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I've just tried to move my users folder to another drive on 64-Bit Windows 7 Ultimate. However, I can no longer log in as I get the error message: "The User Profile Service failed the logon. User profile cannot be loaded".
In windows, my drives are mapped as:
C:\ -> windows system drive SSD
d:\ -> programs
e:\ -> users
Using the recovery command prompt my drives were mapped as:
X:\ -> recovery media
e:\ -> windows system drive SSD
f:\ -> users
I tried to create a hardlink from c:\users to e:\users in the recovery command prompt as follows:
robocopy /copyall /mir /xj e:\users f:\users
rmdir /S /Q e:\users
mklink /J e:\users f:\users
this seemed to work in the command prompt as doing a 'dir' showed the junction point as expected. However I was unable to log in after rebooting.
As I was slightly confused about which drive letters to use (the recovery ones or the original windows ones), I tried this again using the "\?\Volume{GUID}\" notation instead but this still has the same problem.
Anyone know what I did wrong or how to both this?
PS the original instructions I used were: http://lifehacker.com/5467758/move-the-users-directory-in-windows-7 PPS this is a clean install of windows, so I am not worried about losing data, etc.
Simon
Posted 2010-10-16T12:01:02.060
Reputation: 181
sounds like the profile path is still set to c: I think this can be changed in managment console, not sure how to do it on commandline, probably via some regedit? – stijn – 2010-10-16T13:46:30.267
@stijn - the profile path is still set to c, but this is correct isn't it? I thought that was the point of the junction point? – Simon – 2010-10-17T10:02:06.943
oops didn't see you created the juntcion; in that case, yes, it sounds allright.. either something went wrong with the copy (you could check that by moving everything from e: to c: again, if you still get the error, something's currupt), or windows has problem seeing everytiing through the junction (which I doubt, I've been using junctions for a long time and never had problems) – stijn – 2010-10-17T10:23:26.617
@stijn thanks, that's a good suggestion. I've done that and you are right, it still can't logon. Any idea's on what I could have missed on my robocopy arguments? It didn't report any failures when I did the copy? – Simon – 2010-10-17T10:31:54.637
as harrymc points out, robocopy might not copy files that are in use; did you copy after booting to recovery console? if not, that might be the problem; if so, I don't know, afaik when booting via cd no files are in use so it should be fine. – stijn – 2010-10-18T18:05:47.537
@Simon So what was the resolution? You mentioned that Robocopy doesn't copy junctions... – Toaster – 2012-03-11T23:00:05.993
@Colin I think I had to follow the original lifehacker instructions, but the user I created when first installing windows would no longer work, only new users would work or something like that... sorry, this was so long ago. I did want to write the solution at the time, but it took so much trial and error I couldn't remember exactly the steps I took. – Simon – 2012-03-12T17:08:55.220
@Simon Thanks. Yes, the process is simple but delicate. – Toaster – 2012-03-15T22:01:10.573
possible duplicate of Moving users folder on Windows Vista/Seven to another partition
– Renan – 2012-07-24T13:49:20.753