Windows 7 Installation - User folders to different drive
Recently I had to work my way through the task to re-install Windows 7 and to do that properly I wanted the quicky stuff on the primary SSD and the User and Configuration stuff on a regular large hard drive.I came across this nice article describing the process at length:http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-files/win7-how-do-i-move-user-folder-to-a-different/565f16a5-e5ed-43c9-8422-4f56aebb296eHere is the quick rundown of what I've done:
- New Windows 7 installation
- When setup asks to confirm computer / user name: don't. Press CTRL SHFT F3 instead. This will launch "Audit Mode"
- In audit mode get the above script. Save it / name it: folders.xml and put into easy accessible location.
- Reboot using this command: sysprep.exe /audit /reboot /unattend:U:\folders.xml
- Then reboot into "OOBE" Out of the box experience
- should be all done.
Here is the copy'able version of the XML:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend"> <settings pass="oobeSystem"> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <FolderLocations> <ProfilesDirectory>d:\Users</ProfilesDirectory> <ProgramData>d:\ProgramData</ProgramData> </FolderLocations> </component> </settings> <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:h:/sources/install.wim#Windows 7 ULTIMATE" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" /></unattend>