User Profiles - Relocate to another Partition or Disk

How to Relocate User Profiles to another Partition or Disk in Windows 8​

   Information

The method described in this tutorial allows relocating user profiles and folders already while installing Windows 8, before any user accounts are created, as well as after installation on an already installed system.

The advantage of this method is that it changes some internal Windows 8 environment variables, being a “Do it once and forget” procedure. Changing the variables takes care of all existing and future user profiles, locating them when created to selected drive or partition. The method is fail proof and reversible.

When Windows 8 is installed, 5 or 6 system folders are created depending on chosen bit-version:

• PerfLogs (Performance Logs), where Windows stores performance and reliability logs
• Program Files, where applications and software are installed. Windows x86 (32-bit) stores all applications here, Windows x64 (64-bit) only native 64-bit applications
• Program Files (x86), exists only in Windows x64. All non-x64 applications are stored here
• Windows, which contains core operating system files and drivers
• ProgramData, where some applications store application and user specific settings and configuration files.
• Users. This is the “home” of all user profiles. When a new user account is created and this new user logs in first time, Windows creates a set of user specific folders (Users\Username)

Microsoft does not recommend relocating, moving ProgramData, Program Files, Program Files (x86) and Windows folders. Too much is depending on information and data stored on these folders. However, there's simply nothing preventing us to move the Users folder. In this tutorial we show how to move (relocate) the Users folder by changing an internal Windows Environment Variable.

Moving Users folder can save a lot of space on system disk. Pictures, mp3’s videos, documents and so on, a user folder with its subfolders can be tens, sometimes hundreds of gigabytes.

Personally, when installing Windows 8 I always use Audit Mode to relocate Users folder, leaving system drive only for Windows and applications.

   Note

Screenshots from pre-release version Windows 8 Consumer Preview. Actual Windows 8 has different colors but the functions are the same, tutorial can be used as it is.

   Warning

An upgraded Windows cannot be sysprepped. As this method is based in sysprepping, this tutorial is valid only for Windows setups which have not been upgraded.

This means that if you have for instance in-place upgraded Vista or Seven to Eight you cannot sysprep and this tutorial cannot be used in your case. The same applies if you have upgraded Windows 8 to Windows 8 Pro or Windows 8 to 8.1.

Notice that a repair install is also an upgrade install, so if you have ever done a repair install (= in-place upgrade to same edition), you cannot sysprep.

When sysprepping an existing Windows setup, it only works if the Windows 8 was installed clean and has never been upgraded or repaired using repair install, or if it is the original pre-installed Windows 8

Although I have repeatedly told that relocating ProgramData will cause Windows Store and Apps as well as PC Settings not to function, people keep doing it using the method described in this tutorial.

DO NOT RELOCATE PROGRAMDATA! YOUR WINDOWS STORE AND APPS WILL NOT WORK IF PROGRAMDATA IS MOVED FROM ITS DEFAULT LOCATION.

1.Audit Mode

1.1. Boot to Audit Mode when installing Windows 8


(If you have already installed Windows 8, continue from step 1.2.)

Start Windows 8 installation normally.

When installation after a reboot or two is completed and Windows 8 comes to Personalize page (see screenshot below) press CTRL + SHIFT + F3 (press and hold down CTRL and SHIFT, press F3 still holding CTRL and SHIFT down, release all three keys).




DO NOT ENTER PC NAME HERE OR CLICK NEXT! Just press CTRL + SHIFT + F3.

Your computer reboots now. Don’t panic, it’s just doing what it really should do. Windows 8 starts now in so called Audit Mode, using built-in administrator account to let you to modify Windows before any user profiles and user specific folders are created.

Continue from step 2.


1.2. Boot to Audit Mode from existing Windows 8 installation

First you need to open Command Prompt using built-in administrative account: hover pointer over bottom left corner of the desktop, right click to open Start Menu , select Command Prompt (Admin):



Command Prompt window opens. Type this to command prompt:

[B]C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\Sysprep.exe /audit /reboot[/B]

Hit Enter.Windows reboots now to Audit Mode, "thinking" it's been started first time. Text Preparing can be seen on screen.

