Windows 10: Relocation of User Profile Folders from SSD to HDD

Discus and support Relocation of User Profile Folders from SSD to HDD in Windows 10 Network and Sharing to solve the problem; I have just recently purchased an HP Pavilion 590-p0054 DT PC from Best Buy with a 128GB SSD and a 1TB HDD; currently, I’m using the Toshiba 4TB HDD on... Discussion in 'Windows 10 Network and Sharing' started by mistrette1985, Mar 15, 2019.

  1. Relocation of User Profile Folders from SSD to HDD


    I have just recently purchased an HP Pavilion 590-p0054 DT PC from Best Buy with a 128GB SSD and a 1TB HDD; currently, I’m using the Toshiba 4TB HDD on the PC.


    Frankly, a few of my personal files would get saved up to the SSD. So, what’s the best way of relocating those files, as well as all the User profile folders from the SSD to the HDD?

    :)
     
    mistrette1985, Mar 15, 2019
    #1
  2. Kari Win User

    Move Users Folder Location in Windows 10  


    If not the best way to do that but at least the way I recommend:

    • "Empty" your user profile folders as much as you can, copying documents, pics, videos, music and all other personal data from all user profiles to external HDD. As following steps require you to relocate Users folder two times, the less data is left in user profile folders, the faster the relocation process. Important: Leave system folder AppData for each profile intact, do not empty / move its content!
    • Reverse the relocating, doing exactly as told in tutorial Method Two but this time relocating Users folder back to C: drive
    • Shut down the PC, replace the disk where you had Users relocated
    • Mount the new disk, boot to Windows, assign new disk the same drive ID letter than the old one had
    • Again, do as told in Method Two, now relocating Users to new disk
    • Restore the backed up personal user data from external drive to respective folders under each user profile
     
  3. de123 Win User
    Windows 10 - Relocate the Users folder Part 2 -Creating Account Issue


    I decided to leave your suggestion as a last resort (before re-installation). I have my AppData folder ~ 15 GB and also my user profile is placed on the bad sectors of the drive. It took me about 5 mins to login into my desktop with a lot of disk grinding. Anyway, I tried Clonezilla in a "rescue" mode (becasue of unreadable sectors) to clone my drive. I replaced the drive with the clone and It somehow worked quite well. I am able to login and within 2 secs I get usable desktop; even Cortana suddenly came alive again and my menu shows up full. I may still have to fix some minor glitches in my profile or AppData. But everything works well and my user accounts and Program Files (that allow themselves to be installed in any locations) sit happily on the second drive.
    Thank you Kari
     
    de123, Mar 15, 2019
    #3
  4. Kari Win User

    Relocation of User Profile Folders from SSD to HDD

    Relocating the Users folder working again!


    Of course it's always better to perform a clean install when upgrading OS but if and when you decide to upgrade, here's how it's done.

    If you have free space on C: before upgrading a system where the Users folder is relocated, just run the Sysprep and relocate the Users back to C:.

    If you have not the space available, here's a tested and working solution:

    • Boot to Audit Mode (%windir%\system32\sysprep.exe /audit /reboot)
    • Backup all personal content from all user profiles (docs, pics, music etc.), empty the user folders as much as you can
    • Although not recommended you can backup all third party folders from all user profiles' AppData\Local, AppData\LocalLow and AppData\Roaming folders and delete the folders when done, only leaving the Microsoft content. For instance you can backup, delete and later restore the AppData\Roaming\Adobe folder but not the AppData\Local\Microsoft_Corporation and AppData\Local\Microsoft folders (do not forget the built-in administrator account if enabled!)
    • Sysprep relocating the users back to C:
    • Upgrade (I recommend upgrading using an ISO with network disconnected instead of WU upgrade using the ESD)
    • Sysprep relocating Users back to drive X:
    • Boot to Audit Mode
    • Restore the personal content to all user profiles
    • Restore the third party AppData to all user profiles
    • Boot back to OOBE (%windir%\system32\sysprep.exe /oobe/reboot)

    What happens if Sysprep finds an existing Users folder from an earlier Windows setup on drive X: when you relocate Users after the upgrade or clean install is that the new Windows uses the same folder but the usernames will be doubled. An example: I have users and Admin in X:\Users from an earlier Windows installation. A new installation, I sysprep the Users to X:\Users. Sysprep finds that the folder exists but also that the users exist, so it creates the two new accounts as -NewComputerName and Admin-NewComputerName.

