User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation

How to Create User Accounts on another Partition or Disk During Windows 7 Installation ​

   Information

There are several methods to move user profiles to another disk or partition after you have installed Windows 7. The easiest way is to use Audit Mode and System Preparation Tool, both built-in Windows 7 features, to permanently move the location of the folder Users.

This tutorial shows how to relocate both Users and ProgramData to another disk or partition when doing a new, fresh and clean install of Windows 7. If you have already installed Seven, and you'd like to move those folders away from their default location in C: drive, please read first post number 22 in this thread. Follow the steps told in that post, and continue then from beginning of the page 4 in this tutorial.

When Windows 7 is installed, 5 or 6 system folders are created depending on chosen bit-version:

• PerfLogs (Performance Logs), where Windows stores performance and reliability logs
• Program Files, where applications and software are installed. Windows x86 (32-bit) stores all applications here, Windows x64 (64-bit) only native 64-bit applications
• Program Files (x86), only in Windows x64. All non-x64 applications are stored here
• Windows, which contains core operating system files and drivers
• ProgramData, where some applications store application and user specific settings and configuration files
• Users. This is the "home" of all user folders. When a new user account is created and this new user logs in first time, Windows creates a set of user specific folders Users\New_User

Moving Windows and Program Files folders is not recommend by Microsoft. However, moving both Users and ProgramData folders is safe and can save a lot of space on system disk. Pictures, mp3’s videos, documents and so on, a user folder with its subfolders can be tens, sometimes hundreds of gigabytes.

For instance, using this laptop of mine as an example, the total size of Users folder and subfolders is at the moment about 240 GB. The size of ProgramData folder is at the moment almost 18 GB. I simply could not have these folders stored in my system C: drive, there’s not enough space.

When installing Windows 7, I recommend using Windows System Preparation Tool (Sysprep) in so called Audit Mode to relocate Users and ProgramData, leaving C: drive only for Windows and applications.

   Warning

An upgraded Windows cannot be sysprepped. As this method is based in sysprepping, this tutorial is valid only for Windows setups which have not been upgraded.

This means that if you have for instance in-place upgraded Vista to Seven, you cannot sysprep. The same applies if you have upgraded from a lesser edition to a better edition, for instance from Windows 7 Home Premium to Professional.

Notice that a repair install is also an upgrade install, so if you have ever done a repair install (= in-place upgrade to same edition), you cannot sysprep.

In other words, when sysprepping an existing Windows setup it only works if the Windows was installed clean and has never been upgraded or repaired using repair install, or if it is the original pre-installed Windows.

Using this method causes Windows 7 to lose activation information, and it needs to be reactivated afterwards. If your Windows 7 is an OEM version, you might not be able to reactivate it, at least not without phone activation option.

   Warning

IE10 Users: Please read this article first: Sysprep Fatal Error With IE 10 (FIX) | System Administration

Complete tutorial as PDF: View attachment Relocate User folders during Windows 7 installation.pdf (1.22 MB)

Kari

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Change the Default Location of a User Profile in Windows 7 and Vista
• How to Change the Default Location of Windows 7 User Folders
• How to Restore the Default Location of Windows 7 User Folders
• 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

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hey guys I was just wondering if anyone has upgraded to 8.1 windows with their system configured this way and was there any problems?

Without wading right back through the thread Hwky I upgraded my laptop and Sandy Bridge to 8 then downloaded the 8. for free.

Mind yo booth of my machines I set to start up in 7 start up style using Stardock8 (by mistake) on one and Classic Shell on the other. If you like that then see this. Start Menu - Restore in Windows 8

 

[Britton30]

John, he was asking if a system installed as a split system per Kari's tut can be upgraded. I don't know the answer.

 

[Kari]

Hey guys I was just wondering if anyone has upgraded to 8.1 windows with their system configured this way and was there any problems?

Without wading right back through the thread Hwky I upgraded my laptop and Sandy Bridge to 8 then downloaded the 8. for free.

Mind yo booth of my machines I set to start up in 7 start up style using Stardock8 (by mistake) on one and Classic Shell on the other. If you like that then see this. Start Menu - Restore in Windows 8

John, he was asking if a system installed as a split system per Kari's tut can be upgraded. I don't know the answer.

Short answer to Hwky's question is yes and no .

The long answer will really be long; I am quite preoccupied just now but composing an answer before going to bed, which hopefully will be soon enough; it's already 4:30 AM here and I need at least half an hour more for work stuff, then this answer with screenshots .

 

[Kari]

Hey guys I was just wondering if anyone has upgraded to 8.1 windows with their system configured this way and was there any problems?

OK, now the long answer.

Option 1: Upgrading with clean install

If the Users folder is on another drive than C:, you cannot in-place upgrade install, clean install being the only option. If this is OK to you and you accept the only given option Keep nothing (clean install) when upgrading 7 to 8 / 8.1 or 8 to 8.1, you are good to go.



Windows 8 / 8.1 installs on C:, your old user folders on your old data drive (let's say X:) stay intact and you can copy them afterwards from X: to the new 8 / 8.1 Users folder on C:.

Whereas a cleanly installed Windows can be sysprepped, an in-place upgraded Windows cannot, meaning this method to relocate Users folder only works on a cleanly installed Windows 7 or 8.



However, as you selected Keep nothing as described above, your new Windows 8 or 8.1 installation is clean so now you can sysprep 8 / 8.1 to relocate the Users folder and all existing and future user profiles back to that X: drive.

Please keep in your mind that the Users folder cannot be relocated to another drive than C: if the target drive already contains folder Users from another installation, so in this case you need to copy the contents of the X:\Users folder to C:\Users (or an external backup), wipe the drive X:, then sysprep 8 / 8.1 and relocate the Users back to X:.

