change ‘documents and settings’ location (XP pro)

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How do I change the location of the Windows system folder named “documents and settings” from the default location (actual folder) named C:documents and settings to d:xxxx In other words, I want to move the whole structure from its default location to another drive, and still have all the Windows system folders kept intact. There will be several user accounts on the computer.

I tried just drag and drop from one location to another, but I received a message about the SharedDocs folder being rendered unsharable. I am a newbie to WinXP, but quite familiar with Win98.

thanks

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Ed. SMBP: Just copying the Documents and Settings folder to drive D; will not permanently move it. Windows will still use the one on drive C: as it is designated a special folder. To permantly move Documents and Settings to drive D: download TweakUI Powertoy for XP from Microsft. Copy Documents and setting to drive D. Use TweakUI to then designate the new folder on drive D: as the Special Folder and then delete the original. Some of these references may help you:

I took this from Kelly’s XP Web Site at Windows XP User Profiles: Scroll Down to Copy a User Profile:

81151: How to Copy User Data to a New User Profile

I believe the KB will apply to XP because it’s often referred to on XP sites even though MS doesn’t include XP in the list and hasn’t provided a separate one for XP:

236621: Cannot Move or Rename the Documents and Settings Folder

Understanding User Profiles

312045: HOW TO: Restore a User Profile in Windows 2000

Additional references:

Force Windows to Use Another Documents and Settings Folder

How to Move Shell Folders (and contents)

SMBP

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Thanks for the info. I read briefly thru most of those postings, and it appears to be a daunting task.

This is my first foray into XP – I waited until my Win98 machine became too slow and bloated, and then went whole-hog into a new computer and new O/S. Decided to go with XP Pro instead of Home to get the better management tools (ya, right…) It’s discouraging that MS doesn’t understand the importance of separating system files from user files, and then providing an easy and comprehensive tool for mounting that single folder on an user-defined location.

Several of the articles mentioned opening Control Panel > System > User Profiles tab. I don’t see such a tab on the dialog box — am I missing something?

Well, at least there is NOTHIING (except the O/S) on the new machine yet, so I can experiment without risking any data loss.

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Jackson–

I believe that whichever of the Control Panel Views you use, either the default one or the Classic View, and you can also tweak how the menu is displayed by: Right clicking Start button>Properties>Start Menu Tab>Customize Tab>Advanced Tab>Start Menu Items>Display as a link or Display as a menu.

You can get to this tab either by hitting the Windows Key + Pause Break, and hitting the Settings Button under User Profiles on the System Properties dialogue box (mine won’t open however–the one button that doesn’t work right now on the advanced tab) or you should be able to go to the Control Panel and go through the User Accounts Applet. I’d like to verify this but I can’t find an Advanced Tab when I go through the Control Panel to find that Profile Tab on the Administrative Properties dialogue box shown so frequently in books and on sites. I think it would be displayed after that. If I can get things fixed, I’ll be glad to look further.

Either way, you should find this as a control panel “applet” called User Accounts. as shown in the link. Read over those links carefully. I can show you a number of ways to copy a user profile, and then presumably you could put that where you want, and having Pro can facilitate that and you will be pleased you have Pro because of group policy and the MMC–put “gpedit.msc” and “services.msc” and “diskmgt.msc” in the run box and you’ll see what I mean. Two or three of those links give direct instructions on how to move your Documents and Settings folder. The profile copying is ancillary but I thought helpful information. I am not sure if you can every move a system folder successfully even copying it piece by piece and hopefully someone with some perspective on this will weigh in.

In Win NT, the Registry part of the user profile was the primary place where users applied restrictions and control changes. With the introduction of group policy, the need to enforce user settings by enforcing the use of a particular user.dat became unnecessary but could still be useful for managing users.

I would also go to Help and Support where there are good directions on User Profiles for copying the User Profile.

SMBP

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Thanks again. You’ve gone to a lot of effort. The filenames for the Group Policy and Services were much appreciated. BTW, this is a single XP machine on a small home network. One other Win98 machine, one Linux machine. No Active Directory.

