Moving User Folder in Windows 7

[Lord of Rings]

Hello everybody,

Is there a free utility program that can move Users forder from the locaton where it is originally installed to a new partition.

Thank you for your answer,
LOR

 

[Megahertz07]

I've done following Kari tutorial during installation. I have a small SSD for Win + programs and Lubuntu and a HDD for data.

It also can be done after installation. Read relocate-users_w8.pdf

You have to modify the CMD commands below to meet your disk letter an win7 type. READ it carefully

http://www.sevenforums.com/attachme...2997-unable-free-space-my-ssd-sysprep.cmd.txt
http://www.sevenforums.com/attachme...nable-free-space-my-ssd-relocate-w7hp.xml.txt
http://www.sevenforums.com/attachme...092997-unable-free-space-my-ssd-audit.cmd.txt
http://www.sevenforums.com/attachme...nable-free-space-my-ssd-relocate-users_w7.pdf
http://www.sevenforums.com/attachme...nable-free-space-my-ssd-relocate-users_w8.pdf

 

[Lord of Rings]

Thanks for answering my post Megahertz07! Gosh, how I strive for simplicity!

A small utility program: enter source forlder location, enter destination folder location, click, .... and you are done!!!

 

[AddRAM]

You shouldn`t move it you should link it, because now you`ll screw up your images.

You are creating disk images yes ???

 

[Lord of Rings]

Can you tell how to link Users folder to another folder, please.

 

[AddRAM]

I looked, but someone else will have to post the proper tutorial.

I just create folders on my storage drives, and store my data in the appropriate folder.

You do not want to move your user folder.

 

[RolandJS]

I highly recommend following AddRAM's advice in not moving User folders; there will be consequences if/when any OS upgrade / restore operations are put into play. I have been doing for years what AddRAM recommends, create your data folders in your data partition or your data hard-drive, "tell" your products to save, copy, move, write to, etc. to your created data folders. And, copy [then delete] your data files out of Users [user acct] AppData / Libraries folders over into your created data folders. This bit of much work upfront will save you lots and lots of headaches, problems, later on -- especially if/when doing OS restores, upgrades, and maybe even some update operations.

 

[Lord of Rings]

So far I have moved the following folders (from c:\Users\Mike\): My Documents, My Pictures, My Music, Downloads and Desktop to a new location. I have done it simply by changing the target folder on the Location tab. I am not planning to move the AppData folder since it is hidden and seems too risky to me. Am I on the right track?

 

[AddRAM]

Well, we told you not to do that, so you are on the wrong track.

You need to link those folders, not move them, I suggested that you wait until someone posted the tutorial because I could not find it.

I hope you made a restore point before you started or created a disk image.

 

[Lord of Rings]

OK, if you say so. But it seemed to me an easy and obvious answer to my problem. Further more, isn't it supposed to be done that way by the Windows manufacturer since you can change the location of the mentioned folders so easy. I don't understand? :huh: Will you please explain to me.

 

[Megahertz07]

I've moved /Users folder to D: drive since I bought my 128G SSD in 2013. I didn't move /ProgramData because I wanted to keep OS and programs into C:. Never had any problems related to. Also moved the c:\Windows\Temp and virtual memory to D:.

Only on Win 8 and 10 it isn't possible to move /ProgramData. On Win 10 I have moved /Users folder to D: and then came the major update of new released version and it installed without any problem.

If you go to Kari tutorial you'll find many happy people (as I am) with the results. User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation

When you move \Users to the HDD, all trash from users, like temp files, downloaded files, navigation cache etc is also moved.

 

[AddRAM]

It`s your PC, you can do whatever you want

I still can`t dig up this link tutorial, but this is pretty much what you did, and if that`s how you want it that`s great

Sorry if it was already posted.

User Folders - Change Default Location

 

[RolandJS]

AddRAM, I hope the thread starter never has to do a major OS restore or OS rebuild. I thought I remembered correctly, reading elsewhere, that if/when an OS upgrade or a rebuild is done, all the normal Windows defaults concerning User folders / Libraries / My This & My That are put back into play, forcing end-user to re-construct the moving of the folders. And, my biggest concern would be the merging of an OS partition restore and a data partition restore because both partitions contain roads that go to Rome.

 

[Lance1]

For all intent and purposes isn't moving the User profile meant to conserve space on the drive? My User profile being 160GB but I have a 1TB drive. But if it was an issue I would get a 2TB drive. If it is a space issue get a larger drive and image the OS to it. Problem solved and no repercussions!