Windows 10: User data folders not available after separation to new partition

Discus and support User data folders not available after separation to new partition in Windows 10 Network and Sharing to solve the problem; On Windows 10 v.2004. I wanted to separate User data from the system drive to simplify backup and maintenance of a Lenovo X1Yoga, which uses a nominal... Discussion in 'Windows 10 Network and Sharing' started by John.Kaufmann, Apr 16, 2021.

  1. User data folders not available after separation to new partition


    On Windows 10 v.2004. I wanted to separate User data from the system drive to simplify backup and maintenance of a Lenovo X1Yoga, which uses a nominal 500GB actual 477GB NVMe M.2 drive. [I ran XP with separate system and data partitions.] The outcome was not simple. Here is what happened:


    1 After temporarily removing the system files at the end of the Windows volume hiberfil.sys, pagefile.sys, swapfile.sys, I used Disk Management to shrink the partition to 238GB, freeing 237GB. Then I restored the sys files hiberfil, pagefile, swapfile, and everything worked fine.


    2 Back in Disk Management, I divided that unallocated space in half, giving the second half of that space to a User Data volume assigned D:. [I used the second half of the unallocated space in order to leave space between the Windows partition and the Data partition to simplify expanding either one, as needed, into the unallocated space. Later I learned that using the second half -- leaving space between the Windows and Data partitions -- was a mistake.]


    3 Then in Explorer, I made folders at the root of the new D: drive for each user 2 users plus Admin, plus Public. Then I went to C:\Users, and for each user went to the folders of interest Desktop/Documents/Downloads/Music/Pictures/Video, selected Properties from the context menu, and used the Location tab to change the folder location from C:\Users\<user>\<folder> to D:<user>\<folder>.


    Again everything worked fine; it was almost exactly what I wanted. The qualm was that the new Data drive had little spare room. No problem, I thought: that's why you left space between the Windows and Data partitions. Wrong.


    4 I learned that Disk Management will only expand a volume into unallocated space following the partition, not preceding it. So I assigned that unallocated space as new volume N: to be later reassigned as D: after the previous D: was no longer needed.


    5 Then in Explorer, I made folders at the root of the new N: drive for each user. Then I went to D:, and for each user went to the data folders Desktop/Documents/Downloads/Music/Pictures/Video, again selected Properties from the context menu, and used the Location tab to change the folder location from D:\<user>\<folder> to N:<user>\<folder>. Everything looked fine: now D: was empty, with everything relocated to N:. I just needed to remove volume D:, then change the drive letter to the new Data drive N: to D: or so it seemed.


    Unfortunately, at that point I did not check that everything was working fine that is, with applications finding the data files, as I had previously. I had already spent more time on this than anticipated, and the previous steps all checked out. This was or seemed to be only a repeat of step 3, so what could go wrong? Now I wish I had checked, because I don't know if the problem occurred in step 5 or 6.

    6 In Disk Management, I removed the D: volume. It asked if I was sure, warning that D: was still in use. But I knew D: was empty, so said go ahead. Then I changed the drive letter of N: to D:, expanded the partition, and had a new larger Data drive.


    So I went back to work... except that applications could no longer find the documents and other data files. And, on restart, the desktop was missing.


    The <user> folders were all still there on the new D: drive, but were dissociated from the Windows drive and its applications. Something else was different about the folders on the new D: drive: unlike on the earlier D: drive, the folders no longer had a Location property tab. The <user> data folders were missing from C:\Users\<user> that had happened with the initial change of Location, but the new folder locations just seemed to be lost.


    How can I fix this?

    :)
     
    John.Kaufmann, Apr 16, 2021
    #1

  2. Help! Data partition not showing under my computer

    This is happening on a windows 2000 server. Our second partition of the system, for data is not showing under my computer. Here are the properties of it in disk management:


    User data folders not available after separation to new partition partition.jpg


    Now under logical drives its listed as F and shows free space available.

    Suggestions on how to fix this?
     
    Hybrid_theory, Apr 16, 2021
    #2
  3. Kari Win User
    Moving the USERS folder


    Sysprep (Windows System Preparation Tool) is the native built-in Windows tool that does the job in this procedure, getting instructions about what it is expected to do from a script called Answer File.

    If you have external storage available for backing up your personal data, the easiest way is to copy your files to external storage.

    I edited my previous post, making the list in it numbered. Check that list: In step 1 you can copy your files to external storage instead of making a new partition on your hard disk. In step 7 you can either remove all partitions and create new ones or simply format existing partitions and use them. In step 9 you can copy your personal data from external storage to your new user folders. You can then forget the step 10.

    These tutorials are from our sister site the Seven Forums but they apply to Windows 10, too:
     
  4. User data folders not available after separation to new partition

    Which is a better method, System and User Data on different partitions of same drive, or same partition of that drive?

    UPDATE (PERSONAL EXPERIENCE)

    Having put User Data in a separate partion of new HDD--

    1. Windows File History won't pickup data from separate partion drive (it keeps looking for user data in System partion)

    2. Turned off Windows File History and installed Seagate Dashboard but this applicat6ion also looks for data source in System partition, not in data partition

    3. In System partion User acct., no more I see any Documents folder (even after checking View >> Hidden Items). But if I attempt to create a new folder named Document, it says the folder Documents already exists.

    4. If I go to Data partition's Properties > Location and try to Restore Default C:\Users\me\Documents, Access is denied though I have all Administrative rights in Properties > Securities.
     
    mr-live-in, Apr 16, 2021
    #4
Thema:

User data folders not available after separation to new partition

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