Changing the user folder in Windows 7

0

I know this could be a duplicate, but let me explain.

Let's say I want C:\Users\Me to be a link to E:\me. Like the other question says, I tried doing mklink /d C:\Users\Me E:\me. However, I get a "Cannot create file when that file already exists" error. Obviously, the C:\Users\Me folder already exists. But if I try to delete, it just comes back instantly. I tried logging off my account and logging in as the administrator, but I still get that same error.

Javier

Posted 2009-12-14T02:29:25.027

Reputation: 3 053

This sounds like a lot of problems coming... I smell a reformat and reinstall eminent. ... or however you spell that... – Sakamoto Kazuma – 2009-12-14T03:14:25.800

What? Why? I just installed it. – Javier – 2009-12-14T03:36:02.370

Answers

1

I think you need to remove the drive specification in C:\Users\Me so that the command line instead reads:

mklink /d \Users\Me E:\me

Shoeless

Posted 2009-12-14T02:29:25.027

Reputation: 1 172

No, that doesn't work. – Javier – 2009-12-14T02:50:25.990

FWIW, I tested that command successfully on my local system Do you get an error message? Dbl-check that you have admin privileges (mklink requires admin).

On second thought... try changing your first param from \Users\Me to \Users\Me2 as I think the problem is perhaps that \Users\Me already exists as a physical directory. – Shoeless – 2009-12-14T03:25:17.370

Note: C:\Users\Me2 should work as well - My apologies... I was incorrect in my initial post. – Shoeless – 2009-12-14T03:26:10.783

But if my username is "Me", why would I use the "Me2" folder? – Javier – 2009-12-14T03:27:11.343

The command you suggested, "mklink /d C:\Users\Me E:\me" will attempt to create a link named C:\User\Me that points to E:\me. Since you apparently already have a physical folder named C:\Users\Me, I was suggesting that you display/access the contents of E:\me in an alternately named folder (in this case, "me2" :) – Shoeless – 2009-12-14T03:36:58.953

Well, that would work, but the point is to modify the folder that Windows 7 recognizes as the user's, like "Documents and Settings" in XP. – Javier – 2009-12-14T03:42:34.947

I guess I misunderstood your initial intention... If you are looking to move an entire user's profile to a different location, I don't think symbolic links are the best means of doing so. Does the following link help? http://joshmouch.wordpress.com/2007/04/07/change-user-profile-folder-location-in-vista/

– Shoeless – 2009-12-14T04:29:36.080

Thanks, I guess that would work, but the steps are too complicated and error prone and I don't feel like doing that. If no one posts a new answer in a while, I'll accept yours. – Javier – 2009-12-14T14:06:38.057

Asked: 2009-12-14T02:29:25.027

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Active: 2009-12-14T02:46:42.923