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

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.

 

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.

 

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.

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.

 

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.

 

Ok, that's not a problem for me.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

Same here, or using system images.

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.

 

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.

 

No, it's easier than that.

Go to C:\Users\newsposter\ 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 cange 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.

 

My whole point is that this is the workaround for the "right click-drag-drop-move to" function for the Users and ProgramData folders until Microsoft decides to get off their arses and allow that feature like they do with the subfolders.

Most would agree it would be much cleaner and nicer to change one folder and have everything follow suit than to have to change a dozen different folders every time you reinstalled windows or added another user, or install another app and then have to remember to point that new folder it created to the folder on the other drive etc. Same thing with ProgramData. Settings and configurations will be set to how you had them. Overall its a win-win IMHO.

Probably takes as much time, probably much less, to do this config on Windows 7 install than it would to point all your folders, best of all you don't have to remember to move all your folders after the install.

If you're fine with manipulating all your folders then that's fine. But I have been looking for a clean way to execute this for a long time, and I'm sure others have as well.

I appreciate your input, but please don't derail this thread by minimizing what this will accomplish, or trying to make another way "better". There is more than one way to skin a cat. Your suggestion is a known option which is what did not work for me, which is why I was looking for this alternate method. Previous methods have been messy and not really something I'd recommend anyone do. Too much room for error. But this is an option. Do what you will, but don't degrade an alternative because something works better for you, it doesn't mean its best for everyone.

 

I'm very sorry if that's what you feel, that's not my intention. I only said I used a simpler alternative that works after install, something that's appreciated by many people here who aren't willing to reinstall very often.
And I never said it's best for everyone, I said:

I appreciate your post, and I will have a look at it next time I'm reinstalling. I've only used Audit.exe during OOBE when I remove winsxs, so I don't know that much about it.

 

Sorry, I'm just a bit of a grump lately. Little sleep, kids driving me nuts, computers driving me nuts, HP driving me nuts, Samsung driving me nuts. You get the picture.

 

Actually, I looked at your avatar earlier and guessed you needed a good nights sleep..

 

I just had a look at my ProgramData folder, should it look like this?

Why do people want to move it? I should've asked this in my first post..

 

No, that looks odd, not sure why there's so many application data folders . Here's mine from one of my desktops (the one I use for testing stuff):



ProgramData isn't utilized properly by a lot of programs, but it should store program settings and configuration data. It isn't absolutely necessary to backup, but sometimes if you have a program that takes a lot of configuring to the way you like it, it's good to have it.

 

S- my kids ruined will make your day seem not so bad anymore.

*edit*
Forums filtered the link.

 

LOL +1. That's great. I have enough stories of my own. Just one off the top of my head. When my 2.5 year old (oldest one) was about six months old, I was lying on the bed holding him up in the air flying him, bouncing him, etc, and sure enough projectile vomit from his mouth into mine... absolute worse sensation in the world... I should also take a photo of my kitchen. My cabinets have turned into art canvases... and just redid the kitchen like five years ago... sigh.

Oh wait, yeah, and most of my quarter round moldings are gone because he ripped them off the floor, my youngest (1.5 years) destroyed my last cell phone by biting off half the keys, an ummm, sheesh, kids are destructive.

 

Thanks!
I had a look at the folder in a freshly installed W7 in VMWare as well, and it looked the same.
However, I checked with ExplorerXP, since Explorer wouldn't open that Application Data folder, and I know it isn't made for W7.
It is very useful for deleting files that won't go away tho, and that's the only reason I have it installed.

 

See here:

Multiple nested copies of Application Data folder

and here:

Multiple Application Data Folders - Why & How - Vista Forums

or do a search for "multiple application data folders windows 7"

It appears C:\ProgramData is a junction of C:\Users\*username*\AppData\local. If a program is older, poorly programmed or does not recognize this it creates a new folder within the folder creating a mirror effect.

This is my whole point that I made earlier regarding the Users folder. If a program doesn't follow programming rules, it may look for the %users% folder (and not look specifically for %users%/*programfolder*) and see if their specific folder exists with that folder. If not then it will (re)create the folder. If you moved your individual folders elsewhere even if you pointed to them it can create this recursion too and create some issues.

 

I see your point, and I think it's possible that it can happen.
But, when I move any Users subfolder, a shortcut is created in the Users folder, which so far have been fool proof for me.
But then again, I'm not using that much software to begin with..

I don't know if a badly programmed software can miss a shortcut and make a new folder instead.

 

I just tried that on a system that everything is on C:, but it balked at me and gave me all sorts of permission errors... On reboot several programs freaked out and said it couldn't find such and such ???

