Moving the Windows Users Directory to Another Partition
About
Today, I’ll demonstrate how to move your user directory to a different partition, utilizing the Windows Audit mode and a precise XML file. With the help of terminal commands, you can smoothly transition your user directory, say to the D: partition, streamlining the process before you wrap up the Windows installation.
Process
Begin the Windows installation as you normally would. At the welcome screen, after the initial reboot, activate audit mode by pressing CTRL + SHIFT + F3. This pivotal step allows you to manage your user directory and users’ files before proceeding.
Once in Audit mode, close the window that appears, copy the XML Next, transfer the XML file into the partition designated for the new path, and ensure that the partition alias is set correctly before moving forward. You can change it with the Disk Partition Manager while in audit mode.
Keep in mind, if you’ve selected an alias drive letter to serve as the root directory for the new path diverging from the standard “D:” you’ll need to modify the “D:” reference in the XML file accordingly, as demonstrated below.
Now paste these two commands into a terminal that has administrator rights.
net stop wmpnetworksvc
%windir%\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /oobe /reboot /unattend:d:\relocate.xml
Upon completion, your PC will reboot, and the Windows installation will proceed as usual, integrating the user directory changes seamlessly and without any hitches.
A handy tip: to expedite the installation, since I utilize a USB flash drive, I create a new directory on the drive to house the XML file, accompanied by a txt file containing the necessary terminal commands.