Changing Default User Data Folders During Install?
Dec 12, 2011
I build, and then support many computers for my friends and family. I have recently started making them feel a bit more "manufactured" by using a factory-style recovery option (press F9 at boot to enter recovery / uses a hidden recovery partition etc...).
The issue I have though, is I often get asked to "wipe" someone's computer following a virus/malware infestation (and yes, I do supply AV, but that isn't always enough).
So, I use Sysprep to install all additional software, drivers etc... but the one problem I have is that I like to have, and usually always configure PC's to store items like Documents/Pictures/Music/Videos etc... on a seperate partition.
The problem is, when I configure this in Sysprep - the settings are lost when the user completes OOBE.
Ideally, I do not want to move the entire "Users" directory, I just want the libraries to never look at any folders on the C: drive, only the ones on D: (D:\%USERNAME%Documents etc...).
I want it so that when files "detect" where to save, it locates the appropriate directory on the D: drive, so they dont have to always manually locate the folders.
The reason I dont want the entire "Users" folder on D: is that following a restore or 2, it will get messy...
I would like to either automate this during setup, or would happily take a manual approach during Sysprep - as long as it applied these settings to all users as and when they are created.
I would like the cleanest way to do this, ideally without junctions/symlinks.
I changed the values in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionProfileList in order to move the default user locations to my second partition. I then created a new user profile but when I try to login I get the message 'The User Profile Service failed the login'. When I set these values back to normal, new accounts work fine but I really want my user accounts on the second partition.
In my user folder, I think I right-clicked the Favorites folder and changed the location to C: in an attempt to get rid of it. Now it seems my C:Windows folder has renamed itself to Favorites.
I find it folly to install my applications on the C drive, especially the larger applications. Doing so makes the C drive so large that it is cumbersome to make the image backups that I think are necessary to insure an easy recovery from any problem causing a failure to boot. In WinXP, there is an easy way to change the default install location by changing ProgramFilesDir at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows Current Version. I changed that to a specific folder on my D drive and have used that for the last 8 years with no problem. It appears this registry key is only used by install programs to let them know where you want your programs installed.I really miss this wonderful feature in windows 7. Actually windows 7 has the same registry key, but unfortunately it does not seem to be used for the same purpose. I'm not sure exactly what it does, but at least for some programs, Windows seems to use it as a path to find the program when it is to be executed. Of course that would make little sense because there would be no way to actually change the key without breaking something. (What sense is there in having a registry key that can't be changed?). I have tried changing this key on two different systems and eventually it did lead to problems on both systems. So now I'm back to laboriously changing the path from C:program files or C:program files (x86) every single time I install an application (which it turns out I do quite often).
Is it possible that a script could be developed to search for C:program files or program files(x86) in an edit box and replace it with my preferred path with a single hot key? That would at least take most of the drudgery out of it, although it would still require choosing the "custom" install on many applications, not to mention the occasional errant applications that always install to the default install path with no chance for user intervention.
I am currently running Windows 7 64-bit off of an 80 GB SSD while storing the majority of my programs (and documents, videos, etc.) on my 1 TB other drive. I am quickly running out of space on the SSD and I think it has to do with the fact that it keeps my saved game files there in the User directory while some saves stay on the F (1 TB) drive. Is there a way to transfer/redirect the profile so that it defaults to saving in a User folder on my F drive?
I did a clean install of windows 7 pro using sysprep to move my user files and program data to other drives. This works well as I only have a 120gb SSD running Windows 7 and a partition for Win 8 Pro that I haven't installed yet.
I changed the default installation path from c: to s: in both the 32/64 bit registry and now some of the programs (photoviewer, media player, defender) won't run. I've fixed the programs that I could, pointing those back to c: as I did not move any of the programs that comes with windows.
i got a SSD awhile back and was able to install windows on it and have my users folder and default install folder on my normal HDD. It has worked ok till now but I'm sure i screwed a few things up when i did it because random programs still try to install on my SSD and when the install makes the shortcuts, the paths for them are usually the wrong drive.I want to do a fresh install now, but i wanna do this correctly this time. how to make it so ONLY the windows folder in on the SSD and every thing else that actually takes up a lot of room on the drives goes on my larger HDD. edit: why wont it let me make separate paragraphs, it just smooshes it into a single one.
I'm reinstalling Windows 7 onto my 32GB OCZ SSD boot drive. In addition to that drive, I have a 1TB media drive and a 1TB drive that holds my user files as well as all my programs. I can't seem to figure out how to ensure that all the short cuts for the programs and data for the user file will run smoothly on the fresh install. Is there anything I should do before nuking the SSD and anything additional that I should do after the install or just treat it like a fresh SSD/HDD install but use the already existing user data? tl/dr: Reinstall windows on boot drive (SSD) and retain users folder/program files on separate HDD? edit: creating a clone image and using that won't work here, the actual OS files are bad
I have just done a clean install of Win 7 Pro 64. I have set up four accounts and for each one I have moved the user folders to a separate hard drive by using the Right Click Properties > Location > Move. I have done this for the following folders:
- Desktop - Downloads - My Documents - Favorites - Links - My Music - My Pictures - Videos
I have done it exactly the same way on each account (and more than once! I've been imaging the disk and have restored backwards a few times.)
The problem is, on three of the accounts, when I move the My Music, My Pictures, and Videos then they do move correctly but three rogue folders appear named Music, Pictures and Videos. And I can't delete then since they are system folders.
But the weird thing is that this does not happen on one of the accounts!
how to get rid of the extra folders as they're cluttering up the users home folder and causing confusion.
