Move Windows 7 User folder and ProgramData folder to separate drive or partition

[HTWingNut]

With the smaller size SSD's dropping in price and becoming reasonably affordable, it is making sense for people to buy a 64GB SSD for their boot and OS and apps drive with a separate mechanical drive for storage.

However Windows 7 does NOT allow you to move the USERS folder to another drive with any conventional means. One would think Microsoft would make this a little easier considering the cost of SSD's and their growing popularity. Nevertheless, in my pursuit to move the USERS folder (and ProgramData folder too if desired), I found this awesome post by a user in the Microsoft forums:

Win7: how do I move user folder to a different drive

Look for a post by "BrianWilder". It's a fairly long post and has numbered steps on how to move your USERS folder.

It requires a new installation of Windows, but worth it IMHO. Also note that once you set your drive letter where your users folder is going, that drive letter cannot change.

Just pay attention once you get to number 4, modify or take note of your thumb drive and/or DVD drive letters you're using for your Windows 7 media along with the drive letter containing your xml file and edit the xml file accordingly. Just copy/paste his xml text into a notepad document and save it as he suggests. Just modify the drive letters and path to match your specific machine, and change the "...install.wim#Windows 7 ULTIMATE" to "PROFESSIONAL" if you have Windows 7 Pro, not sure what it is for Home Premium though, assuming "HOME PREMIUM".

I have only tried it with a virual machine but it worked without a hitch. YMMV.

I intend on using this method when I get my new 60 or 64GB SSD and drive caddy for my notebook and couple it with a hard drive.

[Pirx]

That's indeed a very good post, and shows one of the few proper ways to achieve this (among many, many others that would result in a half-broken Windows installation). Just a word of warning: Using the junctions that were suggested at the end of this post in order to make the system appear as a standard Windows system may result in some issues related to the fact that some Windows functionality will distingusih between "physical" filesystem locations, and reparse points (junctions). There is nothing wrong with adding the suggested junctions, but I would advise against changing the registry keys back to point to these junctions rather than the true locations on your mechanical drive.

[Mats]

While BrianWilders method probably works and is useful for some, it's just too complicated for the average user, and I don't really see how it could be worth the extra work compared to what I do.

--Moving the subfolders in your user folder to another partition, the easy way--

I just right-click-drag-and-drop, that's by far the easiest method.

Go to C:\Users\your_user_name\ and highlight all folders you want to move, right click, drag and drop where you want to move it, select "Move" in the menu that shows up. Done!

- You don't have to change any windows system variables, windows does it for you.

- No tweakers needed. The only mistake you can do is to drop the folders at the wrong location, but if you do that you just move them again.

- You can just as well do it on a heavily used system, which also is good to do if you're about to reinstall.

I don't move all folders tho, Appdata have to stay on C:, so if I reinstall or use a system image I get it deleted at the same time. I only move folders that actually contain something I want to keep.

[HTWingNut]

You can't drag and drop the USERS or ProgramData folder. You can the individual library folders, but not the entire USERS folder.

Also its a lot less complicated than it looks. Basically its setting up and/or confirming your drive letters, modifying a couple drive letters in a text file, and running a simple command line utility. Other than that it's the same as a basic windows install.

And I agree with Pirx, I would just leave the junctions alone unless you have a program that explicitly needs them.

[Mats]

You can't drag and drop the USERS or ProgramData folder. You can the individual library folders, but not the entire USERS folder.

Ok, that's not a problem for me.

[woofer00]

I just point the libraries at my media and document folders and leave the Users directory mostly bare, aside from the occasional misdirected download. MyDocs/Users folders are just too much of a hassle if you're reformat prone (for s*ts and giggles) like I am.

[Mats]

I just point the libraries at my media and document folders and leave the Users directory mostly bare, aside from the occasional misdirected download. MyDocs/Users folders are just too much of a hassle if you're reformat prone (for s*ts and giggles) like I am.

Exactly, that's why I move the subfolders in my user profile folder to a different partition, like described above.
After doing that, you never have to point to or direct any program to find the right folder, windows takes care of that.

I think there are lots of people here who don't understand how easy it is.

[HTWingNut]

And any time you install a new program, or even add a user, a guest account, whatever you have to remember to go and move it to your other location. For example I have two users with these folders for each plus a guest account.



By moving the User folder you guarantee that your data is safe when you do a reformat. I don't want to have to worry about backing up my C: drive before a format, since everything can be recreated easily, just installing apps. My documents are stored on a separate drive that are not affected by that. Plus, less to backup.

Reformatting is the entire reason I want to do this. I'll work on an unattend file anyhow so I won't have to touch anything and it will process it automatically.

Not only that some programs are coded to wherever the USERS folder is and don't care about where you moved the subfolders to. It'll recreate the folder again if its gone, moved, whatever.

[Mats]

I can see the problem if you're adding and removing accounts, but that's something I never do.
On C: I have Windows, Program files, all the user folders I dont use (default, shared..), on D: I have all personal files.

And I never have to change location when installing programs, since they're on C: and have to be installed anyway when I reinstall.

Reformatting is the entire reason I want to do this.

Same here, or using system images.

Not only that some programs are coded to wherever the USERS folder is and don't care about where you moved the subfolders to.

Wrong. If you right-click drag and drop, Windows changes the settings for the folder automatically.
If I move Pictures from C:\Users\Mats\ to D:\Users\Mats\ it will get replaced with a shortcut automatically.

I can see why you didn't like my idea if you thought otherwise.

[newsposter]

As long as the user makes sure that the relevant windows system variables are changed to reflect the move, all should be well.

There are any number of 'tweakers' that will help you verify things.

It's far easier/safer to do this with a fresh install than to 'migrate' a heavily used system.