If you are interested to know more about Audit Mode, here are some links for you to read:

• TechNet: Understanding Audit Mode
• TechNet: Customize Windows in Audit Mode

2. Audit Mode

Windows has now booted in Audit Mode using built-in administrator account, and you should see Metro interface. Click Desktop to enter classic Windows desktop:



To start, click Cancel to close System Preparation Tool:



If you don’t have a second internal hard disk or you have not created and formatted an extra partition on your system disk, you need first to create one. Notice that the drive or partition don't have to be empty, but especially if relocating on an existing installation it must be big enough to allow Users folder to be moved there. When we sysprep with answer file on next step these two folders are physically moved to new location.

If you already have a formatted second HD or partition, you are ready to go.


2.1. Creating an answer file (script) for System Preparation Tool

Audit Mode lets us to start Windows without creating any user accounts. At the moment we are using the built-in administrator account. Your own accounts are created later.

We are going to use System Preparation Tool (sysprep) to run an XML-script (so called Answer file) which modifies the Windows registry and settings as we want to, relocating Users folder to another partition, E: in this example, by changing a so called Windows Environment Variable. You can of course use any internal drive you want to.

Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine readable form.
To make changes to Windows registry, we will now create a script in XML and run it with sysprep.

Open Windows Notepad text editor (press Win + R, type Notepad, hit Enter). Type the following script, or copy it from here and paste to Notepad (please do not forget to read the notes below code lines 4, 6 and 11 regarding said lines):

1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
   
2. <unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
   
3. <settings pass="oobeSystem">
   
4. <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm=[noparse]"http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"[/noparse]>
   
      Note

   (If you are installing Windows x64 (64-bit), value prosessorArchitecture should be amd64​, also on Intel processors. For x86 (32-bit) it should be x86.)
   

5. <FolderLocations>
   
6. <ProfilesDirectory>e:\Users</ProfilesDirectory>
   
      Note

   In this example the new location of Users would be E:\Users. Change the drive letter according your needs.

7. </FolderLocations>
   
8. </component>
   
9. </settings>
   
10. [noparse]<cpifflineImage[/noparse] cpi:source="wim:F:/sources/install.wim#Windows 8" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
    
       Note

    (Change the drive letter in wim:F: to that of your CD/DVD drive, USB stick or virtual drive containing your Windows 8 installation media (DVD/ISO). Notice that installation media has to be available to system when running sysprep. Change Windows version accordingly, Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, Windows 8.1 or Windows 8.1 Pro.
    

11. </unattend>
    

(Please leave the row numbers out when typing or copying the above code. Answer file generated with Windows System Image Manager).

If you are installing Windows 8 PRO x64 from CD/DVD/USB F: and relocating Users to E: you don’t have to change anything, you can use the script as it is.

Select Save As from Notepad’s File menu. Select Save as type: All Files. Name the file as you want, add .xml extension to the filename. Save the script to the root of any drive:



Alternatively you can download the answer file here: View attachment relocate.rar

2.2. Using System Preparation Tool

Open the Start Menu (Win + X), select Command Prompt (Admin).

First stop the Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service (WMPNetworkSvc) by giving the following command:

net stop WMPNetworkSvc

When the service has stopped, type the following to the command prompt and press Enter to move to the right folder:

cd c:\Windows\System32\Sysprep

Now type the following and press Enter (notice the name and path of the script we created above, change it if needed. I saved answer file on E so the path is E:\relocate.xml):

Sysprep.exe /audit /reboot /unattend:E:\relocate.xml

You should now see System Preparation Tool dialog telling it is working on our script:



Let it run, don’t touch mouse or keyboard now. When System Preparation Tool is ready, Windows must and will reboot. It reboots back to Audit Mode.