Relocating Users on 8 and 8.1: User Profiles - Relocate to another Partition or Disk

   Warning

Do not relocate PrograData folder on 8 and 8.1! See the above mentioned Windows 8 tutorial for more information.

Option 2: Upgrading in-place
If you want in-place upgrade (keep your installed software and settings), you need first to relocate Users and possible ProgramData folders back to C:. It's quite easy procedure, simply run the sysprep with the answer file as told in this tutorial again, this time changing the folder location values in between the FolderLocations tabs to point to original locations on C:

<FolderLocations>
     <ProfilesDirectory>[hl]C[/hl]:\Users</ProfilesDirectory>
     <ProgramData>[hl]C[/hl]:\ProgramData</ProgramData>
</FolderLocations>

After booting back to OOBE the folders are back on C: and you can in-place upgrade keeping all your installed software, Windows 8 or 8.1 install dialog now offereing the option to keep your installed software:



See these instructions at our sister site the Ten Forums: Users Folder - Move Location in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

Kari

 

[Hwky]

Upgrade

Thanks for the info. Think I"ll just stick with windows 7 the way this tutorial shows. Everything runs smooth and I got no complaints with it.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

John, he was asking if a system installed as a split system per Kari's tut can be upgraded. I don't know the answer.

Ok Gary like I said I didn't wade back so point taken mate

 

[weardalered]

Moving profiles after W7 install - fatal error

Hi

I have been trying to relocate the profiles without any success so far.

I keep getting fatal errors and the system refuses to "sysprep".

I have attached the error log.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

Thanks

 

[Kari]

Hi Weardalered, welcome to the Seven Forums.

First line in your error log tells clearly the reason:

2014-01-09 18:51:55, Error [0x0f0082] SYSPRP LaunchDll:Failure occurred while executing 'drmv2clt.dll,Sysprep', returned error code -2147024864[gle=0x00000020]

The dynamic link library file drmv2clt.dll is for Digital Rights Management in Windows Media Player. As mentioned at the bottom of the last page in the tutorial, and several times in various posts in this thread, sysprep does not like WMP Network Sharing Service, causing sysprep fatal error.

I recommend reading the whole tutorial before starting. By doing so you had known to stop the WMP Network Sharing Service before sysprepping, and this fatal error had not occured.

Kari

 

[Britton30]

Don't feel bad, I did read it and till forgot to stop the WMP Network Sharing Service.

 

[Kari]

Don't feel bad, I did read it and till forgot to stop the WMP Network Sharing Service.

My post came out too harsh, maybe, but I wanted to make my point clear. Here's this piece of information for future readers of this thread one more time:

   Note

If sysprep gives a fatal error and the error logs show the reason being the drmv2clt.dll, it always means you have not shut down the Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service prior to sysprepping. This applies to all sysprep scenarios, not only to relocating the main profile folder Users as per this tutorial.

Sysprep will not work if this service is running.

To stop Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service, open an elevated command prompt and give the following command:

net stop WMPNetworkSvc

Now you should be able to use sysprep.

Kari

 

[weardalered]

Hi Kari

Thanks for the post. Not too harsh at all.

As someone else has pointed out, I too did read the full tutorial and still forgot.

Thanks

 

[Britton30]

I might reiterate too, to print our the PDF file of the tutorial like I did. I finally went through and checked each step after completed.

 

[weardalered]

OK So everything went relatively smoothly

1. Should there be a Users folder left in the C: drive?

2. I get an error message on windows login as follows:


Unable to find "Adobe PDF" resource files.
C:\ProgramData\Adobe\AdobePDF\Settings\*.joboptions
Do you want to run the installer in repair mode?

Not sure what installer to run! ( I assume it refers to the Adobe installer but which one as I have a lot of Adobe applications installed)

or can I just move that particular bit back to the ProgramData folder on C drive?

Any suggestions

TIA

 

[Kari]

It's normal that both Users and ProgramData folder still exist on C:, although they are and remain almost empty. Let them be there, you can hide them if you want to. See this post for more information.

You could try to copy the Adobe folder from its new location to C:\ProgramData, reboot and see if it's OK.

 

[weardalered]

Hi Kari

I have copied just that particular Adobe folder (Adobe\AdobePDF\Settings) back into the C:\ProgramData folder and no errors now.

Having taken a look I think it is to do with PDF printing.


Thanks

 

[Britton30]

Hmm, I have just noticed I don't have a ProgramData folder on my data drive, only the C\Drive.

 

[Kari]

Two explanations, both OK, no reason to panic :

1. By default, the ProgramData is a hidden folder. Might just be there on your data drive but not visible
2. You have relocated Users folder but not ProgramData

 

[Britton30]

System works great. I unhid system files and still not there. Kari if you remember you wrote the answer file because I was a noob at the time.

 

[Kari]

According to my wife nothing is so sure than that I forget things. Not a surprise if I have left it out from the anser file, or made a typo and instead of typing D:\PrograData or X:\ProgramData I have typed C:\ProgramData.

Long shot: Do you still have that answer file somewhere?

 

[Britton30]

According to my wife nothing is so sure than that I forget things. Not a surprise if I have left it out from the anser file, or made a typo and instead of typing D:\PrograData or X:\ProgramData I have typed C:\ProgramData.

Long shot: Do you still have that answer file somewhere?

I have the XML file, I was just looking through a few HDDs and flash drives, but found it. It looks OK to me, but your eye is better at these things.

these are the drive letters I used also.

View attachment Move.zip