User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation


  1. Posts : 91
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       #1060

    I've performed the sysprep when I put my machine together. Thanks! However...I now have a sharing/permissions issue (unrelated to sysprep). In order to fix it, I need to do a repair install of windows. I get errors when I try to do so, seemingly related to the my user profiles not being collocated with my OS.

    Should there be such an issue? Or, should a simple repair install be possible after having done a sysprep?

    (I'd hate to wipe my machine and have to conduct a clean install. I mean, I'd REALLY hate to do that.)

    Thanks,
    Ken
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 17,545
    Windows 10 Pro x64 EN-GB
    Thread Starter
       #1061

    iamc3k said:
    Should there be such an issue? Or, should a simple repair install be possible after having done a sysprep?
    Unfortunately, the only thing you can do is to move the Users folder back to C: drive, repair install, then relocate the Users folder back to another location.

    Please read the instructions on our sister site the Ten Forums. Although made for Windows 7 to 10 upgrade scenarios, the instructions apply as such also for your situation: Users Folder - Move Location in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 91
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       #1062

    Kari,

    I was afraid of that. The sysprep tutorial was perfect for my purposes and I've enjoyed not worrying about SSD size limitations for my User Profile(s). (OS on SSD, profiles on larger spinners.)

    Now I'll have to do some data shifting to shrink my profiles down so they'll fit on the SSD.

    Thanks,
    Ken
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 17,545
    Windows 10 Pro x64 EN-GB
    Thread Starter
       #1063

    iamc3k said:
    Now I'll have to do some data shifting to shrink my profiles down so they'll fit on the SSD.
    Yes, that's important, not only for that you can move the Users back to C: but also for that the process would be faster. I have done it numerous times, what I do is I almost completely empty the individual profiles first by moving all docs, pics, videos, music and such for all profiles to an external drive making the user profile folders as empty as I can, do then the sysprep moving almost empty Users folder back to C:, repair install, sysprep the Users folder back to another drive and finally restore the profile data from external backup.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 512
    Windows 7 Professional x64 SP1
       #1064

    Kari,

    I'm attempting to move User folders again on a clean install. I've downloaded the AIK ISO. Rather than burn to a disc, I wanted to "burn" to a USB using rufus. But, I get an indication that the ISO file isn't compatible. Do you know if this is possible? I want to install the AIK onto the clean install in Audit Mode. I've only been successful when I create the answer file on the system that I intend to use it on.

    Regards
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 17,545
    Windows 10 Pro x64 EN-GB
    Thread Starter
       #1065

    tjg79 said:
    Kari,

    I'm attempting to move User folders again on a clean install. I've downloaded the AIK ISO. Rather than burn to a disc, I wanted to "burn" to a USB using rufus. But, I get an indication that the ISO file isn't compatible. Do you know if this is possible? I want to install the AIK onto the clean install in Audit Mode. I've only been successful when I create the answer file on the system that I intend to use it on.

    Regards
    Rufus can't burn it because the AIK ISO is not bootable. An easy workaround is to extract the ISO to a folder (for instance 7Zip can extract ISO files), format a USB Flash drive and simply copy the extracted folder to it, then run the installer selecting correct bit version:

    User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation-2015-12-07_13h58_42.png

    Alternatively you can download this Zip archive from my OneDrive. It contains the AIK ISO extracted to a folder ready to be copied to your USB Flash drive.

    Kari
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 512
    Windows 7 Professional x64 SP1
       #1066

    Thank you Kari, that is what I did with 7Zip and it worked perfectly. The Users folder and the ProgramData folder were moved to D:.

    However, it appears at least one firm, Hauppauge, tv tuner card and media center type program, seems to want their application to use a ProgramData folder on C:. I noticed that it apparently was created during the program install.

    Also, and I don't know what caused this, it appears that the ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data folder is on both D: and C:. I noticed a problem with search in the Windows Logs and with Indexing paused, so an investigation revealed that I have two ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data folders.

    Do you think that is an indication that it might not be a good idea to move the ProgramData folder from C: to D:?

    If the move just causes confusion for the OS, then it might be better to leave the ProgramData folder on C:.

    Regards
    Last edited by tjg79; 11 Dec 2015 at 23:22.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 17,545
    Windows 10 Pro x64 EN-GB
    Thread Starter
       #1067

    tjg79 said:
    Thank you Kari, that is what I did with 7Zip and it worked perfectly. The Users folder and the ProgramData folder were moved to D:.

    However, it appears at least one firm, Hauppauge, tv tuner card and media center type program, seems to want their application to use a ProgramData folder on C:. I noticed that it apparently was created during the program install.

    Also, and I don't know what caused this, it appears that the ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data folder is on both D: and C:. I noticed a problem with search in the Windows Logs and with Indexing paused, so an investigation revealed that I have two ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data folders.

    Do you think that is an indication that it might not be a good idea to move the ProgramData folder from C: to D:?

    If the move just causes confusion for the OS, then it might be better to leave the ProgramData folder on C:.

    Regards
    That is not a problem. At some point you might even notice that Users folder will be re-created on C: containing AppData from a single app, nothing else. In any case these folders on C: will remain tiny, a few kilobytes and are causing no harm.

    A bit more explained in this post.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 512
    Windows 7 Professional x64 SP1
       #1068

    That may be the case for various other programs that were programmed by lazy programmers, but what about two Windows\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\..., folders?

    This is a new clean install and I'm getting more windows log search related errors and warnings than I would like to see. I suspect that two ProgramData folders may be contributing to the issues.

    On the C: drive ProgramData folder, the Flexnet folder is Adobe Acrobat 9 Standard, the Hauppauge is my TV tuner card software and I don't know what caused the Microsoft folder. The majority of the Microsoft ProgramData is on the D: drive.

    Flexnet appears on both the C: and D: drives as well. That could be due installing Acrobat twice; first installing Acrobat version 9.0.0 from the distribution CD and then removing the program and installing version 9.0.8 from a download. This program should've updated to version 9.5.5, but it appears Adobe has removed the update from their website.

    If it was just Adobe and Hauppauge that demanded a C: drive ProgramData folder, I'd be inclined to let it go, but when Win 7 appears to be duplicating the ProgramData\Microsoft\Search folder with additional sub-folders, it causes me some concern.

    User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation-screen-shot.jpg

    User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation-screen-shot-2.jpg
    Last edited by tjg79; 12 Dec 2015 at 04:39.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 17,545
    Windows 10 Pro x64 EN-GB
    Thread Starter
       #1069

    Your decision, of course. I would do what I always do, just leave the folders on C: because as I mentioned in my previous post, they will remain meaningless small and do not cause any harm or affect the functionality of Windows. On the contrary, removing any system files or folders might cause issues.
      My Computer


 

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