User Folders - Change Default Location

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UserFoldersChangeDefaultLocationHowtoChangetheDefaultLocationofUserFoldersinWindows7andWindows8PublishedbyBrink29Jul2009

HowtoChangetheDefaultLocationofUserFoldersinWindows7andWindows8

Information

Thiswill show you how to change (move) the default location of your account'sC:\Users\(username)folderstoanother locationofyourchoiceinsteadinWindows7andWindows8,andstillhaveaccesstotheuserfolderfromtheStartMenu(Windows7only)location.

Tip

IfyouarejustwantingtosaveHDDspace,thenyoumightconsiderthisbelowtobeabletoaccessthefilesfromyourlibrarieswiththefilesactuallylocatedwhereyoulikeinstead.Thiswayyouwillnothavetoworryaboutanypotentialissuesthatcomewithmovinguserfolderlocations.Forexample,whateverpartitionyoumoveyouruserfolderstowillnowbeincludedinasystemimageinWindows7andWindows8.

Createanewfolderatanylocationyouwant.Moveanyfilesyouwantintothenewfolder.Includethenewfolderintoalibrary(Windows7orWindows8)ofyourchoice.If you like, you can also set the new folder to be thedefault save to location (Windows 7 orWindows8)forthelibraryaswell.

Warning

If you change the default location of your Favorites folder in Windows 8 or 8.1, your Favorites inInternetExplorerwillnolongerbeavailableuntilyoumoveyourFavoritesbacktothedefault"C:\Users\(username)"location.

EXAMPLE:UserFoldersNOTE:ThisisatthedefaultC:\Users\(username)location.

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OPTIONONEToChangeMainUserProfileFolderLocation

1.Forhow,see:

UserProfileChangeDefaultLocation

OR

HowtoRelocateUserProfilestoanotherPartitionorDiskinWindows8

OPTIONTWOToChangeUserFoldersLocationfromwithinUserProfileFolder



1.Ifyouapartofahomegroup,thenyouwillneedtochangethehomegroupsettingstonolongersharetheuserfolder(ex:MyMusic)thatyouwanttomovefirstbyuncheckingthefolderandclickingonSaveChanges.(seescreenshotbelow)NOTE:Thisissotheuserfolder(ex:MyMusic)willnotbesharedonthehomegroupanymore.

2.InWindowsExplorer,navigatetowhere(ex:D:drive)youwanttomovethedefaultuserfolder(ex:MyMusic)locationto.

3.CreateaNewFolderby right clickingorpressandholdonaemptyspace in themainwindow there,andclick/taponNewandFolder.Namethenewfolderwithoutspaces(ex:"Music"forMyMusic)fortheuserfolderthatyouwanttomovethere.(Seescreenshotsbelow)NOTE: The name that you type in for the new folder will be what you see as the user folder name in the Start Menu(shell:UsersFilesFolder) locationwhen finishedwith all of these steps. Itwould be best to use the samenameas theuserfoldertoavoidconfusion.



4.Closethiswindow.(Seescreenshotsabove)

5.PresstheWindows+RkeystoopentheRundialog,typeshell:UsersFilesFolder,andpressenter.NOTE:ThiswillopenyourC:\Users\(username)folder.

6.Rightclickorpressandholdonauserfolder(ex:MyMusic,MyDocuments,MyPictures,etc.....)thatyouwanttomovethedefaultlocationfor,andclick/taponProperties.(Seescreenshotbelow)

7.Click/tapontheLocationtab,andMovebutton.(Seescreenshotbelow)



8.Navigatetothesamelocationasinstep2and3above,thenselecttherenamednewfolder(ex:Music),andclick/tapontheSelectFolderbutton.(Seescreenshotbelow)

9.Click/taponOK.(Seescreenshotbelow)



10.Click/taponYes.(Seescreenshotbelow)

11.Afterafewsecondswhenthelocationhasbeenchanged,thePropertieswindow(screenshotunderstep9)willthenclose.

12.CheckbackattheC:\Users\(username)locationtomakesurethattheolduserfolder(ex:MyMusic)thatyoumovedisnolongerthere.Ifitis,thenmakesurethatthecontentsofthefolderweremovedtothenewlocation,anddeleteit.(Seescreenshotbelow)NOTE:Ifyouareunabletodeletethefolder,thenrestartthecomputerandtryagain.

13.Youwillnoticethatthefolderattheshell:UsersFilesFolder locationandthenewlocation(ex:Ddrive)youmovedtheuserfolderto,nowhasthedefaultuserfolder(ex:MyMusic)icon.(Seescreenshotbelow)NOTE:TheStartMenuinWindows7nowopenstheuserfolderfromthenewlocation(ex:D:drive)thatyoumovedtheuser



folderto.

