User Profile - Change Default Location

How to Change the Default Location of a User Profile in Vista and Windows 7​

   Information

A user profile is the main C:\Users\(user-name) folder of a user account that contains all of the account's settings, shortcuts, information, and user folders (ex: My Music) with the files in them.

This will show you how to Move the default location of a user profile in Windows 7 and Vista to another location of your choice so it will be stored and used from the new location instead.

This can be handy if you are low on free space on your C: drive.

You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

   Warning

Before doing this, you should create a system image to be safe. This way you can do a system image recovery to undo any mistake you might make in the instructions below that could result in the user profile you are moving, or Windows, to no longer work.

   Note

The drive or partition that you move the user profile folder(s) to, will now be included in a system image if created since it will now be considered a system drive.

   Tip

If you are just wanting to save HDD space from the files in your user folders, then you might consider this below to be able to access the files from your libraries with the files actually located where you like instead. This way you will not have to worry about any potential issues that come with moving user folder locations.

• Create a new folder at any location you want.
• Move any files you want into the new folder.
• Include the new folder into a library of your choice.
• If you like, you can also set the new folder to be the default "save" to location for the library as well.

OPTION ONE

For Already Existing User Accounts

   Warning

Some of the programs you have installed may not work properly after moving your user profile folder since they are still looking for their information in the user profile folder's original AppData folder location which of course no longer exists.

If you have this problem afterwards, then you may be able to uninstall and reinstall these programs, or use OPTION TWO in the tutorial to create a new user account and create new shortcuts for the programs to fix this.

Method One

To Change the Default Location of an Existing User Profile

1. Log on to the user account that you want to move. In Windows Explorer, navigate to it's C:\Users\(user-name) folder, right click on the user folder, click on Share with and Nobody.

2. Log off.

3. Log on to an administrator account that you are not moving it's user folder for.
NOTE: If you do not have another administrator account to use, then you will need to create a new account first and log in to it. When done with the tutorial, you can delete the new account.

4. In Windows Explorer, navigate to the C:\Users\(user-name) folder (ex: C:\Users\User account to move) that you want to move. Right click on it and click on Copy. (see screenshot below)

5. In Windows Explorer, navigate to the new location (ex: E: drive) that you want to move the C:\Users\(user-name) folder to. Right click on a empty space in the main window (middle), and click on Paste. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: This should be another internal hard drive or partition.

6. If prompted, click on Continue. (see screenshot below)

7. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes (Windows 7) or Continue (Vista).

8. The C:\Users\(user-name) folder (step 4) is now copied over to the new location (ex: E:\User account to move). You can close Windows Explorer. (see screenshot below)

9. Open the Start Menu, then type regedit in the search box and press enter.

10. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes (Windows 7) or Continue (Vista).

11. In regedit, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

12. In the left pane under the Profilelist key, select and look at each S-1-5 key with the long number until you see the user account name and path (step 3) that you want to move in the value Data column of ProfileImagePath in the right pane. When the correct user name is found, right click on ProfileImagePath, and click on Modify. (see screenshot above)

13. Type in the full path of the location (ex: E:\User account to move) that you copied the user profile folder to in step 7, and click on OK. (see screenshot below)

14. Regedit will now look similiar to this with the new location now. Close regedit. (see screenshot below)

15. To Verify that the User Profile has been Moved Successfully
A) Log off or Switch User, then log in to the user account that you moved the user profile folder of.

B) Open the Start Menu and open the user profile folder from this location. (see screenshot below)

C) Right click on one of the user folders (ex: Desktop), click on Properties, and click on the Location tab. (see screenshot below)

D) You should see the new location (ex: E:\User account to move\Desktop) from step 8 as the now new default location. Click on OK. (see screenshot above)
16. To Delete the User Profile from the Old Location
NOTE: Once you have verified (step 15) that the moved user profile has been moved successfully, you can now safely delete the user profile folder from the old location (ex: C:\Users\User account to move) from step 4.
A) Log off of the user account that you moved if you are logged into it from step 15.

B) Log on to an administrator account that you did not move it's user folder for.

C) In Windows Explorer, navigate to the old C:\Users\(user-name) folder (ex: C:\Users\User account to move) that you had copied (step 4). Right click on it and click on Delete. (see screenshot below)

D) If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes (Windows 7) or Continue (Vista).

E) If prompted, click on Continue. (see screenshot below)

F) You can now empty the Recycle Bin to finish deleting the old user profile folder from the old location.
NOTE: You will need to approve emptying the Recycle Bin.
17. The existing user profile folder has now been completely moved to the new default location where Windows 7 or Vista will now run it from when logged on to it.