I still must be missing something, tho. I tried the method under System Properties > User Profiles, but it only seemed to copy the files from one location to another. When I logged on as the “moved” user, and tried to delete the original files in the C:Documents and Settings folder, then Windows complained that it was a system folder, and could not be moved or altered. It was as if the files had been moved to a new location, but not the concept that those files represented a valid user account. Also tried deleting the C: drive files *before* logging in as that user — Windows simply recreated the files in the C:Documents and Settings.

Then I discovered that, when logged in as a particular user, I could right-click on the My Documents “folder”, and move it to a new location. It even offered to move the contents. So I’ve done that (piecemeal) for each account on the computer, which accomplishes my immediate need — to get the individual My Documents folders OFF the C:drive.

But it still leaves a series of user-specific folders in the C:Documents & Settings folder. Stuff like the start menu, application data, etc. I don’t know how to move that stuff. It also leaves the Shared Documents folder, which doesn’t seem to want to give up its C: drive location.

You can create a new account, but there are no files created for that account until a login actually occurs. How does WinXP know where to create the folders? Then I got to thinking about the Group Policy — surely there is a single location that Windows consults to know where to initially create the user-specific files. Browsing thru the Group Policy editor found nothing. A Google search about Group Policies found this link:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default….en-us/gp/37.asp which states:

— This policy affects all policies that use the folder redirection component of Group Policy, such as those in WindowsSettingsFolder Redirection. You can only set folder redirection policy for Group Policy objects stored in Active Directory, not for Group Policy objects on the local computer. —-

So it looks like I am out of luck unless somebody can offer a registry hack that specifies the location where new user accounts are to be created.

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You may wish to know that you can move most – but not quite – all of the Profile files for any individual using drag and drop. You’ll need to press the Shift key at the same time – since you’re moving them from one Drive to another. (One or two – mostly deeply nested subfolders – won’t budge.) Once they’ve responded to drag and drop, they’ll stay moved in the Registry. This means that your only future problem would be applications with badly written installation routines. HTH

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You may wish to know that you can move most – but not quite – all of the Profile files for any individual using drag and drop. You’ll need to press the Shift key at the same time – since you’re moving them from one Drive to another. (One or two – mostly deeply nested subfolders – won’t budge.) Once they’ve responded to drag and drop, they’ll stay moved in the Registry. This means that your only future problem would be applications with badly written installation routines. HTH

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Jack–

In looking for this tab you wanted, I put up another thread and Unk helped me realize that when you go to the user groups part of the management console you also get to the box you want and the tab–see the thread I screenshot it. I am having trouble getting to it for some reason because my middle button where you can reach it also on System Properties>Advanced doesn’t work. I am far from familiar with the best way to get this done and hopefully people that have done this will weigh in.

But all you have to do to get that tab is to put “lusrmgr.msc” in your run box then right click any user profile there and then hit properties and you’ll definitely have that box. It may not come up in the Control Panel User Groups Applet, but you can get to System Properties with an extra step from the Control Panel under the System Applet.

SMBP

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Jack–

In looking for this tab you wanted, I put up another thread and Unk helped me realize that when you go to the user groups part of the management console you also get to the box you want and the tab–see the thread I screenshot it. I am having trouble getting to it for some reason because my middle button where you can reach it also on System Properties>Advanced doesn’t work. I am far from familiar with the best way to get this done and hopefully people that have done this will weigh in.

But all you have to do to get that tab is to put “lusrmgr.msc” in your run box then right click any user profile there and then hit properties and you’ll definitely have that box. It may not come up in the Control Panel User Groups Applet, but you can get to System Properties with an extra step from the Control Panel under the System Applet.

SMBP

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Jack–

When I first started this I looked for reg hacks, and someone may be able to wrap this up into some directions and incorporate regedits, but the closest I came to was this from Simon Clausen’s Winguide’s site:

Change the Location of System and Special Folders (All Windows)

SMBP

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Thx. I can use that info to make it work.