14.Ifyouapartofahomegroup,thenyoucannowchangethehomegroupsettingsbacktosharetheuserfolder(ex:MyMusic)againifyoulikebycheckingthefolder,andclick/taponSaveChanges.(seescreenshotbelow)

Tip

Ifyouwantedtorestorethedefaultlocationoftheuserfolder,thensee:

HowtoRestoretheDefaultLocationofUserFoldersinWindows7andWindows8

That'sit,Shawn

RelatedTutorials

HowtoCustomizeDefaultUserProfileinAuditModeHowtoRestoretheDefaultLocationofUserFoldersinWindows7andWindows8HowtoChangetheDefault"Screenshots"FolderLocationinWindows8HowtoChangetheWindows7DefaultUserFolderIconsHowtoPinYourUserFilesFoldertotheWindows7TaskbarHowtoCreateYourOwnSpecialUserFolder



HowtoRestoreWindows7DefaultUserFolderIconsHowtoAddorRemoveyourUserFolderfromtheWindows7NavigationPaneHowtoAlloworPreventUserstoMovetheirUserFolderstoaNewLocationHowtoChangetheDefaultLocationofaUserProfileinWindows7andVistaHowtoChangetheNameof"MyDocuments"withoutRenamingtheFolderUserFoldersMovingUserFoldersbyModularScriptHowtoFreeUpandRecoverHardDriveSpaceinWindows7HowtoChangetheUserFolderNameofaUserProfileinWindows7



29Jul2009 #1

Lee

Win7Prox64,VMWinXP,Win7ProSandbox,Kubuntu

111,741posts

Fruitland,Idaho

Brink,

Thanks,afterfinishingreading,IprintedittoPDF.ThatwayIcangetrightthefirsttime.Goodinfo.

Tip:DownloadWindowsRepairToolMySystemSpecs

29Jul2009 #2

BrinkYou'remostwelcomeLee.

HardDiskDataRecoveryLostyourdata,StellarwouldhelpCallUsForFreeConsultation



64bitWindows8.1Enterprise

58,516postsOklahoma

MySystemSpecs

28Aug2009 #3

SHOGuide

Windows72postsAlpine

YoupresentedtheexactquestionIwasseeking,butyouranswerillustratesmovingasubfolderofthedefaultuser.IinstalledWindows7andprovidedausername,sothedefaultfolderisc:\users\user1.Thereisalockicononthisfolder.Iwanttoassignthismachinetojjonesandwantthedefaultdirectorytobec:\users\jjoneswithallthesubfoldersofmusic,video,documents...Ichangedthelogintojjones(admin),thinkingitwouldchangethefolders.MaybeImissedastep...Thanks!

MySystemSpecs

28Aug2009 #4

Brink


58,516postsOklahoma

HelloSHOGuide,andwelcometoSevenForums.

TheonlywayyoucanchangetheC:\Users\(username)folderistocreateanewadministratoraccountwithadifferentnamethantheuser1andjjonesthatyouassignedtotheotheraccount.Afterwards,copythecontentsofyourC:\users\user1foldersintothecorrespondingnewaccount'sC:\Users\(username)folders.Wheneverythingchecksoutok,youcanthendeletetheolduseraccountfromwithinthenewone.

Hopethishelps,Shawn

MySystemSpecs

31Aug2009 #5

SHOGuide

Windows72postsAlpine

Thankyou!ThisiswhatIwaslookingfor.IwashopefulthatifIjustchangedtheonlyAdminloginfromuser1tojjonesthatWindowswouldsimplypromptmetorenameeverythingthatwasassociatedwithuser1.Afterthinkingaboutit,thatwouldnotbeeasyforthesystemtodo.I'mstilltryingtogetusedtotheLibrariesfolderstructure.Ithasinitiallybeenconfusing.

MySystemSpecs

31Aug2009 #6

Brink


58,516postsOklahoma

You'rewelcomeSHOGuide.

Ifithelpsany,youcanthinkoftheLibrariesasacollectionsofshortcutstomakeaccessingandchangingfilesfromdifferentlocationseasiertodoinonelocation(library)instead.

MySystemSpecs

10Sep2009 #7

churin

W7Ultx64345postsU.S.A.

WhatisUsersFilesFolderinshell:UsersFilesFolderinSetp3.?IthoughtitisFavoriteswhenIwantedtorelocatethisfolderbutitdoesnotseemstobeso.

MySystemSpecs

10Sep2009 #8

Barman58

Windows8.1Prox64x3+Windows10Preview,Ubuntu

15,021postsNewport,South

Wales,UK

Quote:OriginallyPostedbychurin


Theshell:UsersFilesFolderisthesystemidentifierfortheuserfolderwhichappersastheusernameinthestartmenuorexplorer.



Itisthepointertothefolderc:\users\{user}inthedefaultsetupbutisnotasfarasIamawarerelocatableusingthelocationfunction

MySystemSpecs

10Sep2009 #9

churin

W7Ultx64345postsU.S.A.

Quote:OriginallyPostedbyBarman58

Quote:OriginallyPostedbychurin


Theshell:UsersFilesFolderisthesystemidentifierfortheuserfolderwhichappersastheusernameinthestartmenuorexplorer.

MyquestioniswhattheUsersFilesFolderis.Whereasyouranswerisshell:UsersFilesFolderis........PleaseprovidewhatgoesinplaceofUsersFilesFolderbyaspcificexample.

MySystemSpecs

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