Method Two

To Restore the Existing User Profile's Default Location

1. Repeat OPTION ONE, but move the new default User Profile folder (ex: E:\User account to move) and registry entries back to the original C:\Users folder location (ex: C:\Users\User account to move).

OPTION TWO

For All New User Accounts Created

   Note

This will change where all newly created user accounts will have their user profile folder created at in a default location of your choice instead of the old default C:\Users location.

Thank you to Alain for pointing this out.

1. To Change the Default User Profile Location of New User Accounts
A) Open the Start Menu, then type regedit in the search box and press enter.
B) If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes (Windows 7) or Continue (Vista).

C) In regedit, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

D) In the right pane of ProfileList, right click on ProfilesDirectory and click on Modify. (see screenshot above)

E) Type in the full path (ex: E:\Users) of where you want new user accounts to be created at, and click on OK. (see screenshot below)

F) The registry will now look similar to this. (see screenshot below)

G) When you create a new user account, it's user profile folder will now be created at the location you specified in step 1E.
2. To Restore the Default User Profile Location of New User Accounts
A) Repeat step 1, but type %SystemDrive%\Users at step 1E instead.
NOTE: This step only changes the user profile folder location of any newly created user accounts back to this default location, and not any existing user accounts.

B) If you wish to change an already existing new account's user profile folder location, then you will need to do Method Two in OPTION ONE above to change it back to C:\Users.
3. Close regedit.

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Customize Default User Profile in Audit Mode
• How to Change the Default Location of Windows 7 User Folders
• How to Restore the Default Location of Windows 7 User Folders
• How to Change the Windows 7 Default User Folder Icons
• How to Pin Your User Files Folder to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Create Your Own Special User Folder
• How to Restore Windows 7 Default User Folder Icons
• How to Add or Remove your User Folder from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Allow or Prevent Users to Move their User Folders to a New Location
• How to Add or Remove "User Folder" from Desktop Context Menu
• How to Create User Accounts on another Partition or Disk During Windows 7 Installation
• How to Free Up and Recover Hard Drive Space in Windows 7
• How to Change the User Folder Name of a User Profile in Windows 7

 

[Aurondium]

Hi Brink. I had noted the advice to take a System Image and that has enabled me to go back safely to where I was before I started fickering with moving the profile.

So now I will be sensible and follow the suggestion in the yellow tip box - once I have digested it. This library thing has me a tad confused.

Anyway I'm back up and running again.

Am off for a long week-end down south with the grandchildren so will pick up again when I return.

Kindest. Aurondium.

 

[Brink]

Good news. If you have any questions about libraries, please feel free to ask.

Have fun with the grandkids.

 

[mmmelaney]

I believe I have managed it successfully in Win8.1x64! It's been stable for a week now.

I used method 1 but there were some important things not mentioned.

First, there are a few additional registry keys which make things go a lot smoother:

*MAKE SURE YOU DO THE REGISTRY EDITS BEFORE YOU MOVE YOUR FILES!

• Tell Windows where to find ntuser.dat and userclass.dat

**Note: If you've already moved your files you have to move ntuser.dat and usrclass.dat AGAIN, because these registry entries are being changed in your local copy of those files.

**Note: The Volume# in HarddiskVolume# is counted from the first partition on the first drive STARTING WITH 1, not 0 as you see it in Windows or Linux. So mine was HarddiskVolume8 since it's behind 7 partitions.

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\hivelist\
• Registry\User\S-1-5-21.... = \Device\HarddiskVolume1\Users\YOU\NTUSER.DAT
• Registry\User\S-1-5-21.... = \Device\HarddiskVolume1\Users\YOU\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\UsrClass.dat

I also changed (=Your new path):

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Volatile Environment\Appdata
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Volatile Environment\Homepath
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Volatile Environment\LocalAppdata
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Volatile Environment\Userprofile
  • Leave Homedrive alone.

and of course

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList.....\ProfileImagePath\ = Your new path.

Second, what to do about the Junctions (reparse points to the real folders)? They are broken when you move the folders. You have to reconnect them exactly like the folder structure on the C:\ drive. I use Hard link shell extension.

Update: Copy the Junctions in one simple step with Far Manager. See my post here (gggirlgeek.)

Third, what to do with the stubborn ntuser, usrclass and crypt files that don't want to move. I logged into another installation of Windows, took ownership and then used Unlocker to force them.

Reboot once or twice and Windows should catch on. If not, check your HarddiskVolume# again. And make sure you move NTUSER.DAT and USRCLASS.DAT after you edit the registry!

FWIW: I am using the built in Admin account as my own. This should have made things harder but it worked!

NONE OF YOU ARE CHANGING THE NTUSER.DAT AND USRCLASS.DAT LOCATIONS IN THE REGISTRY!! That is why you're getting these errors. You also have to copy the Junctions, not the contents of the junctions! Please read my post. I'm trying to help. (I've also updated it.)