How do I map existing User Folders to a newly created User Account?I had existing User Folders on drive D. I added a new drive C and installed the OS on C but changed default location of User Folders to D. Now my existing User Folders are in the Users folder on D but there is no User Account associated with them. If I create a user account with the same name will it map to the existing folder within Users?I did a test of this. I created a folder called Test within Users then created a User account called Test and logged in. It created another folder within Users called Test.Computername.
I have a 64 gb ssd, which I use as the boot drive, and a 1tb hd I want use as a game/data drive. Most programs would ask where to install or you can choose a 'custom install.' However, there are a few which automatically start installing on the default/boot drive without making a user inquiry. This PC is my first build, but I'm thinking that boot problems are usually solved through bios, while program installations problems are solved through the OS. I've tried disk management, i.e. an unsuccessful attempt to change disk 0 to disk 1 and vice versa, but to no avail
I have had my clean install of windows for about a fortnight now. I just recently found that the account I actually want to use though is the hidden "ultimate administrator"kind of user. Is there a quick easy way to migrate my settings and user data from the normal administrator user "tom" to the super administrator user?
Somehow I changed the background in windows and now everything is HUGE. I managed to find a browser to work and that is visually "ok." But everything in my computer is out of reach due to the size of all icons, fonts, etc. How can I get it changed back? I can't even get to system restore to go back to a restore point.
How can I change the default My Documents folder from SSD to HDD, so that everytime I save a documents or data and or download a software from the Internet it will not save on the SSD instead it will save on the HDD auotmatically?
This morning I noticed in WLM 2011 that it takes 5-6 seconds to shift between folders in my email accounts. That's very slow considering before today, clicking on another folder brought up that folder immediately. Anyone else having this problem? I can't imagine what happened. I tried a repair, but the problem persists.Thought I'd add that I do not work a paging file--I had changed that when an update changed my settings back to using one and shutdown suddenly took 2-3 minutes.Is there a similar setting somewhere that might cause the switching between mail folders to be so slow?
My minister has an hp laptop that uses Vista and I have suggested that she should convert to System Seven. So my question is this, how can it be done without losing any data, preferably and can it be done and have it run effectively with no bugs.
How to I change the default save location of any saved file from C drive to D drive?How to delete current user and program folders on my C drive? Info:I am trying to tidy up my computer and need some assistance with default save locations.I have 2 drives, A 60gb SSD (c:drive) and 1TB standard HDD (d drive). I have my OS on the C drive. I currently have 12gigs of information between two default folders named programs and user. Also when I download, files automatically go to c drive/users/andrew, I get no say in the choice, I want all files going to D drive.All I want to do is remove them from my C drive and have the default locations for any file saved to be to the D drive. This is because I only want select programs, i.e the ones I use regularly to be be on the much faster SSD c drive.[CODE]
I am new to Windows 7 and all my attachments from emails download to the defaulted "Download" folder. How do I change this so that I can choose where to save my files?
A few days ago I decided to install windows 7 7100 on my newly built desktop, unfortunately a day later i get an error called 651, i looked around and found out that it is a bug so i am resorting to a more stable os (vista...but only for now) and i am trying to boot it from daemon tools becuz my dvd copy has trouble booting, but every time i try to install it, it keeps trying to install the OS on my system partition and gives me an error that says there is not enough space available.
So my question is, how can i change the default drive letter that windows 7 gives to Daemon Tools?
So, I have several different printers set up for different wireless networks that I connect to; the only problem is that Windows never refreshes or updates my default printer when I connect to a different wireless network.
If I go into the "Manage default printers" and click the network and printer combination (stored in the saved list below) and then click "Update" it will successfully update my default printer to the one it should be. However, that's kind of a pain to have to go through several menus just to update my default printer--it would be faster to do it the old-fashioned way (right click the printer and click "set as default printer").
Any ideas on why this isn't updating correctly--I haven't yet seen it update since setting up my default printers. Or, should this go in a different topic than Networking & Sharing?
I just upgraded from 32 bit to 64 bit windows 7, I have two harddrives, a 40 gig for my os (C and a 1 tb for everything else (D. That's how it was on the 32 bit system, but now on 64 bit, there are more folders to mess with (Program Files and Program Files x86). How do I tell windows to install to the bigger D: drive and not fill up my small C: drive? Also, the programs that were already installed on my D: drive, will they need to be moved to the x86 folder, reinstalled, or can I continue to run them from their current location?
I want to change the default directory of my Internet access files like the Temp,cookies, download etc to a new hard drive. Actually, all data is stored in my SDD drive and I want to displace them to a new location.
I open the WIndows 7 file manager by right-clicking on the start button and then choosing Open Windows Explorer. It always defaults to Libraries, but I would rather it defaulted to C: Is there a way to change this?
Is there any way of changing the default pop-up menu of the Start Button? I would like to be able to simple click on the Start Button and have the "All Programs" menu selection displayed as deault instead of having to do two clicks each time (Start Menu followed by "All Programs"
Whenever I open Google Chrome, it opens really close to the bottom of the taskbar, and I always have to manually drag it into the center of the screen and maximize it. How can I set it so that automatically opens in the center of the screen?
I am a big fan of user account controls in Vista and Windows 7.
I would like to know how I can stop any and all newly installed programs from being able to change or affect my default programs.
I build and maintain computers and once I have installed and set up a new system I don't want any program to change my default programs. Not even win media player or Internet explorer if they update themselves.
Does that make sense.
I use GOM as the default media player and firefox as the default browser. But sometimes if there is a system update for media player, internet explorer or even iTunes and quicktime these programs sometimes after the update change my default programs.
Once I have finalized my install and set up my preferences how can I lock down the default programs permanently?
