User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation

Kari · 03 Jan 2011

I have kept those ProgramData folders in C: on every computer. Some badly coded applications don't check variable %ProgramData% to see where information should be stored. In my case, this laptop I'm using now which got a fresh install early October, two applications have stored information on this original ProgramData folder: Skype to its own C:\ProgramData\Skype subfolder, and virtual disk application Gizmo under C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Gizmo subfolder.

That Skype surprised me a bit. I had thought Skype would really be coded using variables instead of absolute file locations, but as it seems to be, I was wrong. I remember seeing same kind of bad programming back in XP's time quite often; my last XP was a Finnish one, Program Files folder was named in Finnish Ohjelmatiedostot. Because some coders did not use variables to determine default install locations, using absolute file locations instead and of course assuming I'm using an English XP if installing English application, or German XP if installing German application, I ended up having three Program Files folders: original Finnish Ohjelmatiedostot, English Program Files and German Programmdateien.

Just hide the folder and let it be there. It does no harm and never grows to be disturbing big. Total size of the "original" ProgramData folder in this laptop's C: drive ATM is 615 KB in 9 files, compared to my "new" and actual ProgramData folder in D:, which has ATM 10.5 GB in 45,899 files. I simply see no harm to let it be there.

Kari

Monumental · 03 Jan 2011

My C:\ProgramData is 44MB with just the Windows folder in it. But D:\ProgramData is over 1GB and I've confirmed new program data is going to it. I'll live with it! Thanks.

Deltawar · 04 Jan 2011

Im triyng it now and i keep getting this: Unable to deserialize explicitly provided unattend file.

Full error:

2011-01-04 16:35:33, Error [sysprep.exe] UnattendFindAnswerFile: Unable to deserialize explicitly provided unattend file [C:\relocate.xml]; status = 0x80073714, hrResult = 0x0.
2011-01-04 16:35:33, Error [0x0f009e] SYSPRP SysprepSearchForUnattend: Failed while searching for unattend file; hr = 0x80073714
2011-01-04 16:35:33, Error [0x0f00a5] SYSPRP WinMain:Encountered error while searching for unattend file; hr = 0x80073714.

any help with what the above means?

also now as i cant read pdf's could someone please copy n paste the xml code for me?

mickey megabyte · 04 Jan 2011

Deltawar said:

...

also now as i cant read pdf's could someone please copy n paste the xml code for me?

ok, here you go:

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:\Users</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>

Please notice: rows 4 to 7 in script above is only one row, wrapped here to 4 rows because of the
limited width of the page. Same with rows 14 and 15. When typed in Notepad, the script should have 12 rows) Change these three things written in red, if needed:

- Row 4: If you are installing Windows x64 (64-bit), value prosessorArchitecture should be amd64

- Row 4: If you are installing Windows x86 (32-bit), value prosessorArchitecture should be x86

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

- Row 14: Change the Windows edition at the end of the line to that you are currently installing
(HOMEBASIC, HOMEPREMIUM, PROFESSIONAL, ULTIMATE, ENTERPRISE)

(If you are installing Windows Ultimate x64 from CD/DVD drive E: and relocating folders to D: you don’t have to change anything, you can use the script as it is.)

Choose Save As from Notepad’s File menu. Choose Save as type All Files. Name it as you want, add .xml extension to the filename. Save the script to the root of any drive...

...

sorry i can't help you on the first bit of your question, but it looks like it can't find your relocate file on c:

can you save it on another safe partition? if you're installing from a usb stick, that would be a good place to have relocate.xml.

you may have to modify the xml script a bit, especially the d: and e: drive letters.

i'm sure Kari will be along soon...

Kari · 04 Jan 2011

First the xml code for unattend file is here:

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:\Users</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>

Change the ProcessorArchitecture value (line 4, in the middle) to "x86" if you have a 32-bit Windows 7. Leave it to "amd64" if you have a 64-bit Windows 7.

Change the ProfilesDirectory and ProgramData values to to show desired locations of Users and ProgramData folders.

Change the drive letter to that of your DVD drive where Seven installation disk is located in second last line, after "wim:" (in the middle of the line) and following that, the correct Windows edition (HOMEBASIC, HOMEPREMIUM, PROFESSIONAL, ULTIMATE or ENTERPRISE).

The error codes you provided show sysprep is looking the script from C:. Move it to some other drive, for instance D:. Check that the file name and extension are correct; it won't work if you save it as Notepad's default .txt file. It must be .xml.

Then simply run sysprep. This example assumes the script's name is Relocate.xmlm and that it is saved on the root of D:-drive:

Code:

sysprep.exe /audit /reboot /unattend:d:\relocate.xml.

By the way, in audit mode before running the script, you can install programs if you need / want to. For instance, just go to Internet in Audit Mode to download and install a PDF-reader.

Kari

EDIT: Mickey was faster...

Deltawar · 04 Jan 2011

i wasnt too sure on installing adobe reader in audit mode, but thanks for the xml sheet, i am/was running 64 bit ultimate so didnt need to change anything, i swapped out my hand written code for the one above and it worked fine.

Must have been a spelling mistake somewhere.

Thanks again.

Kari · 04 Jan 2011

That's good to hear! Thanks for coming back to tell this.

Kari

Laker · 12 Jan 2011

Kari - This install procedure is fantastic & a time saver if ever a reinstall is required. Your instructions are excellent.

I have partitioned my drive into C:\OS & D:\Data. Unfortunately after following this install procedure W7's native imaging program no longer allows choosing C:\ only. It automatically includes both C: & D: together. It's more of an inconvenience though as I also use Macrium Reflect (Thank you WHS). Have you found a way to allow imaging of C: only via W7's imaging program?

I know some here do not like W7's imaging imaging although I've used it for over a year without hiccup. I'd like to have this option if it can be made available.

Kari · 12 Jan 2011

:) Thanks!

Windows native imaging always includes Users and ProgramData in a system image, so no, I do not know how not to include D: or whatever drive where your user profiles are saved.

Using third party imaging, as you told you do, is as far as I know the only option.

Kari

Laker · 12 Jan 2011

I thought as much but it doesn't hurts to inquire of greater minds.

Thanks again!