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Thx. I can use that info to make it work.

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Jack–

I also ran into these and it may be material you’ve seen but might help some people with profiles. When you get this done, I’d like to see what steps you actually take–are you doing this to protect/backup your Documents and Settings on a drive that would be safe if your ‘primary’ drive got into trouble?

294887: How to Check User Profiles on a Windows XP-Based Computer

Understanding User Profiles

232970: Description of Windows 2000 User Account and Profile Migration

255113: Windows 2000 Roaming Profiles May Not Synchronize with Windows NT 4.0 Shares

SMBP

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Primary reason is space — I partitioned the disk drive into a C: for Windows/Applications and D: for user data. There just won’t be enough room on the C: drive for much user data. Of course, the partitioning is for security & backup reasons. Everything I’ve learned about computers over the past 30 years demands that programs and data be kept separate.

I haven’t looked at all the links that you provided to me yet. What I’ve done so far is to create a “USERS” folder on my D: drive, with a subfolder for each user. Then within each user’s folder, I created another folder called “PROFILE”. Then within Profile, I created Cookies, Favourites, and StartMenu.

Then as the Administrator, I moved the Cookies, Favourites, and Start Menu from the original C: location into the appropriate folder on D:USERS. Windows complained when I tried to move some of the other folder.

Finally, I logged onto each user account and used TweakUI to tell Windows where each “system folder” was located. I pointed the “My Documents” folder to (for example) D:usersjack.

I also pointed the “My Pictures” folder to a shared folder for me and my wife, but to a user-specific folder for my son and daughter. The nice thing about doing that is my wife and I can open various photo programs and see the same pictures, while my son and daughter both get their own photos. All without mucking with the application program set-up — it’s done at an O/S level.

BUT – I purchased “Windows XP Annoyances” by David A. Karp, and have finally browsed thru all of it. The “Scripting” section has some interesting functions that may allow an administrator to find the system folders and move them under program control. I will investigate, and perhaps post something back. But time is a limitation….

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If you do the following – for each user:

• Drag and drop Application Data
• Drag and drop My Documents
• Move the Outlook PST file out of Local SettingsApplication DataMicrosoftOutlook – just point Outlook to where you’ve moved it to the next time you open OL[/list]You should find that the rest of the Documents and Settings will be small enough to avoid bottlenecks.

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Great!! that works like a charm

Can the Shared Documents folder be moved? Tried to drag-n-drop, but Windows said it was “required for Windows operation” and would not let it proceed. Likewise with the shared Photos and shared Music within that folder. Tried changing the locations explicitly using TweakUI — they appeared to “take”, but when I closed TweakUI and opened it again, the values had reverted to the defaults.

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Great!! that works like a charm

Can the Shared Documents folder be moved? Tried to drag-n-drop, but Windows said it was “required for Windows operation” and would not let it proceed. Likewise with the shared Photos and shared Music within that folder. Tried changing the locations explicitly using TweakUI — they appeared to “take”, but when I closed TweakUI and opened it again, the values had reverted to the defaults.

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This is a new feature with Windows XP and I tend to doubt that there’s a way around it. The only practical option – for your file layout – may be not to use that feature. If you are limiting access to private files, you can, of course, make separate shared folders on your data drive.

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This is a new feature with Windows XP and I tend to doubt that there’s a way around it. The only practical option – for your file layout – may be not to use that feature. If you are limiting access to private files, you can, of course, make separate shared folders on your data drive.

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If you do the following – for each user:

• Drag and drop Application Data
• Drag and drop My Documents
• Move the Outlook PST file out of Local SettingsApplication DataMicrosoftOutlook – just point Outlook to where you’ve moved it to the next time you open OL[/list]You should find that the rest of the Documents and Settings will be small enough to avoid bottlenecks.

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Jack–

David Karp is recognized as someone who always writes very understandable and valuable O’Reilly books on Windows OS’s. Besides the excellent Annoyances[/u] book you should pick up his Windows XP in a Nutshell written with Tim O’Reilly and Troy Mott.

