Best way to manage SSD + HDD w/Libraries, etc.?

[gottogo99]

I built a new Windows 7 PC with a SSD for the OS and HDD for storage. I prefer to keep the OS on the C drive and data on the D drive so they can be backed up independently, so having two drives is fine.

My question is, is there any way to easily set things up so that My Docs, Libraries, etc., work properly for each user, with a lot of tedious work. I want Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, and Video, for each user plus Public, to be redirected from the C drive to the D drive. The only way I know to do this reliably is to log in for each user, go to their User folder, and manually change the location from C to D. With 5 users + Public, and 5 folders, I have to do that 30 times. Very tedious and prone to errors.

Is there a registry edit or batch script I could use? Couldn't find anything on the web so I went ahead and did it manually. Would like to avoid it in the future.

 

[FishAk]

If you change the Default user profile before you create the others, you would only have to do it once. After the other profiles are made, I don't think there is an easier way than what you already described.

The easiest way to change the Default user profile is to set up a profile the way you like, then boot to a Live CD and change the name of the Default user profile to Default-copy or some such, and change the name of the profile you want to use to Default. Then boot back to Windows and all other profiles created will conform to the new Default profile.

 

[gottogo99]

If you change the Default user profile before you create the others, you would only have to do it once. After the other profiles are made, I don't think there is an easier way than what you already described.

The easiest way to change the Default user profile is to set up a profile the way you like, then boot to a Live CD and change the name of the Default user profile to Default-copy or some such, and change the name of the profile you want to use to Default. Then boot back to Windows and all other profiles created will conform to the new Default profile.

Interesting, thanks, but I don't want to move the entire profile. My goal is only to move Library data folders such as Music, Vidoes, etc., which are potentially large, to the D drive, and keep the other presumably smaller non-Library folders such as Favorites on the C drive.

In case anyone else is attempting this, you can manually change the location of the Public folders by booting into Safe Mode first. They can't be redirected after a normal boot.

 

[FishAk]

I...but I don't want to move the entire profile.

I get the feeling you misunderstood what I was getting at. When you make a new profile, it starts life with the settings in the Default profile.

So, lets say you make a new profile, add Firefox, add the quicklaunch bar, make the start menu icons small, and change the location of the downloads folder to another drive. Then you save this profile as the Default profile (by changing the name to Default in the Users folder).

Now, each time you make a new profile, it will begin life with Firefox, the Quicklanch bar, small icons, and with the Downloads folder moved. Since no other changes were made from the default config, they will still be the same.

 

[gottogo99]

Ok, thanks. I'll keep this info in mind for the future.