I right clicked, drag, move back, reboot, and all was good. Ended up backing up all of C: and reinstalled...

 

This freeware utility is the easiest compromise I've found for moving things off the OS partition. It relocates the user profiles folder. Once run, all new user profiles are placed in the new user profiles location. Best run immediately after an install, because it will not attempt to move already existing user profiles. Nor does it do anything with the OS partition programdata folder. But you can create a new user profile after running this utility on an existing installation. Then just do a regular 'copy' of the data you want to keep from the old user profile structure to the new user profile structure. After that you can delete the old user profile.

Software by Joseph Cox

 

i just use the win7 libraries to define the target folders of needs. i never touch the user folders. and the apps get installed on c:, too.

no need to mess anything with the os.

 

I've been using this method since I found it, both on my desktop and laptop and is great.

However, one issue I ran into is with the desktop. Make certain you note which port on the motherboard your "users" hard drive is connected to because if you switch it, it can cause issues. For a laptop it shouldn't matter though because you usually have only two ports accessed and know where the HDD is installed.

 

There's one drawback with this method, if you want to make a system image you get both the C: and the drive with the Users folder as well.

I see no workaround for this, and it kind of beat its purpose (a bit).
A third party program can probably do it, the one in W7 isn't very flexible.

 

Maybe not Windows, but any other third party program can manage it just fine. But the thing is that if you blow away your C: partition, all your data is intact. To each their own. It works for me, maybe not for others.

 

In deed, but W7 system image won't help you out, and that surprised me.
Well, not now when I think of it, but back then when I realized it.

My not-so-professional method lets you make a system image of C:, even if your data is on D:.
Just sayin.

Your method is preferable for those who know what they're doing, tho.

There are other reasons for using a third party program, W7 system image is very picky with partition size, for instance, which can render your images useless in some situations.

 

I actually joined up specifically to inquire about this. I just got my laptop a few days ago and after a fresh install realized that i don't want the users folder clogging up my 64gb ssd (boot drive) and want it on my secondary instead. so i reinstalled and have been following the instructions in the link on the first post, but i'm stuck on step 5, implementing the .xml file in the command prompt with a reboot. the command prompt tells me that 'sysprep.exe' isn't recognized as a command. i'm probably just bad at command prompt...

 

Danger Jones, are you using an elevated command prompt (right click run as administrator to launch it) ? Hope this helps, let us know, I want to try this on my next fresh install also.

 

That's not the problem, i was just in the wrong directory.

now if i try to run C:\windows\system32\sysprep>sysprep.exe/unattend:X:\folders.xml the sysprep GUI pops up and i click to reboot in audit mode and this appears: windows could not parse or process unattend answer file [X:\folders.xml]. the specified file does not exist.

If i try C:\windows\system32\sysprep>sysprep.exe/audit/reboot/unattend:X:\folders.xml a window pops up that says: If no command-line arguments are provided, a graphical user interface is used to select the desired mode of sysprep operation.

I'm running cmd as administrator, and the .xml file is in the root of the X:\ drive, ive also tried sticking the .xml on a flash drive and running the command from there, same errors.

 

Make sure there's a space between sysprep.exe and /audit. A space needs to be before each /

Also be sure to fix your drive letters in disk management so they are consistent with each reboot.

 

So... Do I really need to do all that steps or I can just simply change the location of every folder I want in properties? I see that it allows me to change its location to "another hard drive or computer in Network".
And what is the purpose of changing location of Program Data?

 

Remember that you have to do this for every user on the computer.

Go to C:\Users\James D\ 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.

- If you make a system image, your user folders will not be included.

About Program Data:

 

Thanks. I already done it for a half a year like you said. I just read that someone said that Windows doesn't let to put Users folders on another HDD (I'm going to buy small SSD soon).

About Program Data. I read what it is but move it to another hard drive doesn't mean backing them up. I can simply back it up using Ctrl+C Ctrl+V to even USB flash without any Install hacks. So this is why I just asked what for is all this thread about if link in the first post makes it complicated. I was just interesting if this feature was really locked in the past or not

 

It works, I used the method described by HTWingNut on my brothers new computer that have SSD + HDD.
It worked well, but then I realized that System Image still includes /Users, making it incredibly big.
For that reason I'll move the folders like described in my previous post next time.

 

Thank you for posting this. I will attempt this as soon as my new laptop comes in (asus g53sw w/ 5400 rpm hdd and new crucial m4 ssd that I bought separately). I have no experience doing this whatsoever (first SSD drive). Is this guide/process noobfriendly? Thank you!