I hope these links will help with a better understanding of a topic I don’t find easy to say the least–sorting out User Profiles–and UNK has valuable experience in the clincal mechanics of getting this done and making this work that I don’t have so hopefully he can guide you to set up a transfer that will work for you.

I appreciate the followup–it helps me understand why you were trying to move Documents and Settings.

SMBP

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Jack–

David Karp is recognized as someone who always writes very understandable and valuable O’Reilly books on Windows OS’s. Besides the excellent Annoyances[/u] book you should pick up his Windows XP in a Nutshell written with Tim O’Reilly and Troy Mott.

I hope these links will help with a better understanding of a topic I don’t find easy to say the least–sorting out User Profiles–and UNK has valuable experience in the clincal mechanics of getting this done and making this work that I don’t have so hopefully he can guide you to set up a transfer that will work for you.

I appreciate the followup–it helps me understand why you were trying to move Documents and Settings.

SMBP

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Primary reason is space — I partitioned the disk drive into a C: for Windows/Applications and D: for user data. There just won’t be enough room on the C: drive for much user data. Of course, the partitioning is for security & backup reasons. Everything I’ve learned about computers over the past 30 years demands that programs and data be kept separate.

I haven’t looked at all the links that you provided to me yet. What I’ve done so far is to create a “USERS” folder on my D: drive, with a subfolder for each user. Then within each user’s folder, I created another folder called “PROFILE”. Then within Profile, I created Cookies, Favourites, and StartMenu.

Then as the Administrator, I moved the Cookies, Favourites, and Start Menu from the original C: location into the appropriate folder on D:USERS. Windows complained when I tried to move some of the other folder.

Finally, I logged onto each user account and used TweakUI to tell Windows where each “system folder” was located. I pointed the “My Documents” folder to (for example) D:usersjack.

I also pointed the “My Pictures” folder to a shared folder for me and my wife, but to a user-specific folder for my son and daughter. The nice thing about doing that is my wife and I can open various photo programs and see the same pictures, while my son and daughter both get their own photos. All without mucking with the application program set-up — it’s done at an O/S level.

BUT – I purchased “Windows XP Annoyances” by David A. Karp, and have finally browsed thru all of it. The “Scripting” section has some interesting functions that may allow an administrator to find the system folders and move them under program control. I will investigate, and perhaps post something back. But time is a limitation….

Reply | Quote

Jack–

I also ran into these and it may be material you’ve seen but might help some people with profiles. When you get this done, I’d like to see what steps you actually take–are you doing this to protect/backup your Documents and Settings on a drive that would be safe if your ‘primary’ drive got into trouble?

294887: How to Check User Profiles on a Windows XP-Based Computer

Understanding User Profiles

232970: Description of Windows 2000 User Account and Profile Migration

255113: Windows 2000 Roaming Profiles May Not Synchronize with Windows NT 4.0 Shares

SMBP

Reply | Quote

Jack–

When I first started this I looked for reg hacks, and someone may be able to wrap this up into some directions and incorporate regedits, but the closest I came to was this from Simon Clausen’s Winguide’s site:

Change the Location of System and Special Folders (All Windows)

SMBP

Reply | Quote

Thanks again. You’ve gone to a lot of effort. The filenames for the Group Policy and Services were much appreciated. BTW, this is a single XP machine on a small home network. One other Win98 machine, one Linux machine. No Active Directory.

I still must be missing something, tho. I tried the method under System Properties > User Profiles, but it only seemed to copy the files from one location to another. When I logged on as the “moved” user, and tried to delete the original files in the C:Documents and Settings folder, then Windows complained that it was a system folder, and could not be moved or altered. It was as if the files had been moved to a new location, but not the concept that those files represented a valid user account. Also tried deleting the C: drive files *before* logging in as that user — Windows simply recreated the files in the C:Documents and Settings.

