Windows 7 Default User Directory

This topic is sickly annoying. In windows XP You could right click "My Documents" and change the location.
Windows 7 makes it a trifle more difficult.
This guide is for NEW profiles only. If you are clean installing then it can work for you as well. Look for the notes. I tried many times moving my user folders from inside the profile I was working with. Its not worth the trouble.


X1(start here if you have a new install): If you are freshly installed. When your computer asks for a name and computer name rather than choosing one, Press Control+Shift+F3. This creates a temp. administrator profile with no dependency on hardware.


1. If you are already in a windows environment, You need to create the folder in which you want your new user profiles to be stored. (ex: D:\Users) You can even name it something different (ex: D:\AnyNameFolder)


2.Once you create that folder, go into it and make a folder named "Default" copy the contents of your original user directory\Default hidden folder.

** Failure to do this will prevent you from logging into ANY new profiles. This is very important **


3. After both of those are created, open your start menu and type "regedit". This will open Windows Registry Editor. Now Navigate to 

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows NT > CurrentVersion > ProfileList

You should see
(Default)
Default
ProfilesDirectory
ProgramData
Public


Now, while you're here you want to change ProfilesDirectory to X:\YourUserFolder
and edit "Default" to X:\YourUserFolder\Default


4. If you are already in windows, make a new profile and your user folder will be where you specified in regedit.


4X: If you are not in windows change the Sysprep to OOBE (out of box experience) and click generalize. Your computer will restart and allow you to create your profile.