Redirecting Documents and Settings

[Gaz1988]

Im wondering if it is possing to change the path where windows XP looks for your documents and settings folder?

Ive just got a new HDD so want to copy over the contents to it.

 

[Andre]

right-click My Documents, choose Properties and select new location. Will copy all current documents etc. over for you also

 

[Gaz1988]

Oh sorry I never made very clear, yeh im aware of that!

I mean how to copy the entire docs and settings folder, all the app settings, backgrounds etc..

 

[IAmATeaf]

The above will move what I would call the personal documents area over to another folder/drive. You can also change the default folder for profiles by modifying this registry key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

Any new users created would then by default have their profile created in the folder you set in ProfileList.

Be warned though, I'd leave the admini user still on the C: drive as if the other drive/folder cannot be accessed you won't even be able to logon as admin.

EDIT: You'll need to also copy over the All Users and Default User folders and any existing users will need their registry altered to reflect the new location. The keys you'll need to change are:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

 

[Gaz1988]

Last question, what if a an application (say a game or something) has hardcoded the path to the default (c:\docs and sets or w/e it is!). Will windows redirect it? or will it try place its settings/files into the old location?

 

[IAmATeaf]

All depends where the game is getting that location from, if it's in the registry hard pathed then find it and change it, if it's preceded by %USERPROFILE% then the game will use the new location.

 

[Gaz1988]

Thanks a lot, ill give this a whirl when I get home.