Then I discovered that, when logged in as a particular user, I could right-click on the My Documents “folder”, and move it to a new location. It even offered to move the contents. So I’ve done that (piecemeal) for each account on the computer, which accomplishes my immediate need — to get the individual My Documents folders OFF the C:drive.

But it still leaves a series of user-specific folders in the C:Documents & Settings folder. Stuff like the start menu, application data, etc. I don’t know how to move that stuff. It also leaves the Shared Documents folder, which doesn’t seem to want to give up its C: drive location.

You can create a new account, but there are no files created for that account until a login actually occurs. How does WinXP know where to create the folders? Then I got to thinking about the Group Policy — surely there is a single location that Windows consults to know where to initially create the user-specific files. Browsing thru the Group Policy editor found nothing. A Google search about Group Policies found this link:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default….en-us/gp/37.asp which states:

— This policy affects all policies that use the folder redirection component of Group Policy, such as those in WindowsSettingsFolder Redirection. You can only set folder redirection policy for Group Policy objects stored in Active Directory, not for Group Policy objects on the local computer. —-

So it looks like I am out of luck unless somebody can offer a registry hack that specifies the location where new user accounts are to be created.

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Jackson–

I believe that whichever of the Control Panel Views you use, either the default one or the Classic View, and you can also tweak how the menu is displayed by: Right clicking Start button>Properties>Start Menu Tab>Customize Tab>Advanced Tab>Start Menu Items>Display as a link or Display as a menu.

You can get to this tab either by hitting the Windows Key + Pause Break, and hitting the Settings Button under User Profiles on the System Properties dialogue box (mine won’t open however–the one button that doesn’t work right now on the advanced tab) or you should be able to go to the Control Panel and go through the User Accounts Applet. I’d like to verify this but I can’t find an Advanced Tab when I go through the Control Panel to find that Profile Tab on the Administrative Properties dialogue box shown so frequently in books and on sites. I think it would be displayed after that. If I can get things fixed, I’ll be glad to look further.

Either way, you should find this as a control panel “applet” called User Accounts. as shown in the link. Read over those links carefully. I can show you a number of ways to copy a user profile, and then presumably you could put that where you want, and having Pro can facilitate that and you will be pleased you have Pro because of group policy and the MMC–put “gpedit.msc” and “services.msc” and “diskmgt.msc” in the run box and you’ll see what I mean. Two or three of those links give direct instructions on how to move your Documents and Settings folder. The profile copying is ancillary but I thought helpful information. I am not sure if you can every move a system folder successfully even copying it piece by piece and hopefully someone with some perspective on this will weigh in.

In Win NT, the Registry part of the user profile was the primary place where users applied restrictions and control changes. With the introduction of group policy, the need to enforce user settings by enforcing the use of a particular user.dat became unnecessary but could still be useful for managing users.

I would also go to Help and Support where there are good directions on User Profiles for copying the User Profile.

SMBP

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I still cannot find that tab, but you might get some help since you have pro by putting “lusrmgr.msc” in the run box and working there.

This might help you–you can also get instructions from Help and Support to copy user profiles, but since I can’t get to that dialogue box on my computer right now–this is from Ed Bott’s Windows XP Inside Out p. 1159[/u]:

Copying User Profiles You Want to Use on Another Drive[/u]

“Copying from the User Profiles dialogue Box instead of from Windows Explorer has a distinct advantage. Windows assigns the proper permissions to the copy. That is, it gives Full Control Permissions to the user or group you specify…You cannot copy a profile that is currently logged on, including your own. If you want to copy your own profile, y ou’ll need to log on using a different account.

Because so much of your important dta is storred in your profile you might want to store two copies of your profile on different drives. By using techniques intended for m anaging roaming profiles, you can create automatic local backups. This works only if you have Win XP Pro, Here’s how:

1) Copy the profile you want to use to another drive. You’ll need to log on using a different adminstrator account because you can’t copy the profile you’re currently using. In the User Profiles dialogue box, select the profle and click Copy To. In the Copy To dialogue box, specify a folder on a differnt drive. You don’t need to change permitted users.

