[SOLVED] Set a home directory outside C:\Users in Win7?

[Windows22]

I attempted to set the home directory for a user outside of C:\Users. Currently, the home directory will be on the system drive, but eventually I want to move it to another drive.

These are the steps I've taken:

• Created the user via net user someuser /add
• Created the to-be home directory, c:\someuser
• Assigned the proper permissions and ownership to the home directory (based on what I saw for other home directories, so full control to SYSTEM, Administrators and someuser, and ownership to someuser)

But when I log on with this user, all files and folders are still created in C:\Users\someuser.

I have tried this on both Windows 7 Home Premium and Ultimate, both 64-bit computers. The net user command does not help, and a "net user someuser" indicates that the home directory is correct (i.e., c:\someuser). Any thoughts?

 

[Deleted member 14196]

https://superuser.com/questions/964363/how-do-i-change-the-user-profile-location-in-windows-10

Should be similar but you can search for a changing the user profile location in Windows 7

 

[USAFRet]

Why move the /Users/ folder?

This for a previous Win version, but it is NOT a good idea to do so.

Don't move your Windows user profiles folder to another drive

If you're a Windows power user, you probably have a collection of favorite tweaks to make the OS run faster and work better. If one of those tips involves moving the default user profiles folder, you're setting yourself up for heartache, as several Windows 8.1 upgraders have found out the hard way.

www.zdnet.com

 

[ex_bubblehead]

Moving the entire \Users tree is absolutely one of the worst things you can do. It's a great way to kneecap Windows. Instead, you can redirect select directories by following a specific set of instructions:

Change the Location of User Folders in Windows

If you have an old computer or a new computer with a small SSD drive as your primary drive, you may need to periodically move data out of the default Windows user folders and onto a second hard drive or even an external drive to save space. The default folders I'm talking about are Downloads,

helpdeskgeek.com

 

[USAFRet]

Instead, you can redirect select directories by following a specific set of instructions:

In fact, that is not even needed today.

Software and Windows has gotten really good at working with multiple drive letters.
Even though I wrote 2 tutorials (Win 7 & 8, and 8.1 & 10) on how to do this, I've not seen ANY need for it in the last several years.

Generally, software will default to the last place (drive or folder) you saved to.

 

[ex_bubblehead]

In fact, that is not even needed today.

Software and Windows has gotten really good at working with multiple drive letters.
Even though I wrote 2 tutorials (Win 7 & 8, and 8.1 & 10) on how to do this, I've not seen ANY need for it in the last several years.

Generally, software will default to the last place (drive or folder) you saved to.

I read the request as wanting to redirect the user's profile to another location. That being the case the linked procedure is how it's got to be done.

 

[USAFRet]

I read the request as wanting to redirect the user's profile to another location. That being the case the linked procedure is how it's got to be done.

Right.

And a BAD idea.
Hence my original Why.

 

[ex_bubblehead]

Nah, it's just redirecting the 4 or 5 directories that have always been redirectable (Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Video, Desktop). Absolutely agree, anything else is a death sentence for a Windows installation.

 

[USAFRet]

Nah, it's just redirecting the 4 or 5 directories that have always been redirectable (Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Video, Desktop). Absolutely agree, anything else is a death sentence for a Windows installation.

And as above, that is not even needed anymore.

 

[hotaru.hino]

I don't recommend moving the location of the user folders either, because if you mess it up, it becomes very hard to fix it. I've seen posts where people accidentally set a whole partition as the location, which is effectively unrecoverable outside of making a new account and deleting the old one.

Just save data to another drive. If you need to block other user accounts from accessing the folders, set up permissions.