    Now the Users folder has four user profiles, , Admin, -NewComputerName and Admin-NewComputerName. The user files for my new user profile are located in -NewComputerName profile while the files in old 's profile are flagged (SID) belonging to the old installation. These old profiles remain flagged to the old installation even if I renamed the Users folder to Users-Backup before sysprepping.

    This is why I often simplify this and tell to wipe the drive, when there in reality is no issues using an existing Users folder. I have done some tests for instance where I have relocated the Users on three separate computers to a128 GB flash drive, using the same flash drive and same Users folder to store users from all three computers. No issues whatsoever.

    The below quote is a recent discussion at the Seven Forums but it all applies to Windows 10, too (User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation - Windows 7 Help Forums, starting from post #909):

    I have in fact not tested this but honestly I don't think that would work. I believe the filesystem has to be one of Windows' default systems.
     
Thema:

Relocation of User Profile Folders from SSD to HDD

Loading...
  1. Relocation of User Profile Folders from SSD to HDD - Similar Threads - Relocation User Profile

  2. Accessing a User Profile Folder on old SSD

    in Windows 10 Software and Apps
    Accessing a User Profile Folder on old SSD: I recently took out my old SSD out of my laptop, and I am trying to transfer the files in my User profile folder to my new SSD. As I am accessing my profile folder, it provides a prompt that I need admin access in order to go into the folder. As I proceed onto the...
  3. Accessing a User Profile Folder on old SSD

    in Windows 10 Gaming
    Accessing a User Profile Folder on old SSD: I recently took out my old SSD out of my laptop, and I am trying to transfer the files in my User profile folder to my new SSD. As I am accessing my profile folder, it provides a prompt that I need admin access in order to go into the folder. As I proceed onto the...
  4. Relocate windows user/s profile WITHOUT SYSPREP

    in User Accounts and Family Safety
    Relocate windows user/s profile WITHOUT SYSPREP: I am at the basic configuration stage of the new system (current version of Windows 10 pro) just installed last week (finally). Before I begin installing a plethora of software I need, I want to shift the profiles off the SSD to a more robust HDD to save wear-n-tear. I found...
  5. Moving User folder from SSD to HDD

    in Windows 10 Network and Sharing
    Moving User folder from SSD to HDD: Hi, I'm trying to move my User folder from the SSD to the HDD but when I open the folder properties to do it, the "location" tab isn't present. Is there an easy fix for this? TIA...
  6. Relocating User Desktop Folder Problem

    in Windows 10 Support
    Relocating User Desktop Folder Problem: I need help correcting a problem I created with the relocation of my user Desktop folder. I am new to Windows 10, and I have limited experience with Windows7. System: Lenovo M725s Windows 10 Pro, 1909 Build 18363.815 AMD Ryzen 5 Pro CPU 8 GB memory C: SSD, D: hard file I...
  7. Having troubles with relocating users folders.

    in User Accounts and Family Safety
    Having troubles with relocating users folders.: Hello, I am trying to follow the 'Move Users Folders to another location' (Move Users Folder Location in Windows 10 | Windows 10 Tutorials) tutorial and I cannot get my Windows system to move the folders. I watched the Video, very helpful, and noticed a mention of an "all...
  8. Having troubles with relocating users folders.

    in Windows 10 Installation and Upgrade
    Having troubles with relocating users folders.: Hello, I am trying to follow the 'Move Users Folders to another location' (Move Users Folder Location in Windows 10 | Windows 10 Tutorials) tutorial and I cannot get my Windows system to move the folders. I watched the Video, very helpful, and noticed a mention of an "all...
  9. Relocating Users Folder

    in User Accounts and Family Safety
    Relocating Users Folder: Does the Users folder have to be relocated to an empty drive on an existing win 10 installation, or is any local drive ok? 39109
  10. Issues with relocated Users folder

    in User Accounts and Family Safety
    Issues with relocated Users folder: Hi everybody, I recently performed a clean install of Win 10, following the instruction of this Forum to relocate the users folder on another drive. Now, I'm having troubles with Microsoft Edge browser, and I'd like to restore it. I've followed the instrucions of this and...

Users found this page by searching for:

  1. profile by hdd metod

    ,
  2. move local locallow to another drive\

    ,
  3. user folder location from ssd to hdd