even if the Users folder is relocated there remains a folder called Users on C: drive. This should not be deleted, some obscure programs might need it. There's no reason to panic, this C:\Users will remain very small, only a few bytes. If it disturbs you, you can hide it.

Kari

Swiftkidd · 09 Feb 2015

Kari said:

Kari

Hey,

I performed a fresh install using audit mode and system preparation tool to relocate user profiles and programdata to partition D on my SSD but have since noticed programdata is also on C partition as well?

ProgramData>Microsoft>Search>Data>Applications>Windows>GatherlLogs>SystemIndex < with other various files and folders. There is another subfolder under ProgramData>Microsoft>Windows>Caches < has some Database file types?

I plan to install boot restore software Faronic's Deep Freeze and hope by relocating userprofiles and programdata to an excluded/unprotected partition D and just protect partition C that it's enough to protect from malware whilst preserving my desired configured working environment? All my personal files are archived on separate internal hard disk drives

Kari · 09 Feb 2015

Swiftkidd said:

I performed a fresh install using audit mode and system preparation tool to relocate user profiles and programdata to partition D on my SSD but have since noticed programdata is also on C partition as well?

Read this post: User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation

Swiftkidd · 09 Feb 2015

Thanks for the prompt response, this forum never ceases to amaze me with how fast its users respond :) I tried to add to your rep but it requests I spread it around.. great tutorial and thanks for the added support

Kari · 09 Feb 2015

You are welcome :).

I will also accept single malt whisky instead of rep!

namitutonka · 09 Feb 2015

Kari said:

You are welcome :).

I will also accept single malt whisky instead of rep!

30Dec2013 post #717

namitutonka said:

Kari,
My 36 year old son was very pleased to receive Laphroaig Triple Wood for Christmas.
Kind regards,
namitutonka

Kari said:

Most of the programs will know how to create folders if a needed folder does not exist, but to be on the safe side I would create the C:\Users, C:\Users\Public and C:\Users\Your_Username folders.

Forgetting this trivial issue and moving on to real essential questions, both single malts you mentioned are really good. The main difference is the casks used; Laphroaig Triple Wood is first matured in American oak barrels (used previously for bourbon), finalized in sherry casks. This together with the traditional Laphroaig distilling methods gives it a nice, deep color and a very strong, nice smoke flavor.

Ardbeg Uigeadail is matured only in sherry casks, which together with Ardbeg's traditional distilling methods gives it a walnut like flavor and almost dark red color. Both single malts are excellent, in a scale 0 to 100 I would give Laphroaig 90 and Ardbeg 85.

Kari

Kieran28 · 31 Mar 2015

Hi Kari,
A few years ago when I built my system I followed your tutorial to move the default location of user folders to my 1TB D: HDD, and installed Win7 on the 128GB SSD. Due to an unresolvable infinite repair loop problem, I'm now planning to just do a clean re-install of the OS on the SSD.
Is it possible to do a clean re-install on to the SSD, and have the new installation recognize the existing user folders on the D-drive (HDD)?
Thanks in advance,
Kieran