Moving the ProgramData directory in Windows 10 on install

Question

AS detailed in this guide: http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1964-users-folder-move-location-windows-10-a.html, I've moved my Users directory from the default C:\Users to D:\Users. I used this answer file, which I saved as relocate.xml:

<xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"\>

<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">

<settings pass="oobeSystem">

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">

<FolderLocations>

<ProfilesDirectory>D:\Users</ProfilesDirectory>

</FolderLocations>

</component>

</settings>

<cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:X:\sources\install.wim#Windows 10 Pro" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />

</unattend>

But I also figure that I need to move ProgramData as well. So to the relocate.xml, I added:

<ProgramData>D:\ProgramData</ProgramData>

at the line 7.

When I do this command:

%windir%\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /oobe /reboot /unattend:Y:\relocate.xml

It runs Sysprep, but after it asks me to enter my settings, the system just seems to get stuck in a loop. Unlike when I use the original relocate.xml as it was in the guide, which completes and logs me to a new account.

A general search about relocating the ProgramData directory doesn't seem to lead to any guides. So what's the reason for not having a straight-forward way of relocating ProgramData?

Answer 1

I have discovered the same issue even when it is documented as a valid parameter seems it does not.

There is a work around though. You can copy the entire folder (programdata) to your new destination (I would use a winpe boot and use robocopy to preserve everything exactly the same)

Something like

robocopy "C:\ProgramData" "D:\ProgramData" /E /ZB /DCOPY:T /COPYALL /R:1 /W:1 /V /TEE

After that you can delete the programdata folder and add a junction to it

mklink /j "C:\ProgramData" "D:\ProgramData"

Just remember that this could not work in some scenearios, I would try on a clean installation or a virtual machine first.

Answer 2

Since this question comes up high on Google when searching for information about unattended answer files, I decided to add another reply even though the question is old.

The Official Documentation on Unattended Answer Files clearly states:

ProgramData - Specifies the path to the program-data folder.

Warning Use this setting only in a test environment. If you change the default location of the program-data folders to a volume other than the system volume, you cannot service your image. Any updates, fixes, or service packs may not be applied to the installation.

I therefore assume (even though I haven't tested it) you get stuck in a boot loop as you tried to install all latest updates during the isntallation process, which keeps failing and windows keeps re-trying.

Since this is known and documented behaviour, the only solution to this is relocating the folder by other means (see @Varacolaci's reply for an example) or keep it at the default location.