Setting up User Directory on Separate Partition (D:\Users)

[Sam P]

In Windows 7 you can modify the registry ProfilesDirectory key to create the
users directory on a separate partion, however, Microsoft recommends against
it.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949977
"This setting should be used only in a test environment. By changing the
default location of the user profile directories or program data folders to
a volume other than the System volume, you will not be able to service your
Windows installation. Any updates, fixes, or service packs will fail to be
applied to the installation. Microsoft does not recommend that you change
the location of the user profile directories or program data folders."

Can anyone comment on their experience with this? I'd really prefer to keep
the user data all together

thanks

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Sam.

I don't have experience with this, but Microsoft has a technical error in
that KB article. Whoever wrote the article apparently is familiar with
KB314470, but still made a faux pas in the passage you quoted.

At the top of KB949977, it refers to %systemdrive% and then properly
explains, "%systemdrive% is defined as the disk drive that contains the
Windows directory." So, as KB314470 defines the term, this means the Boot
Volume, and NOT the System Partition, which is also called the System
Volume - but never the System Drive. Look in Disk Management's Status
column to see which volume or volumes have the System and Boot labels. Open
a Command Prompt window and enter the command, Set. This will list the
environment variables, including these two lines:
SystemDrive=C:
SystemRoot=C:\Windows

This is in my computer, in which the System Partition (1st partition on 1st
HDD) is Drive D: and Drive C: is the 2nd partition (a logical drive) on the
2nd HDD. So my Users folder is C:\Users, on my Boot Volume, NOT D:\Users on
my System Partition. OF course, in many computers, a single Drive C: serves
as both System Volume and Boot Volume and the distinction is not important
in those cases - but the KB article ought to get it right!

I've given feedback at the bottom of KB949977 so we can hope that someone at
Microsoft will pay attention and correct that soon. These are Microsoft's
definitions, but even MS technical writers get confused by the many meanings
of "boot" and "system" and "drive"...and several other common words used as
terms of art in relation to computers and computing.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail 2009 (14.0.8089.0726) in Win7 Ultimate x64

 

[Sam P]

In Windows 7 you can modify the registry ProfilesDirectory key to
create the users directory on a separate partion, however, Microsoft
recommends against it.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949977
"This setting should be used only in a test environment. By changing
the default location of the user profile directories or program data
folders to a volume other than the System volume, you will not be
able to service your Windows installation. Any updates, fixes, or
service packs will fail to be applied to the installation. Microsoft
does not recommend that you change the location of the user profile
directories or program data folders."

Can anyone comment on their experience with this? I'd really prefer
to keep the user data all together

thanks

I tried this 6 weeks ago and I've not had any problems since. Here's a
better description of the process:
http://www.windows7hacker.com/index.php/2009/05/how-to-change-user-profi
le-default-location-in-windows-7/

--