Move Users Folder Location in Windows 11

AndreyT · Jan 29, 2025

I just made a clean install of Windows 11 and used "Method 1" from Windows 10 era. Everything worked in exactly the same way as in Windows 10 and the folder got successfully relocated.

One note though: the installation was performed from a USB drive prepared with Rufus. When the drive was prepared, Rufus customization settings were set to ensure the install does not require TPM and does not require online MS account. Nevertheless, during the install process I ran into the stage when the installer stubbornly required an online MS account. I had to work around this problem using alternative methods (through Shift+F10 and `oobe\bypassnro`). I wonder if using the aforementioned "Method 1" somehow overrides this Rufus customization.

antspants · Jan 29, 2025

AndreyT said:
I just made a clean install of Windows 11 and used "Method 1" from Windows 10 era. Everything worked in exactly the same way as in Windows 10 and the folder got successfully relocated.

One note though: the installation was performed from a USB drive prepared with Rufus. When the drive was prepared, Rufus customization settings were set to ensure the install does not require TPM and does not require online MS account. Nevertheless, during the install process I ran into the stage when the installer stubbornly insisted that I supply an online MS account. I had to work around this problem using alternative methods (through Shift+F10 and `oobe\bypassnro`). I wonder if using "Method 1" somehow overrides this Rufus customization.

Hi, Andrey, werlcome.

Moving user folders comes after the Windows installation using the Rufus install media. Not sure how it could affect the install.

What version of Rufus are you using? I believe the latest is v4.6

And if this helps:

Switch to Local Account from Microsoft Account in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to switch to a local account from a Microsoft account to sign in to Windows 11 with instead. You can sign in to Windows 11 with a local account or a Microsoft account. However, you can easily switch between using a local account or a Microsoft account to sign in...

www.elevenforum.com

antspants · Jan 29, 2025

Move or Restore Default Location of Documents Folder in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to move or restore the default location of the Documents folder for your account in Windows 10 and Windows 11. The Documents folder (shell:personal) is a component of the user profile that is used as a unified location for storing personal data. By default, the...

www.elevenforum.com

Using any one of these tutorials basically teaches you how to move any user folder, only the folder changes in the tutorials.

AndreyT · Jan 29, 2025

antspants said:
Using any one of these tutorials basically teaches you how to move any user folder, only the folder changes in the tutorials.

This is a well-known feature, but it is obviously not the same as relocation the whole `Users` tree.

P.S. On a loosely related note: Windows 11 still suffers form that old issue when relocating an individual personal user's sub-folder (e.g. `Pictures`) causes `Personal Folder` link in Start Menu to open the folder that does not show the relocated sub-folder. I.e. Start Menu link opens the actual physical folder. Meanwhile, a desktop link (produced by "Desktop Icon Settings") would open a "virtual" folder with all sub-folders properly in place. MS has been informed about that snafu, but they don't seem to understand the issue.

antspants · Jan 29, 2025

AndreyT said:
P.S. On a loosely related note: Windows 11 still suffers form that old issue when relocating an individual personal user's sub-folder (e.g. `Pictures`) causes `Personal Folder` link in Start Menu to open the folder that does not show the relocated sub-folder. I.e. Start Menu link opens the actual physical folder. Meanwhile, a desktop link (produced by "Desktop Icon Settings") would open a "virtual" folder with all sub-folders properly in place. MS has been informed about that snafu, but they don't seem to understand the issue.

I’ve never seen or had this issue.

AndreyT said:
This is a well-known feature, but it is obviously not the same as relocation the whole `Users` tree.

Got you. Yet again I have confused the two processes. It isn’t the first time.

AndreyT · Jan 29, 2025

antspants said:
I’ve never seen or had this issue.

The issue is 100% reproducible everywhere.

E.g.

1. Relocate your `Pictures` folder using `Location` tab in folder properties.
2. Open your personal folder through a `Start Menu` link (bottom right of the menu, assuming you have it there)

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3. A File Explorer window will open displaying the content of your personal folder. But `Pictures` will be missing from that window.

antspants · Jan 29, 2025

AndreyT said:
The issue is 100% reproducible everywhere.

1. Relocate your `Pictures` folder using `Location` tab in folder properties.
2. Open your personal folder through a `Start Menu` link (bottom right of the menu, assuming you have it there)
3. A File Explorer window will open displaying the content of your personal folder. But `Pictures` will be missing from there.

Nope. I must be lucky, I’ve been relocating my user folders to a secondary drive for ever, I still have to say I have never experienced on instance of this happening.
Also, I use Start11, and have been using Stardock since Start8. Perhaps that’s why?

And regarding this thread. If the reference was made to “Profile Folder” it would probably be less confusing, for me anyway. A “User Folder” to me at least, is Documents/Pictures/Videos/etc etc

Can I ask you, when you say “using Method 1” from where?

antspants · Jan 29, 2025

For the sake of explaining myself as per the title of this thread; This is just my opinion:

A “Profile Folder” (or User Profile Folder) Contains all “User Folders”

A “User Folder” is a folder contained within the “Profile Folder”

No fault of anyones here, less the way the thread title was created. And my not being willing to read 5 pages, which is on me.

antspants · Jan 29, 2025

I’m guessing that there isn’t an official tutorial (by Brink) on this subject in here because it’s an ill advised thing to do. Microsoft has expressed this as have many others

Are you referring Method 1 to Kari’s tutorial?

Move Users Folder Location in Windows 10

How to Move Users Folder to another Location in Windows 10

www.tenforums.com

Re Rufus, maybe it is at fault? I’d jump on Github and query it.

AndreyT · Feb 9, 2025

... and another tidbit:

Just like in Windows 10, the installer fails to create the C:\Documents and Settings junction properly. Even if you successfully relocate your Users folder to another drive, the above junction will still stubbornly point to non-existent C:\Users. This is probably not that critical, since there are few software pieces that still rely on the hardcoded XP-era C:\Documents and Settings location (frankly, I'm not aware of any), but still... If you want to keep things clean, after installation you'll need to edit the above junction to make it point to the new location.

Move Users Folder Location in Windows 11

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