Vist 64-Bit, My Documents on Different Drives

[crazy1323]

OK, so I just installed Vista 64-bit on my System on a SCSI drive. However, it is a small drive, only 147Gb. I Would like to have the folders under the User Name (Downloads, Pictures, Music, My Documents.....) to a larger 500Gb HDD that I have installed.

How do I go about doing this?

[p2501]

Warning! Information in this very post is invalid. Read on for more info. Warning!

Ok, since I didn't do it yet on Vista but back on w2k, which should be the same, here an howto:

First you copy the whole "users" directory to where you want it (I actually never tried if windoze copies automagically if you change the variable I describe below).
Then press Windows Key+Pause/Break together, then goto advanced system settings -> Advanced -> Environment variables. If you want to store userdir for all users on a different disc, then choose "new" at the lower box. The variable is userdir, the value is the complete path to where you want it and already copied it. Now reboot and if everything worked (make sure that it worked, e.g. userdir on the desktop should now point to the new location) you now should be able to savely delete "users" on C:.

As I said, never tried this on Vista, maybe Vistas "security measures" will bug you when you try to delete...

[mpilchfamily]

Vista and W2K are no where near the same.

[p2501]

Vista and W2K are no where near the same.

Thanks for the intelligent remark.:clap:
In handling of these variables they _are_ the same.

[tiro_uspsss]

y dont u just save them 'manually' to the desired hdd?

[Scubar]

right click on your My Documents folder, goto properties, then click the location tab. Select a new location and let it move all your files for you and voila job done.

[p2501]

right click on your My Documents folder, goto properties, then click the location tab. Select a new location and let it move all your files for you and voila job done.

...which only applies to that single folder. But since he wanted the whole users directory somewhere else I figure this approach would be too tedious. :shrug:

[Der_KHAN]

you can't move the whole users folder but you can move everything in the folder with your username (Downloads, Pictures, Music, My Documents.....). and thats exactly what crazy1323 asked for.

it works the same way as with my documents, just go to properties->path

[mpilchfamily]

Thanks for the intelligent remark.:clap:
In handling of these variables they _are_ the same.

Glad i can help. ;)

[p2501]

you can't move the whole users folder but you can move everything in the folder with your username (Downloads, Pictures, Music, My Documents.....). and thats exactly what crazy1323 asked for.

it works the same way as with my documents, just go to properties->path

Ooookay, you _can_ change the whole thing, but not as I thought. As it seems it's best when you set it while you're installing. I tried my approach I described above and indeed it doesn't work anymore. But I found a way with a little googling.

Glad i can help. ;)

Well, I was wrong. I tried it just now and Vista sort of just ignores the variables I'm speaking of. So... mpilchfamily:1, p2501:0; I should have tested it before posting and making an as* out of myself. But ooh well, I'm good at that. :shrug::(

crazy1323, here is a way that seems to be working, but I was way too lazy to try that: Linkylinky (http://joshmouch.wordpress.com/2007/04/07/change-user-profile-folder-location-in-vista/). Have fun. If I'm ever going to reinstal Vista, I'll try this, but not now... :up:

[mpilchfamily]

Well on the bright side you now have more exsperience with Vista then i do. All i know is what i have read about it.

[p2501]

Well on the bright side you now have more exsperience with Vista then i do. All i know is what i have read about it.

Additionally I'm really glad that I didn't loose my precious work unit for fah due to the whole rebooting fun. But still, I wonder why they made it so difficult to change just that. I even tried changing just the registry keys needed with copying everything b4, but yeah, without the additional steps from above linkage it didn't work. Vista = deh fun. :slapass:

[MikeB12]

I just open the profile folder from the desktop and right click each individual folder and change location.
Mine are this way too, since I have a 150gb raptor as my os drive and a 500gb as my data drive..
plus when I reformat install an os, no need to backup since everything is already on D.
I cntrl selected everything that has a location tab below in the pic
http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/6497/18748815hu0.jpg