Windows 10: Moved Users to D:, can't login with cloned drive

I followed the tutorial and moved Users to the D drive with the rest of my personal files. After cloning the D drive (just in case) using Macrium Reflect I cannot log in with the cloned drive. I get an error and will not accept the password or pin. The error I get is "The user profile service failed the sign in. The user profile cannot be loaded"If I try safe mode it still will not load (hard error from password). If I go to a cmd prompt and activate the administrator account it is an option on reboot. I suspect that the drive is not getting loaded as D but I have no way to try to change that. When I put my original drive in place I can log in with an error I get setting up windows again with some errors and a temp directory in users this is fixed by logging out and reloggiong in. Any thoughts? Makes me concerned about leaving the user files on D:Thanks,Stuart

:)

 

Changing default install location in Windows 10

If you have a way to move the drives you could remove the D: drive and hook it up externally and using any of the free programs clone the internal C: drive to the external and then remove the internal existing drive and replace it with the new cloned drive
so that the new drive which is larger is the system C: drive.

 

Changing the default hard drive

No, you cannot "move" your Windows installation to drive D:. You would have to use a cloning method like so:

• Make a clone of partition C: on disk D:.
• Disconnect the disk that contains partition C:.
• Set your BIOS so that is uses disk D: as its primary boot device.
• Boot up with just the former disk D: connected. It will now appear as drive C:.
• Reconnect the former drive C: disk.

 

Hi Stuart. Welcome to the TenForums @sc204

I may not be able to resolve but if I could clarify with you.

Could you share what tutorial did you follow to perform the change. Please provide link.

If I understand your posting correctly you had a C:drive and a unique (a different) HDD that was your d:drive. You were putting files on d: manually.

You followed a tutorial and moved all users folders to this unique d:drive.

You then cloned D: to another unique HDD. You removed D: drive and installed your clone. On booting you get message "The user profile service failed the sign in. The user profile cannot be loaded."

If you replace the cloned D: drive with the original unique D: drive it will boot but you had some error messages that are now resolved through you logging out and in.

At no time did you remove or clone your system C:drive.

Did I understand this correctly?


Ken

 

I used this tutorial Move Users Folder Location in Windows 10
Followed the directions during a new fresh install.
New hard drive as well. Once Win 10 Pro was installed and my user was on drive D I copied most of the user files into their proper location, desktop etc. Also copied the rest of my personal files to Drive D (not to D:\users)
The rest of what you said is exactly correct.
Thanks,
Stuart

 

Okay so you started with a new C: drive, installed fresh and had a d:drive installed. You went through entire process of copying data and then cloned D:.

You then installed your d: clone to test and it didn't work right but using your original D: it does work once you log out and in.

I have to assume something in your cloning didn't work. It sounds like with your fresh C: and original D: you have full functionality, you are able to access data files and you are able to write.

With original d:drive installed if you create a new user are their files placed on d: ?


Ken

 

Yes computer works fine with original D and all the files seem to be on cloned D. New users go to D:\Users
D was cloned to drive E or F. When installed instead of D is it now D or is it still E or F? I can't even get windows started without the original D drive to figure this out.

 

What would be interesting if you just did a copy rather than a clone of D: and then tested.

I recognized this should be the same thing but as a test. Really nothing to loose as you can't use present clone.

One idea.


Ken

 

OK did just that. Re-formatted the cloned D drive and just dragged all of the files from D:\ to it to copy.
Exact same results.
I also tried to log in without the D drive inserted and also get the same results. Can't log in.

I do not think I could get into my computer if my D:\users file was corrupted.

Thanks,
Stuart

Also just realized the the tutorial has a long thread for questions and answers so I asked there as well.