Changing default "User" install locations.

Shane_16

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Feb 10, 2016
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4,510
Hello,
I recently installed a new OS onto my SSD which is only 120gb. I want to only have my OS on the SSD along with ONLY necessary files. How can I go about changing around download and install settings so that this is possible. http://imgur.com/GygIuSb This is a picture of the message that I do NOT want to get. I have a 1TB HDD for all of my storage.
 
Solution
Ok well if you want to move the entire user folder over that is a little bit more work and usually not recommended because if that drive goes missing or fails you won't be able to login at all.

Go to Control Panel and then Users and make a New Administrator account. You can just call it Temp but it must be part of the administrators groupe.

Restart your PC and then login as Temp

Now you want to copy your user folder that is in C:\users\"username" to a folder on your other drive (I will call it D for now) to D:\users\username

NOTE: DO NOT MOVE THE FILES! COPY THEM FIRST THEN TEST BEFORE YOU DELETE OR MOVE FROM C DRIVE!

You want to make sure EVERYTHING COPIES. You can use a program like Unstoppable Copier so you can see what copies...

Shane_16

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Feb 10, 2016
6
0
4,510
This does not solve the problem of having it download to C:\Users\Shane\AppData\Local\Temp\Logiexpr=SetVar(level,"1")==SetVar(indent,"2") I do not want anything on this drive besides my OS
 
Ok well if you want to move the entire user folder over that is a little bit more work and usually not recommended because if that drive goes missing or fails you won't be able to login at all.

Go to Control Panel and then Users and make a New Administrator account. You can just call it Temp but it must be part of the administrators groupe.

Restart your PC and then login as Temp

Now you want to copy your user folder that is in C:\users\"username" to a folder on your other drive (I will call it D for now) to D:\users\username

NOTE: DO NOT MOVE THE FILES! COPY THEM FIRST THEN TEST BEFORE YOU DELETE OR MOVE FROM C DRIVE!

You want to make sure EVERYTHING COPIES. You can use a program like Unstoppable Copier so you can see what copies and what doesn't. Sometimes you have to boot off a live Linux or Windows PE in order to copy everything.

So now you should have a folder that is D:\users\username that is EXACTLY like C:\Users\username.

Now we need to go into the registry. So click on Start and then type in regedit in the search menu at the bottom. For windows 8.1 cick start then the search icon in upper left for windows 10 click the Cortana/Search icon next to start

Now once in the registry we want to expant (Click on the arrow to the left of) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE then SOFTWARE then Microsoft then WindowsNT then Curent Version then ProfileList

In the profile list there are a few things. THe first few will say like S-1-5-18 and will be short. Then there are some that are like S-1-5-18-2478348405-4057378977-1001 (the number in the middle don't matter this is just an example will be different on your PC)

Click on the first one that has a bunch of numbers. On the right there will be one listed as ProfileImagePath and it should say C:\Users\Yourusername Just double click on it and change the C to a D (or what ever the letter if your for storage drive) and make sure it goes to the ROOT folder. By root i mean the folder that list things like the Documents, Videos, Pictures folder etc.

Then close regedit, logout, and log back in on your normal account. If it logs in great! I would right click on a file on your desktop or in documents and then go to properties. It should now says D:\Users\YourUsername

Now to be sure I would go into C:\Users and just RENAME your user folder to something else. if it lets you rename it then we know it isn't being used at all. I would still restart your PC and login and test.

Once that is all good then you can delete your user folder on the C:\users now.

Just remember if that drive failes or something you WILL NOT be able to login! You may get luck and it may make a temp profile to login or it may not. if it does not and you can not get your files back or they are corrupted then it will be a pain to get it working again.

Now you an delete the Temp user and delete all the files for the temp user.


 
Solution