Also, the BrianWilder post is the only one I should be concerned with, right? The post right below it, "this is not something I recommend, since it can cause adverse effects on the systems stability:" has me a little worried. Haha.

Another question: is this necessary or can I just install windows on my ssd, format my secondary drive and just make sure programs are installed to the secondary drive? Thanks!

 

Hello,

Am in the process of migrating to win-7 from win-xp and took a look at Brian Wilder's post on separating system and data folder. I'd done something similar in win-xp where my documents, outlook folders etc were all stored in my d: drive and data for most software that i installed (where I had the choice of selecting a data location) were also stored on d: drive.

However my concern with moving Users Profile to another partition is that under win-xp I'd seen too many units (friends/relatives) who were hit by virus/malware etc and most of them had exe files in Local Settings of user profiles. Seeing how these malware were hiding in these folders, why would we want ALL User profile folders in my data partition?

I am not questioning any approach. Coming from win-xp, I'm just trying to get an answer to the above before I install win-7 on my and other people's machines. So need to make a decision to move selected data folders over to another partition or complete User Profiles.

Thanks for your help.

 

All user profile in your data partition/drive for convenience and if you have to reformat, or lose your C: drive your data is intact. Plus your Users folder can grow huge and with SSD's if you have a 64GB or 128GB SSD it may become problematic. It's only a suggestion, although with SSD's getting larger and cheaper it's less of a concern.

 

There is absolutely no question about the benefits of having a separate data partition.

What I am wondering is if there is any opinion/thoughts on the possible problem scenario whereby a malware attack puts an exe in Local Settings folder in which case separating User profiles on another partition might not be beneficial, rather it would be harmful. I was wondering what other people thought of this scenario.

Thank you.

 

It doesn't matter really, if it infects the system, it infects the system.

 

I am currently using Mat's method for my Windows 7 dual drive system and it works great. I just selected each folder individually in my User directory and selected "Move" under the properties tab. My User directory is still located on the C: drive but Windows creates a junction to the new folder (or better yet moved folder) on the D: drive. If you want Windows to create User profiles on another drive you can change that setting in the directory, but you can't move your default profile in this manner. Every User profile created after this change will be located on the new drive.

You could always manually create a junction between the User folders on the C: drive and newly created folders on your storage drive. I had to do this for our iTunes Backup folder, because it is located on my OS drive, it and it's contents can't be moved, and it was getting rather large between my wife and I's iPhones. Windows only gives you the option to "Move" User folders and not just any folder unfortunately. iTunes doesn't allow you any leeway as to where this folder can be located so my only option was to create a junction to another folder on my storage drive. That way iTunes is happy, and I am happy knowing that 25 GB of backup data is not located on my SSD. This is just another option, but the above mentioned option basically does the same thing, and is much easier.

HTWingNut is right that there are many different ways to accomplish this, and each method has varying degrees of difficulty. The method Mats mentioned (also the method I used) is pretty easy and doesn't cause any complications with the system or your Libraries. When I go to do a periodical backup Widnows automatically selects my User folders on the D: drive and not the empty ones on the C: drive. So because I am familiar with this method I most definitely recommend it. I will agree that with the recent boom of using a smaller flash storage device for a primary OS drive this should be a bit more straight forward and not so convoluted. Just make sure that whatever method you choose, it will work as desired, be easy to reverse (if necessary in the future), and that it wont cause conflicts or errors.

 

.

I had only 2 concerns. First one (mentioned above) in my earlier post and the second is - what happens when I make backups. When users folder are in another partition and I make a backup of system image, do all user data also get backed up or just the system drive? I'm assuming I can always just make a data backup (which I do more frequently than system backups) of the partition where my user folder resides.

Thanks,

 

With Windows 7 and the default create system image it only creates for the c:\ drive so the data is ignored. My understanding is the data can be included but I have never tried it.

 

Yes, i would like to keep my system and data images separate and that is why I would like to know if Users are moved to another partition, does windows still access it while making system image.

 

Yes, to both. If you "move" your user folders in the manner I described above the system still recognizes them (and their contents) as your User folders regardless of where they are being stored. I setup an periodical backup of both drives to an external drive. In the Contents section it says "Files in libraries and personal folders for selected users, selected folders and system image." When I went to set it up my User folders located on the D: conventional storage drive were pre-selected and recognized as my user folders.

 

But that is what I do not want. I do not want my system image to have any data in them. So if it gives me the option to back up data and I can avoid making data backup along with system backup that would be great.

I make data backup every week. But do not make system backups that frequently, would make only after I install new programs etc, and after occasional updates to existing programs.