2.3. Exiting Audit Mode

To continue Windows installation we have to exit Audit Mode and reboot. After reboot you’ll land back on Metro interface. Click Desktop to enter classic Windows desktop, click OK on System Preparation Tool dialog to boot normally in OOBE i.e. normal mode.

Before clicking OK, check that System Cleanup Action is set to OOBE, and Shutdown Options set to Reboot:





3. Finalizing installation

Finalize Windows installation.

If you did this from an existing Windows installation, you will notice that for your Windows this is as if it were the first time Windows was booted i.e you are back on OOBE boot, inserting product key and personalizing Windows. It also means that you have to enter so called initial user. In this case Windows does not accept any of the users created earlier, whether local or Microsoft accounts; instead you need to create a new user.

An example from this PC I am using now: I had already created two users and installed software when I decided to do sysprep to relocate Users. I had a local account for me and an Microsoft account using my email address. After finalizing sysprep, I needed to create a third user Test because system does not let me to use either Kari (local account) or Kari (Microsoft account) usernames because those accounts already existed on this PC.

So I created user Test (local), then from Welcome screen logged in as Kari (Microsoft account) and simply deleted the new Test account which I had just created. An extra step, small annoyance but there's nothing to do to avoid it.

When Windows finally boots first time to Start Screen you will see that Users folder is now located on the new drive or partition with all its subfolders.

When you check your system drive [noparse](C still [/noparse]contains Users folder. The old, original Users on C: can contain some Windows Store information that may not be moved, so let the old Users folder stay on C:. It will no longer grow, all new user data will be stored on a new location, but it is essential it remains on C:. You can hide it if you want, you are never again going to need it.

Notice that Users folder is not created on or moved to new location when you return to Audit Mode after running sysprep. Relocation will first happen when you exit Audit Mode and boot to OOBE (Welcome) mode to continue installation. If done on an existing system the first OOBE boot after sysprepping can take quite a long time, depending on how big those folders are that sysprep is physically moving to new location.

Remember also that when you create a new user profile the user folders are not created before the new user logs in first time.

That’s it, folks! Welcome to the Windows 8:






Now create a system image and you wont have to ever again remember jumplists and links everytime you restore the system to earlier point or system image. User account folders are now permanently moved to another drive, all new user profiles are automatically created on this new location and your system drive won’t be full so soon.

Thanks for reading.

Written and published on 02[SUP]nd[/SUP] of March 2012
Edited and updated on 6[SUP]th[/SUP] of February 2013
Edited, answer file's validity checked on 14[SUP]th[/SUP] of April 2013
Added instructions for Windows 8.1 Pro preview on 29th of June 2013

Kari

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Customize Default User Profile in Audit Mode
• How to Change the Default Location of User Folders in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Restore the Default Location of User Folders in Windows 7 and Windows 8

 

[Kari]

See your question and responses to it where you originally posted it: User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation - Page 83 - Windows 7 Help Forums.

What applies to Seven applies in this case Eight, too.

 

[Steelgate]

Watch out! there's a deadline for updating Windows 8.1

Hello Kari and fellow Windows8 folks,

I used your tutorial here last year when installing Window8 on a SSD systemdrive and USERS on a HD.

In a weird turn of events, I'm sure you have heard of Microsoft's June 10, 2014 deadline of the update for Windows 8.1 in order to push folks to make the "upgrade" to Windows 8.1 Update 1. see http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/microsoft-extends-windows-81-update-1-install-deadline-30-days-0 and Windows 8.1 Update Requirement Extended

I'm wondering if the deadline to "upgrade" to Windows 8.1 update 1 could pose a problem for boot to SSD users.

As you state in your helpful tutorial, Kari, upgrading from 7/8 to 8.1 creates some issues for folks using SSDs when their Users are on another partition. So here's my question since I have Windows 8 running on SSD as %systemdrive% and my USERS on a HD:

Is upgrading from 8.1 to 8.1 Update 1 successful when the USERS are on a separate HD, so they don't need to exercise the tutorial with SYSPREPPING?