2) Open Local Users and Groups (Lusrmgr.msc) , open Users, and double click your user name. On the Profile Tab, specify the path to copy in the Profile Path box.

Now when you log on, Windows copies the profile you created on the other drive to the Documents and Settings folder. This copy becomes your working copy, and any changes you make to settings or files are recored there. When you log off, the profile in Documents and Settings is then copied back to the other drive. Easy backup!

SMBP

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I still cannot find that tab, but you might get some help since you have pro by putting “lusrmgr.msc” in the run box and working there.

This might help you–you can also get instructions from Help and Support to copy user profiles, but since I can’t get to that dialogue box on my computer right now–this is from Ed Bott’s Windows XP Inside Out p. 1159[/u]:

Copying User Profiles You Want to Use on Another Drive[/u]

“Copying from the User Profiles dialogue Box instead of from Windows Explorer has a distinct advantage. Windows assigns the proper permissions to the copy. That is, it gives Full Control Permissions to the user or group you specify…You cannot copy a profile that is currently logged on, including your own. If you want to copy your own profile, y ou’ll need to log on using a different account.

Because so much of your important dta is storred in your profile you might want to store two copies of your profile on different drives. By using techniques intended for m anaging roaming profiles, you can create automatic local backups. This works only if you have Win XP Pro, Here’s how:

1) Copy the profile you want to use to another drive. You’ll need to log on using a different adminstrator account because you can’t copy the profile you’re currently using. In the User Profiles dialogue box, select the profle and click Copy To. In the Copy To dialogue box, specify a folder on a differnt drive. You don’t need to change permitted users.

2) Open Local Users and Groups (Lusrmgr.msc) , open Users, and double click your user name. On the Profile Tab, specify the path to copy in the Profile Path box.

Now when you log on, Windows copies the profile you created on the other drive to the Documents and Settings folder. This copy becomes your working copy, and any changes you make to settings or files are recored there. When you log off, the profile in Documents and Settings is then copied back to the other drive. Easy backup!

SMBP

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Thanks for the info. I read briefly thru most of those postings, and it appears to be a daunting task.

This is my first foray into XP – I waited until my Win98 machine became too slow and bloated, and then went whole-hog into a new computer and new O/S. Decided to go with XP Pro instead of Home to get the better management tools (ya, right…) It’s discouraging that MS doesn’t understand the importance of separating system files from user files, and then providing an easy and comprehensive tool for mounting that single folder on an user-defined location.

Several of the articles mentioned opening Control Panel > System > User Profiles tab. I don’t see such a tab on the dialog box — am I missing something?

Well, at least there is NOTHIING (except the O/S) on the new machine yet, so I can experiment without risking any data loss.

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Ed. SMBP: Just copying the Documents and Settings folder to drive D; will not permanently move it. Windows will still use the one on drive C: as it is designated a special folder. To permantly move Documents and Settings to drive D: download TweakUI Powertoy for XP from Microsft. Copy Documents and setting to drive D. Use TweakUI to then designate the new folder on drive D: as the Special Folder and then delete the original. Some of these references may help you:

I took this from Kelly’s XP Web Site at Windows XP User Profiles: Scroll Down to Copy a User Profile:

81151: How to Copy User Data to a New User Profile

I believe the KB will apply to XP because it’s often referred to on XP sites even though MS doesn’t include XP in the list and hasn’t provided a separate one for XP:

236621: Cannot Move or Rename the Documents and Settings Folder

Understanding User Profiles

312045: HOW TO: Restore a User Profile in Windows 2000

Additional references:

Force Windows to Use Another Documents and Settings Folder

How to Move Shell Folders (and contents)

SMBP

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Jack–

These threads may also help you:

Documents and Settings Folder: Annoyances Discussion Forum

Moving Documents and Settings Folder I

Moving Documents and Settings Folder 2

SMBP

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Jack–

These threads may also help you:

