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

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• 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

 

[Britton30]

Hi,

Great step-by-step PDF document "Relocate User folders during Windows 7 installation ". It says under the section "Creating a script for System Preparation Tool":

Row 14: Change the drive letter in wim:E to that of your CD/DVD drive where your Windows 7 installation DVD currently is

I am installing from a USB flash drive. This may sound like a silly question, but will Windows install assign a drive letter to the flash drive? And is there a way to figure it out what it is? Theoretically it should be after C (my SSD), D (letter assigned to my DVD drive by Windows) and E(my second hard drive) - so it should be F:, right?

Thx

Ron

Welcome to Seven Forums rsaritzky.
That's not a silly question, I used a USB flash drive to do this too. Yes, w7 should assign letter F to your USB drive. If not, make note of what letter is does get and edit the answer file.

 

[KantversusHume]

Can you migrate from this setup to Windows 8 Pro via upgrade media?

A while back when I upgraded my mobo and CPU, along with adding an SSD to my system, I used this tutorial successfully. I intend to either buy the pre-order Windows 8 Pro upgrade Retail Box w/ Disk that Micro Center is offering for $38.88 or wait until after Christmas and download the Windows 8 Pro upgrade from Windows.com for $39.99 and make my own backup copy.

I just wish to know if Kari, Britton30, or anyone else can confirm whether the upgrade will go smoothly with Users and ProgramData folders located on my HDD and the other system folders installed to my SSD.

If not, can I move my Users and ProgramData folders over to the SSD and successfully upgrade, or will I need to move what I wish to keep from my SSD to my HDD, reformat the SSD, do a clean install of Windows 7 from disk/usb and then upgrade from the Windows 8 upgrade disk/usb?

And, if the upgrade goes smoothly without migrating the Users and ProgramData folders over to my SSD, am I correct to assume that the Windows 8 will install in its entirety to the SSD, or will it actually install its relative system folders across my SSD and HDD in a similar fashion as my Windows 7 install is currently split?

Finally, it dawns upon me that I used this tutorial without coming back to thank you Kari for your valuable information. That was unintentionally rude of me, but better late than never, if you will permit. Thank you.

 

[Britton30]

I'm not sure how to go about an upgrade, I've asked Kari, the author, to have a look.

 

[Kari]

@ KantversusHume:

I really do not know, haven't tried yet an in-place upgrade from 7 with relocated Users to 8. One thing I know is that on 8, Windows Store does not work and most of so called Metro apps do not work when ProgramData is relocated, looks like 8 wants it to be on C:.

I have in-place upgraded Vista (both ProgramData and Users relocated) to 7 without any problems, so I guess also 7 to 8 should go just fine. Might be a good idea to move (relocate) ProgramData back to its original location before upgrading simply by running the sysprep again for reasons told above.

This answer file / script moves ProgramData back to its default location on C: drive:

<?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>
<ProgramData>C:\ProgramData</ProgramData>
</FolderLocations>
</component>
</settings>
<cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:E:/sources/install.wim#Windows 7 ULTIMATE" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

Kari

 

[KantversusHume]

Thanks for the response y'all. Per your advice Kari, I will likely move ProgramData back to C Drive. That said, it will likely be a couple of months before I upgrade (just wanted to get a physical copy of the the upgrade while it was on sale for the same price as the download promotion going on through January).

Kari, if you--or anyone else who reads this--do choose to do an in-place upgrade from Window 7 to Window 8 with Users and/or ProgramData from Windows 7 still relocated prior to the upgrade, please post your results here, so long as you don't mind adding those to this thread.

 

[ibmattg]

Whats the best way to set up a stable & Recoverable system & partition

Please Help! Need to set up a stable & Recoverable system & partition ideas if setup has Win 7 on 120GB SSD with User Files on 2 TB HDD? Am sort of a novice & an visual learner so screen shots would be helpful. Been putting all this off till I find all information to do it right the first time.

New build, am planning on using script to relocate User folders during install, this seemed to work well when I did it to a friends CPU,....one question is what optimizations do I do for the SSD I plan I on using Crucial 128 M4 SSD.

The SSD Optimization Guide Redesigned @ The SSD Review « The Worlds Dedicated SSD Education and Review Resource. The SSD Review all these still advisable to do as well as safe to use on the Crucial 128 M4 SSD?

My Main ? is how to partition 2TB WD Black, such as to have my user files on a partition w/ some programs, maybe, need partition with an image of the OS,and one for a backup info on set up for incremental backup, or whatever is best option??, I have external 1 TB drive as well.Worries 1)How to clone if it has its user files on D. 2) best way to partition for stability, recover-ability ( never did much with cloning or drive backup before...I know, shame on me!Screen shots help greatly, I have neurological issue MS so please be patient. Anyone's help would be great on this matter.