I'm not on Win8.1, I am still on Windows 8, and planning on upgrading to Windows 8.1 using your tutorial, and plan to use your workaround for upgrades. But after I upgrade 8 to 8.1, should I immediately upgrade to Win8.1 update 1 while everything is on C drive, or does it matter? Have any of your Win8.1 SSD rigs required the SYSPREP/upgrade workaround when you went to Win8.1 update 1?

Here are the options as I understand them for Win 8 users:

OPTION 1: Windows 8 --> sysprep Users back to C--> Windows 8.1 then update immediately to 8.1 update 1, -->then sysprep to move USERS off %systemdrive%

OPTION 2: Windows 8 --> sysprep back to C --> Windows 8.1,
--> then sysprep to move USERS off %systemdrive% --> then update to Windows 8.1 update 1 later (but before the deadline)

For Windows 8 folks, it seems easier/faster to use OPTION 1. Agree?

Back to the Deadline story: I'm not sure what will happen to Win8 users after June 10, or ppl who have to clean install with Win8.1 later. Guess we will see, but it sure seems like MSFT is once again making some Product decision blunders by forcing ppl to adapt.

 

[Kari]

Windows 8.1 Update 1 is as the name says just an update. No actions are required, it is a normal update which comes through Windows Update and installs any other update, whether Users is relocated or not.

I did not even notice getting it on few of my Windows 8.1 machines with relocated Users folder. One day it just was there.

 

[koneesha]

Although I originally used Windows 7 when I 'upgraded' to Windows 8 it was a completely clean install so my understanding is that I can use your tutorial to switch profile back to my C drive as without doing this my understanding is that any attempt to upgrade to Windows 8.1 will fail.
Assuming having managed to upgrade to 8.1 then am I correct that your tutorial will not permit then changing profiles away from C (which is an SSD drive)? Is there any other tutorial for doing this after an upgrade?
I am not aware of any option offered my Microsoft that allows move from Win 8 to 8.1 other than my online upgrade rather than a clean install. is that correct?
Sorry so many questions and I hope you can help.
Thanks
Steve

First, I thought I have seen a thread or tutorial here on how to clean install 8.1 using ISO image, but if I am correct and I really have seen such a thread, I am at least at the moment not able to find it. I'll keep looking .

For those wanting to use this sysprep method to relocate the Users folder, these two rules can make things difficult when it's time to upgrade:

1. Officially, you cannot sysprep an in-place upgraded Windows
2. You cannot in-place upgrade Windows if Users folder (or any other system folder) is not in C:

There is a workaround but I have to emphasize that this is an unofficial workaround. Worst case scenario: it does not work, meaning you have to reinstall clean.

Workaround for upgrading Windows 8 to 8.1 when Users is relocated to other than C: drive:

1. Make you individual user folders in X:\Users (X = drive where Users is located now) as empty as possible by moving up the data to external drive
2. Relocate Users back to C: with sysprep by changing the location to C:\Users in answer file > FolderLocations tags
3. Upgrade to Windows 8.1 (tutorial: http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/32995-windows-8-1-update-windows-8-a.html)
4. Follow instructions in this post to enable sysprep on an upgraded Windows
5. Relocate Users to X: (any drive) following instructions in this tutorial
6. Restore your user data from backup to respective folders

I really need to emphasize the fact that although I have now done this a couple of times without issues, it's not guaranteed to work. backup everything first before beginning, so if you end doing a clean reinstall you have not lost your data.

Kari

Hey Kari,
I am trying to follow your steps, but I do not have a Windows 8.1 iso file hanging around. Does this mean I will not be able to move the users back to my D drive? I don't believe that you can enter the audit mode while upgrading the Windows 8 to 8.1. So if we only have a Windows 8 iso are we out of luck, or is it possible to use that? All help is appreciated! Thanks.

 

[Kari]

Hey Kari,
I am trying to follow your steps, but I do not have a Windows 8.1 iso file hanging around. Does this mean I will not be able to move the users back to my D drive? I don't believe that you can enter the audit mode while upgrading the Windows 8 to 8.1. So if we only have a Windows 8 iso are we out of luck, or is it possible to use that? All help is appreciated! Thanks.