Documents and Settings Folder: Annoyances Discussion Forum

Moving Documents and Settings Folder I

Moving Documents and Settings Folder 2

SMBP

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Also a couple of recent KBs for reference:

232692: Folder Redirection Feature in Windows

827079: Folder Redirection Operation Is Unsuccessful When You Rename the User

SMBP

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Also a couple of recent KBs for reference:

232692: Folder Redirection Feature in Windows

827079: Folder Redirection Operation Is Unsuccessful When You Rename the User

SMBP

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Jack,

Like you, I try to keep my data files separate from my system files. This concept saved my bacon (well, my data) recently, which is why I’m late coming to this discussion.

Beginning in October I started experiencing strange system crashes. My computer spent more time in the shop than in my home. I had to re-install Windows (XP Pro) four times, but never once did I lose any data.

I have two disks, C and D. My system related files and programs are on C. All my data including the entire “Documents and Settings” structure is on D. If it’s not too late and you don’t mind re-installing Windows, you’ll find it relatively easy to move the entire “Documents and Settings” structure to your D drive or partition… wasn’t this your original question?

You state you have WinXP Pro. The following assumes you have the MS Windows installation CD and not just an OEM recovery CD.

Install the Deployment Tools found in “SupportTools” on the installation CD.

Run the “Windows Setup Manager Wizard” (setupmgr.exe in the Deployment Tools folder you just installed). This will create an answer file for an unattended install of Windows. A sample answer file:

;SetupMgrTag
[Data]
AutoPartition=1
MsDosInitiated=”0″
UnattendedInstall=”Yes”

[Unattended]
UnattendMode=FullUnattended
OemSkipEula=Yes
OemPreinstall=No
TargetPath=WINDOWS

[GuiUnattended]
AdminPassword=”MyPassword”
EncryptedAdminPassword=NO
OEMSkipRegional=1
TimeZone=35
OemSkipWelcome=1

[UserData]
ProductID=AAAAA-BBBBB-CCCCC-DDDDD-EEEEE
FullName=”My Name”
OrgName=”My Organization”
ComputerName=MyComputer

[Display]
BitsPerPel=32
Xresolution=1024
YResolution=768
Vrefresh=85

[TapiLocation]
CountryCode=107
Dialing=Tone
AreaCode=613

[Identification]
JoinWorkgroup=WORKGROUP

[Networking]
InstallDefaultComponents=Yes

Your answers, of course, will be different depending on your preferences.

To move the entire “Documents and Settings” structure to D, add the following line:

ProfilesDir = “D:Documents and Settings”

to the section headed [GuiUnattended].

Change “AutoPartition=1” to “AutoPartition=0″ in section headed [Data].

The resulting file will look like:

;SetupMgrTag
[Data]
AutoPartition=0
MsDosInitiated=”0″
UnattendedInstall=”Yes”

[Unattended]
UnattendMode=FullUnattended
OemSkipEula=Yes
OemPreinstall=No
TargetPath=WINDOWS

[GuiUnattended]
ProfilesDir = “D:Documents and Settings”
AdminPassword=”MyPassword”
EncryptedAdminPassword=NO
OEMSkipRegional=1
TimeZone=35
OemSkipWelcome=1

[UserData]
ProductID=AAAAA-BBBBB-CCCCC-DDDDD-EEEEE
FullName=”My Name”
OrgName=”My Organization”
ComputerName=MyComputer

[Display]
BitsPerPel=32
Xresolution=1024
YResolution=768
Vrefresh=85

[TapiLocation]
CountryCode=107
Dialing=Tone
AreaCode=613

[Identification]
JoinWorkgroup=WORKGROUP

[Networking]
InstallDefaultComponents=Yes

At this point, rename the answer file to “Winnt.sif” and copy it as the only file on a floppy.

Now you can do a re-install of Windows by booting from your Windows installation CD. Make sure the Winnt.sif floppy is in the floppy drive after booting from the CD. Not only will the “Documents and Settings” system folder be placed on D, but Windows will be installed without any more intervention on your part.

