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

 
Last edited:
Click to expand...
Hi Kari,
I have tried various files without the <Display> section with the same results.
The <Display> section is superfluous, but it was present in the version I used in the successful installation. Sysprep just ignored it. Here is the corresponding section from the setupact.log of the previous, successful installation:
Code: 
2012-12-08 12:41:52, Info                         [Shell Unattend] Running 'oobeSystem' pass
2012-12-08  12:41:52, Info                         [Shell Unattend] Display:  Requested Display Settings [1280 x 768, 32 bpp, 0 hz]
2012-12-08  12:41:52, Warning                      [Shell Unattend] Display:  ChangeDisplaySettings(all) failed (-2), trying separate parts... 
2012-12-08 12:41:52, Warning                      [Shell Unattend] Display: Attempt to set width & height failed. (-2)
2012-12-08 12:41:52, Warning                      [Shell Unattend] Display: Attempt to set bits per pixel failed. (-2)
2012-12-08 12:41:59, Info                         [Shell Unattend] FolderLocations: Moved 'C:\Users' to 'd:\Users' 
2012-12-08 12:41:59, Info                         [Shell Unattend] FolderLocations: 'ProfilesDirectory' set to 'd:\Users' 
2012-12-08 12:41:59, Info                         [Shell Unattend] FolderLocations: 'Public' set to 'd:\Users\Public' 
2012-12-08 12:41:59, Info                         [Shell Unattend] FolderLocations: 'Default' set to 'd:\Users\Default' 
2012-12-08 12:41:59, Info                         [Shell Unattend] FolderLocations: 'ProfileImagePath' set to 'd:\Users\test' 
2012-12-08  12:41:59, Info                         [Shell Unattend]  FolderLocations: 'ProfileImagePath' set to 'd:\Users\Administrator' 
2012-12-08 12:42:04, Info                         [Shell Unattend] FolderLocations: Moved 'C:\ProgramData' to 'd:\ProgramData' 
2012-12-08 12:42:04, Info                         [Shell Unattend] FolderLocations: 'ProgramData' set to 'd:\ProgramData' 
2012-12-08 12:42:04, Info                         [Shell Unattend] Exiting 'oobeSystem' pass with status 0x001f1000
However, looking at the old setupact.log file revealed my error: I was expecting the <FolderLocations> move to have already taken place when I rebooted to audit mode. However, in your instructions, it doesn't take place until the final restart exits from Audit Mode, as you suggested above. Thanks for your help!
 

My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Fujitsu Siemens Scaleo E
OS
Windows 7 Pro x64 SP1
CPU
Intel i5-2500 @3.3GHz
Motherboard
Intel DH67GD
Memory
32 GB DDR3
Graphics Card(s)
Intel HD2000 onboard
Sound Card
Realtek HDA (onboard)
Monitor(s) Displays
Philips 46PFL9706
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
SanDisk SSD Plus 120GB SATA III
Toshiba MQ series 2TB
PSU
OEM 250W
Case
OEM (Elonex Artisan)
Cooling
Scythe 4" low profile
Keyboard
Fujitsu Siemens RK0410
Mouse
trackball integrated in keyboard
Internet Speed
80 Mbps
Antivirus
Avast free
Browser
Firefox
Hi kari, Is there any changes to the latest win 7 version regarding userprofile relocation?
followed your guide for win 7 x64 september 2017 but nothing changes, here's my xml
Code: 
<?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>
                <ProfilesDirectory>d:\User</ProfilesDirectory>
                <ProgramData>d:\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>

Dont see anything strange on Logfile either : setupact.log - Google Drive

DISM command shows ULTIMATE as well, so i can't figure out what i missed..

Code: 
Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.14393.0

Details for image : G:\sources\install.esd

Index : 1
Name : Windows 7 ULTIMATE x64
Description : Windows 7 ULTIMATE
Size : 16,966,825,417 bytes
WIM Bootable : No
Architecture : x64
Hal : acpiapic
Version : 6.1.7601
ServicePack Build : 23889
ServicePack Level : 1
Edition : Ultimate
Installation : Client
ProductType : WinNT
ProductSuite : Terminal Server
System Root : WINDOWS
Directories : 19180
Files : 92447
Created : 11/21/2010 - 11:39:25 AM
Modified : 9/18/2017 - 3:12:07 PM
Languages :
        en-US (Default)

The operation completed successfully.
 

My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
OS
64 bit
Kari said:
[...]

Now continue from beginning of page 4 in tutorial, and follow the steps described.

Kari
Click to expand...

It would be really helpful if this message could be amended to read "beginning of page 4 in the PDF version of the tutorial". I spent hours today studying page 4 of this thread and it was only when I thought to visit page 1 that I realised that page 4 referred not to the thread but to the 8pp PDF instructions.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
    Fujitsu P710
    OS
    Windows 7 Ultimate
    CPU
    i5
    Motherboard
    Fujitsu
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia
    Hard Drives
    SSD + 2 x HDD
  • Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Thanks to Kari, I've successfully done this years ago. I liked it very much.
A simple more straightforward way is just to cut files which are saved in Windows default folders, then copy to wherever is more preferred. I did this in Win10 and now do this in Windows 11. Been awhile since my last sip of of Laphroaig though. ;)

But I'm the only user on my PC. If you have more than one user profile, then moving 'User Profiles' to another drive with Kari's excellent method might be the best idea.
 

My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Gigabyte GA-Z77-UD5H rev 1.1
OS
Windows 7 Enterprise x64
CPU
i5 3570K delidded 4.2Ghz
Motherboard
Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H rev 1.1
Memory
8Gb DDR3 1600 CL9 @ 800MHz - Kingston Hyperx
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon 6670
Sound Card
Integrated Realtek ALC898
Monitor(s) Displays
Acer S201HL
Screen Resolution
1600 X 900
Hard Drives
OCZ Agility 4 - 250Gb
Single 1TB Toshiba
PSU
Antec Neo ECO 400W
Case
CoolerMaster HAF 922
Cooling
Noctua NH-D14
Keyboard
Logitech K120
Mouse
Razer Death Adder 3500DPI
Antivirus
Emisisoft Internet Security - Full Version
Browser
Firefox
Other Info
BIOS: f16mod10 Tweaktown.com
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