Hi Koneesha, welcome to the Eight Forums.

You can always enter Audit Mode but that's not needed here, nor is the 8.1 ISO; if you already have Windows 8 installed, you get 8.1 from Windows Store.

I have some difficulties to understand what is your issue now and what you are trying to do. Please be a bit more specific.

Kari

 

[RichT]

Update to 8.1 issue

Hi Kari,

So similar issue to many others it appears.
I was successful with your installation trick while installing Windows 8 Pro, and was able to place my User folder on my D: drive (C: is local with the OS).
When I run the first windows updates, they installed fine.
When I attempted to install the Windows 8.1 upgrade from the windows store; it downloaded fully, then got to about 2/3 when installing and gave me the error below.

Am I able to complete the 8.1 upgrade?

 

[Kari]

Hi Rich, welcome to the Eight Forums.

Usually it is a good idea to read at least a few latest posts in this or any other tutorial threads before posting, to see if the issue is known and solved already.

This is posted just a few posts before yours (post #497, your post being #505):

Although I originally used Windows 7 when I 'upgraded' to Windows 8 it was a completely clean install so my understanding is that I can use your tutorial to switch profile back to my C drive as without doing this my understanding is that any attempt to upgrade to Windows 8.1 will fail.
Assuming having managed to upgrade to 8.1 then am I correct that your tutorial will not permit then changing profiles away from C (which is an SSD drive)? Is there any other tutorial for doing this after an upgrade?
I am not aware of any option offered my Microsoft that allows move from Win 8 to 8.1 other than my online upgrade rather than a clean install. is that correct?
Sorry so many questions and I hope you can help.
Thanks
Steve

First, I thought I have seen a thread or tutorial here on how to clean install 8.1 using ISO image, but if I am correct and I really have seen such a thread, I am at least at the moment not able to find it. I'll keep looking .

For those wanting to use this sysprep method to relocate the Users folder, these two rules can make things difficult when it's time to upgrade:

1. Officially, you cannot sysprep an in-place upgraded Windows
2. You cannot in-place upgrade Windows if Users folder (or any other system folder) is not in C:

There is a workaround but I have to emphasize that this is an unofficial workaround. Worst case scenario: it does not work, meaning you have to reinstall clean.

Workaround for upgrading Windows 8 to 8.1 when Users is relocated to other than C: drive:

1. Make you individual user folders in X:\Users (X = drive where Users is located now) as empty as possible by moving up the data to external drive
2. Relocate Users back to C: with sysprep by changing the location to C:\Users in answer file > FolderLocations tags
3. Upgrade to Windows 8.1 (tutorial: http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/32995-windows-8-1-update-windows-8-a.html)
4. Follow instructions in this post to enable sysprep on an upgraded Windows
5. Relocate Users to X: (any drive) following instructions in this tutorial
6. Restore your user data from backup to respective folders

I really need to emphasize the fact that although I have now done this a couple of times without issues, it's not guaranteed to work. backup everything first before beginning, so if you end doing a clean reinstall you have not lost your data.

Kari

 

[antonvs]

Hi Kari and the crew here. I'm also new on here. I have a slightly different need and will explain. My system crashed a couple of weeks ago due to either the RTC clock Freeze bug on my ASUS Gryphon-Z87 board (now fixed by BIOS update 2004 only last week) or by a power surge or both.

Anyway with my original build (with 8.1) had my data set to E:\users but when I did the rebuild a few days ago including re-formatting the C: drive (SSD) I forgot to change the User area hence I now have the default setup of C:\users....

And I have installed many apps back so they are pointing data there.

So I have new data on C:\users and my old data (i.e. Photos, Music, Docs) on my 2Tb HDD at E:\users.

My question is will following you procedure here be able to switch to E:\users and can I then copy across any new data from C:\users.

I hope this is not too jumbled a question.