Good luck.

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Jack,

Like you, I try to keep my data files separate from my system files. This concept saved my bacon (well, my data) recently, which is why I’m late coming to this discussion.

Beginning in October I started experiencing strange system crashes. My computer spent more time in the shop than in my home. I had to re-install Windows (XP Pro) four times, but never once did I lose any data.

I have two disks, C and D. My system related files and programs are on C. All my data including the entire “Documents and Settings” structure is on D. If it’s not too late and you don’t mind re-installing Windows, you’ll find it relatively easy to move the entire “Documents and Settings” structure to your D drive or partition… wasn’t this your original question?

You state you have WinXP Pro. The following assumes you have the MS Windows installation CD and not just an OEM recovery CD.

Install the Deployment Tools found in “SupportTools” on the installation CD.

Run the “Windows Setup Manager Wizard” (setupmgr.exe in the Deployment Tools folder you just installed). This will create an answer file for an unattended install of Windows. A sample answer file:

;SetupMgrTag
[Data]
AutoPartition=1
MsDosInitiated=”0″
UnattendedInstall=”Yes”

[Unattended]
UnattendMode=FullUnattended
OemSkipEula=Yes
OemPreinstall=No
TargetPath=WINDOWS

[GuiUnattended]
AdminPassword=”MyPassword”
EncryptedAdminPassword=NO
OEMSkipRegional=1
TimeZone=35
OemSkipWelcome=1

[UserData]
ProductID=AAAAA-BBBBB-CCCCC-DDDDD-EEEEE
FullName=”My Name”
OrgName=”My Organization”
ComputerName=MyComputer

[Display]
BitsPerPel=32
Xresolution=1024
YResolution=768
Vrefresh=85

[TapiLocation]
CountryCode=107
Dialing=Tone
AreaCode=613

[Identification]
JoinWorkgroup=WORKGROUP

[Networking]
InstallDefaultComponents=Yes

Your answers, of course, will be different depending on your preferences.

To move the entire “Documents and Settings” structure to D, add the following line:

ProfilesDir = “D:Documents and Settings”

to the section headed [GuiUnattended].

Change “AutoPartition=1” to “AutoPartition=0″ in section headed [Data].

The resulting file will look like:

;SetupMgrTag
[Data]
AutoPartition=0
MsDosInitiated=”0″
UnattendedInstall=”Yes”

[Unattended]
UnattendMode=FullUnattended
OemSkipEula=Yes
OemPreinstall=No
TargetPath=WINDOWS

[GuiUnattended]
ProfilesDir = “D:Documents and Settings”
AdminPassword=”MyPassword”
EncryptedAdminPassword=NO
OEMSkipRegional=1
TimeZone=35
OemSkipWelcome=1

[UserData]
ProductID=AAAAA-BBBBB-CCCCC-DDDDD-EEEEE
FullName=”My Name”
OrgName=”My Organization”
ComputerName=MyComputer

[Display]
BitsPerPel=32
Xresolution=1024
YResolution=768
Vrefresh=85

[TapiLocation]
CountryCode=107
Dialing=Tone
AreaCode=613

[Identification]
JoinWorkgroup=WORKGROUP

[Networking]
InstallDefaultComponents=Yes

At this point, rename the answer file to “Winnt.sif” and copy it as the only file on a floppy.

Now you can do a re-install of Windows by booting from your Windows installation CD. Make sure the Winnt.sif floppy is in the floppy drive after booting from the CD. Not only will the “Documents and Settings” system folder be placed on D, but Windows will be installed without any more intervention on your part.

Good luck.

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Jack–

I noticed this on Microsoft’s Website:

Moving Files and Settings to a New PC by Ed Bott Microsoft Windows XP Xpert Zone, February 2, 2004

SMBP

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Jack–

I noticed this on Microsoft’s Website:

Moving Files and Settings to a New PC by Ed Bott Microsoft Windows XP Xpert Zone, February 2, 2004

SMBP

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