 

[sparks79]

Moving User Folders

I have Read Many Different Descriptions for this but find them mostly very complicated.
Especially for the average User.
Here's my Method, and I have been Using it for Years without any problems, Windows 7 and 8.
Lets Say My Present User Account is in C:\Users\Tom.
And I want to Move it to to d:\My Documents.
I Create a Folder in D: Called My Documents.
I then Copy all the Folders I want from c:\Users\Tom to d:\My Documents.
Then One by One, Open each of the Original Folders and Change the Location to Reflect the New Location.
Simple But it Works.

 

[Brink]

Hello Sparks,

The user profile folder (C:\Users\(user-name) is different than a user folder (C:\Users\(user-name)\Documents).

For user folders, you could use the method in the tutorial below to make it easier.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18629-user-folders-change-default-location.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[fits79]

I try the 2 way and doesn't work at all to my one and only profile with mozilla firefox 29.0.1 i use as default browser.

 

[deejay22]

I noticed that in the last screen short you have left the public folders in the default location. Can these also be changed in the way described or is there a reason why they should remain on the c drive?

 

[Brink]

Hello Deejay,

I wouldn't recommend to move the Public folders, but you could also use the same Option Two below to do so using their Location tab in their Properties page.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18629-user-folders-change-default-location.html

 

[deejay22]

Why public any less than default or individual users? I'm in 2 minds whether to go the full hog or just redirect the data folders through the move location option. Problem is that AppData mushrooms to many gigs so I would prefer to keep it separate to the os. Any views?

 

[Brink]

The Public folders have sharing tied to them, and could have unknown issues from moving them.

It'll be just as easy to do what's in the yellow tip box at the top of that tutorial for the Public folders with libraries as well without having to move them.

 

[ahmedilyas]

So. I was able to get this to work with WS2008R2 a while back (couple of years) including being able to move the Program Files to another physical drive. All works great and when installing new apps, it knows the place to look to install. Same thing with IIS etc...

But its been a while and there were a few steps that I had to do to get it to work.

But now thinking afresh, I am going to be installing Windows 8.1 or Server 2012 R2. How can I do the same thing? I mean, I want to move the Users folder to another partition including the program files and also inetpuib (IIS).
I want the system to know the new correct location in the environment variables I guess, of the new home of the program files and the like.

any advice on this?

 

[Brink]

Hello Ahmedilyas,

To not risk messing up your user profile and still have the same effect, you might see if using the yellow tip box at the top of the tutorial for libraries may work instead.

Some programs will allow you to select where to install them at.

 

[ahmedilyas]

thanks.
I just cannot remember exactly what I did before to make it all work including Windows Update.

What approach do you recommend to redirect the users, program files, programdata etc... to another disk?
I remember I created an Environment variable called %RAIDDRIVE% and then changed some of the C:\ to %RAIDDRIVE% for things like the InetPub stuff, the user profiles and maybe some others too.

 

[Brink]

I'm afraid I don't know for all of it like that.

 

[Britton30]

I would not recommend moving Program files from C:\, Users and Program Data are safe to relocate. You can do this with this method which I have used on a few new installs.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...uring-windows-7-installation.html#post1070714

Read the Information box and check Post #22 for doing it on an already installed w7 machine.

 

[ahmedilyas]

so I am almost done testing the changes and it almost works.
I managed to move the users, program files, program files x86 and programdata to the new drive.
I also modified a few registry entries to update the environment variables and also making sure Iexplore (Internet Explorer) points to the other drive. That works too.

The problem I face now is that when I install any application, it picks up the default location of Program files (C:\) rather than the moved location.

Looking at the environment variables from the CMD prompt, they seem correct (%ProgramFiles% and %ProgramFiles(x86)% point to the new drive)

what setting have I missed?

BTW - I have this already working on my existing system running Win7 but its been a while since I have done it.

 

[ahmedilyas]

managed to find the culprit. This was the HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion regkey

 

[ahmedilyas]

crap. I thought I had it working but now when it came for doing it on the real hardware.... it failed. Internet explorer will not start even after registering the IEProxy.dll

The reason it wont start is because I changed the program files path to the new drive. But I don't get it... works fine on my WS2008R2 system. :-/

 

[Brink]

I'm afraid that's why we don't recommend to move them. It doesn't always work out so well.

 

[ahmedilyas]

agreed. But I was able to get this working on the WS2008R2 system I had for 3 years without issues. Thought I can get it done the same way for WS2012 R2.
must be doing something or missing something here. Crap.

happy for IE to run from C:\Program files etc... but want everything else (other program files and references) to be pointing to the other drive