Cheers Anton
Vic, AU

 

[Kari]

Hi Kari and the crew here. I'm also new on here. I have a slightly different need and will explain. My system crashed a couple of weeks ago due to either the RTC clock Freeze bug on my ASUS Gryphon-Z87 board (now fixed by BIOS update 2004 only last week) or by a power surge or both.

Anyway with my original build (with 8.1) had my data set to E:\users but when I did the rebuild a few days ago including re-formatting the C: drive (SSD) I forgot to change the User area hence I now have the default setup of C:\users....

And I have installed many apps back so they are pointing data there.

So I have new data on C:\users and my old data (i.e. Photos, Music, Docs) on my 2Tb HDD at E:\users.

My question is will following you procedure here be able to switch to E:\users and can I then copy across any new data from C:\users.

I hope this is not too jumbled a question.

Cheers Anton
Vic, AU

Hi Anton, welcome to the Eight Forums.

Simply follow the instructions as told in this tutorial starting from step 1.2. Please notice that as the drive you use for relocating Users (E: in your case) cannot contain any system folders from any previous installations for this procedure to work, you need to first wipe it clean by backing up your old data (E:\Users) to an external drive and formatting the drive (formatting not obligatory but recommend), then follow the procedure as told in tutorial to relocate Users, and last copy your old data from the backup drive back to E:\Users.

As you have already data in C:\Users the procedure can take quite some time due the fact that sysprep has more data to relocate.

Kari

 

[antonvs]

Hi Kari and thanks for your response. Nothing in life is straight forward is it! I have spent two or three days re-installing software onto the new build into E:\program files and E:\program files (86) where I have been writing over old installs of the same apps from the previous build.

Before your reply I was hoping that I would only have to rename E:\Users and create a new one for use with the new build. But you sound pretty definate in your instructions that I have to clear all folders on this drive not just the E:\Users.

If this is indeed the case it leaves me with a dilemma:

1. Do I leave a perfectly working system alone and continue to build, knowing that the big issue will be that one of the folders in C:\Users is my Dropbox account which can grow to 100Gb with my current account while my c: SSD drive is 120Gb

2. If I leave as is and later try and swap the user folder to E: and it stuffs up will I then face loosing the 350Gb Flight Sim (FSX) installation I'm about to proceed with (the real reason for having this PC) and something like a months work to repeat.

3. Start completely from scratch. Format and rebuild everything again, this time making sure to point the new build to storing Users on E:. (Still can't remember seeing this as an option during the install process which is why I missed doing it the first time).

4. Give up technology and take up Lawn Bowls. lol

Now should I choose to ignore option 4. above and go ahead with your Relocation advice, I notice the 2nd last line of your Relocate.xml script says:
" <cpi..offlineImage cpi:source="wim:F:/sources/install.wim#Windows 8.1" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />"

Does this mean I have to have the install DVD in the F: drive and if so there is a further complication. My boot DVD is Windows 8.0. After installing this I then did an upgrade to 8.1. Will this be an issue?

Here is a link to a map of my folders on E:
http://www.evernote.com/shard/s77/s...9235765412c3/72e8589e9d857b08e17ea425612c1422

Note that I have renamed E:\users to E:\users-old thinking that I would just have to create a new E:\Users for the answer file to work.

Cheers Anton.

 

[Kari]

Some thoughts and recommendations. it's your computer, you decide what to do with it, I can only tell what I think, added with some facts.

First, using registry or any other method to relocate Program Files folders is a bad idea which can screw your system. I'd leave them to C: where they belong, only changing the installation drove and path manually for each application when installing.

You could just keep everything as it is, only moving the Dropbox folder to another drive. Additionally you could move some of the user folders to another drive as told in this tutorial: User Folders - Change Default Location - Windows 7 Help Forums. The tutorial is at our sister site the Seven forums but it applies to both Seven and Eight.

Renaming your current E:\Users will not work, the drive simply cannot contain any system folders from any previous install, renamed or not.