 

[denwise]

Tried this method on Windows 8 Pro and it generates a fatal error. Any suggestions for a workaround?

 

[Monumental]

Hey, I used the Relocate User folders during Windows 7 installation.pdf when installing Windows 7 and everything went great and has been for a couple years now. However, today I was going to upgrade my SSD and somehow Windows now can't find the user profile location and it just logs me in to the default desktop. The only thing I had done toward the SSD swap was swapping around some SATA cords and plugging in the new drive.

The user folders are all there where they used to be but I get a message saying C:\Windows\system32\config\systemfrofile\Desktop refers to a location that is unavailable. Etc...

Any idea how to get everything pointed in the right direction again?

 

[Monumental]

I did some more digging, and my profile is defaulting to backup status. Other profiles are working fine. When looking in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows_NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList I see a .bak profile with a ProfileImagePath pointing to the correct location and another profile of the same name except not a .bak and it doesn't point to the correct location.

I found some directions on how to fix it, but I thought I'd run it by you guys first.

To solve the problem, login to an administrator account other than the one that has the issue.

Next modify the key name that doesn't have the .bak to .ba.



Now Rename the key that HAS the .bak and remove the .bak.



Finally modify the key name that HAS the .ba to .bak



Once that is done, you will need to modify a few more things in the key without the .bak.

We need to change the RefCount to 0

We need to clear the state in State to 0

Now its time to reboot and try to login.
Windows 7 Profiles Wont Load. Stuck with Backup Status. — Micro IT Blog

 

[frodi]

Can this script be run again, or undone? I have a few problems.

 

[Kari]

Sysprep can be run again using this answer file, for instance if you want / need to move Users and ProgramData back to default locations on C: you just edit the answer file respectively. Just change the FolderLocations values back to default like this:

<FolderLocations>
<ProfilesDirectory>C:\Users</ProfilesDirectory>
<ProgramData>C:\ProgramData</ProgramData>
</FolderLocations>

Boot to Audit Mode, run Sysprep with edited answer file and that's it.

Kari

 

[frodi]

Thanks Kari.

 

[frodi]

Do I have to run the whole script again? I got a fatal error when starting at the beginning of the script. I started with your advice on message 22. C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\Sysprep.exe /audit /reboot,

Should I have put D:\ instead of C:\

Sorry to sound so dense.

 

[Kari]

My previous post might have been a bit confusing: Yes, every time you run sysprep with an answer file (= script) it has to meet requirements for an answer file. It is not enough to make an answer file that only contains FolderLocations tags.

An answer file has so called tags to tell sysprep what kind of information it contains. Tags are like names for certain procedure, to mark where it starts and finishes. The start tag is written in between less than ( < ) and greater than ( > ) brackets: <TAGNAME>. The closing tag also contains a slash sign ( / ) to mark end of the tag: </TAGNAME>.

For this relocation task an answer file has to have FolderLocations tags in between Component tags, which have to be in between Settings tags which have to be in between Unattend tags.

Sounds complicated? The structure of an answer file:

<UNATTEND>
<SETTINGS>
<COMPONENT>
<FOLDERLOCATIONS>
</FOLDERLOCATIONS>
</COMPONENT>
</SETTINGS>
</UNATTEND>

The same a bit more graphical:


(Click to enlarge.)

This answer file can be used in both locating Users and ProgramData to a new non-default location as well as in moving said folders back to default location on C: as told in my previous post.

Kari

 

[frodi]

Thanks Kari. It all started fine, but when the Sysprep cleanup phase was running, I got another fatal error. So it did not finish. Perhaps I should leave things as they are.

I am trying to activate an intercept dll. (from Geert de Peuter) to Corel Painter X. However, since I redirected the User Accounts to another drive, I cannot access the C drive, which is the SSD, which of course holds the Program Files (x86). I do not know of another way to activate this dll.

 

[Britton30]

I installed my Os this way and I can access my C drive. You must have another issue. I have two rigs setup using Kari's answer file and both C drive are accessible.

 

[frodi]

Hi Britton, so how exactly do you access the c drive?

 

[Kari]

Could you please describe what are you trying to do on C: drive, and what do you mean by saying you can't access it?

Kari

 

[Britton30]

Hi Britton, so how exactly do you access the c drive?

I open Computer, see the Cdrive, double click and it opens and shows files on it.

 

[frodi]

Hi Kari, since I changed the Users Account, according to your excellent tutorial, when I do a cmd I get the D drive. I need to activate an intercept dll. to Corel Painter X. For that I need the C drive.

However, I thought that if I could undo the Users Account, then all would be back to normal and I could then access the C drive with a cmd.

Is there a reason why the Sysprep cleanup phase, which was running, returns a fatal error?