Yes, the install media for your Windows version and edition must be present when sysprepping. You can download the latest 8.1 ISO, this tutorial tell you how and where: http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/18309-windows-8-windows-8-1-iso-download-create.html

Kari

 

[antonvs]

Hi Kari. I'm pleased to report that my system is now buzzing along. I took your advice on opting to move some of the data folders to my e:\users folder (Dropbox, Music, Docs, Downloads, Photos and Videos). That should relieve the pressure on the boot SSD. Thank you very much for your assistance and helpful Tutorials, work well done. Cheers Anton.

 

[Trafalgar]

Hi Kari,

I've lost my original Windows 8.1 Pro installation DVD. However, I do have other Windows 8.1 Pro dvd, which I'm not sure if it is the same build or not. Do I need the exact same build? Thanks!

 

[Kari]

Hi Trafalgar, welcome to the Eight Forums.

As long as it is Windows 8.1 it's OK.

 

[siqueira]

Hello Kari,

Very nice solution! Thanks for taking the time to share and help us.

I tried your method here and could move the users folder on my Windows 8. But than noticed the problem with Windows 8.1 upgrade. Then, I found this instructions (SOLUTION: Sysprepping when upgrade prevents Sysprep), but I'm with problems to reboot the machine with Audit Mode. Here's where I'm stuck:

Reboot the machine. When you have returned to Audit Mode and see the Sysprep dialog open on Desktop, leave it there (do not close it)...

I simply don't know how to reboot with Audit Mode. I tried using the sysprep, but it gives the error you mentioned: it doesn't allow me to do it because it's na updated installation.
Could you please advise?

Thanks,
Paulo

 

[Kari]

Hi Siqueira, welcome to the Eight Forums.

I am sorry but I do not understand. Please tell exactly what you have done until now, if you are stuck in a certain step when following a tutorial please link to that tutorial and tell exactly in what step you are stuck.

Kari

 

[siqueira]

Hi Kari,

The tutorial in this post:
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorial...ate-another-partition-disk-42.html#post350593

Where you teach how to lie to the sysprep in order to relocate the user folder on an upgraded system (installed Windows 8 and upgraded to 8.1).

In the beginning of the post, you show that when trying to run sysprep on an upgraded system, it issues an error. Then, you wrote this:

We need to find a way to "lie" to the system it is not upgraded. Let's do it, this solution should work for you:

Reboot the machine. When you have returned to Audit Mode and see the Sysprep dialog open on Desktop, leave it there (do not close it). Open Windows Registry Editor by pressing :winkey: + R to open the Run dialog, type regedit and hit Enter.

Now browse to the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\Upgrade, right click it and delete it

The problem is how can I reboot my machine and have it enter the audit mode if I can't run sysprep and choose audit mode? (see underlined text in quote).

Thanks,
Paulo

 

[Kari]

OK, I got you now.

When you reboot while in Audit Mode, Windows automatically returns to Audit Mode. In other words you do not need sysprep to reboot.

 

[siqueira]

Kari.
Let me try again...

I have my Windows 8.1 upgraded from 8. It's open in normal oobe.
Then I'm ready to start following your instructions to run sysprep on an upgraded system.
Next, I run:
cmd (admin mode)

C:\WINDOWS\system32>cd sysprep
C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep>sysprep.exe /audit /reboot

As expected, it displays an error message like the one you have in the post. And the reason it's because I have an upgraded system.
The next thing you ask to do is to reboot and return to audit mode with sysprep dialog open in the desktop. But that's the problem: if I reboot it doesn't enter in audit mode and I don't know how to do it. By trying the command above it issues an error.

I saw something related to configure the Microsoft-Windows-Deployment | Reseal | Mode setting to audit
But I don't know how to do it.

I hope I was clear now.

Thanks for your patience.

 

[Kari]

Please could you tell the post number where I give those instructions, I have written here too much to find or remember every post. I know that the part of editing registry is not in original tutorial, it is in some of the later posts in this thread. I will need the post number to check what I have instructed and come back to you.

This is where you can find the post number:

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