Move Users Folder to Another Drive Windows 10
Note: As copying one profile to another will completely overwrite the target profile, you should back up any important data before copying over a profile. It's also a good idea to test these steps on a test profile before copying over a profile in use. Windows 8, 7, and Vista. In Windows 8, from the Desktop, press Win-c, and choose Settings and then Control Panel. Nov 18, 2019 Follow these steps to install it: In Microsoft Management Console, click the File menu, and then click Add/Remove Snap-in. Click Local Users and Groups, and then click Add. Click Local computer, click Finish, and then click OK. Apr 17, 2018 To manually copy your files to a network location or to removable media on a computer that is running Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003, follow these steps: Click Start, click Computer and then double-click the drive where you currently have Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003 installed. May 30, 2019 Microsoft removed Easy Transfer from Windows 10, but you can still move user profiles between PCs. Microsoft accounts are easy to transfer; you can move files manually. Transwiz (free) and PCmover (paid) also do a good job.
'I wish to move C:users to a new computer so that I can keep everything resides in the folder, but I search on the internet still have no clue about how to make it happen, the provided solutions are too hard to perform. So, what's the best method for me to move users folder to another drive in Windows 10? The easier, the better.'
Manually Move Users Folder to Another Drive
In a nutshell, two groups of Windows 10 users want to move Users folder. One group wants to relocate the folder to free up system disk space; the other group only wishes to make a copy of users folder to some other place, for example, from C: to E:, from HDD to SSD, from one drive to another drive, etc.
4 Ways to Change Users Folder Location in Windows 10
1. Change the value in My Documents -> Properties -> Location tab.
2.Change the value in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMICROSOFTWINDOWS NTCurrentVersionProfileList.
3. Leaving C:users where it is and using a symbolic link to E:users.
4.Find a Windows 10 easy transfer tool to automate the transfer.
Automatically Move Users Folder to Another Drive
So, concluding from the general methods that we wrote here, what's the best method you should feel no hesitation to attempt it first? As you can tell, the former three ways are kind of tricky; you can hardly start without an in-depth instruction. Besides, one noticeable fact is that all the three methods won't help when you consider moving users folder to another drive on another computer. Why not consider the last resort?
EaseUS Todo PCTrans is a super easy Windows 10 transfer software, which facilitates the transfer of users folder from one computer hard drive to another computer hard drive. It's the most recommended method for average users.
There are two channels you can try to move Users folder in Windows 10 with EaseUS Todo PCTrans, including direct transfer from PC to PC or creating/recovering an image file. Here, the guide shows you a simpler way to transfer user account from one computer to another straightforwardly.
If you need a free tool - EaseUS Todo PCTrans Free can help. (Only 2 Apps/files are supported.)
If you need to transfer many files or a big amount of data, activate this software and follow the guidelines below for help now.
Step 1. Install and launch EaseUS Todo PCTrans on both two devices. On the source PC, select 'PC to PC' to continue.
Step 2. Make sure the two PCs are on the same LAN. Connect to the target PC via its IP address or adding it manually. Enter the login account and password of the target PC and link two PCs by clicking 'OK', then choose the direction to transfer files.
Step 3. Click 'Edit' at the Accounts section to specify User Accounts and Settings for transferring.
Step 4. Enter the user account and password of the source computer, select the User Account Settings, User Data and other settings that you want to transfer. Click 'Finish' to confirm.
Step 5. After selection, click 'Transfer' to start to transfer user accounts and settings.
Get the fix for the error Corrupt user profile on Windows XP,Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10.
Contents
- 1 About “Corrupt user profile”
- 2 Causes of this Error
- 4 Fix Corrupt User Profile in Windows Vista
- 5 Fix Corrupt User Profile in Windows 7
- 6 Fix Corrupt User Profile in Windows 8, 8.1 or Windows 10
- 7 Troubleshooting
- 8 More Information
About “Corrupt user profile”
The following information on this error has been compiled by NeoSmart Technologies, based on the information gathered and reported by our global network of engineers, developers, and technicians or partner organizations.
Description and Symptoms
The error messages, alerts, warnings, and symptoms below are tied to this error.
Symptom 1: “User profile cannot be loaded” error screen on startup
If you received the error message that your user profile is corrupted, the fix is to create a new user and copy the files from your current user to the new account.
The error message is:
Causes of this Error
This error has been known to occur as a result of one of the following causes:
Cause 1: The user profile is corrupt or missing
Failed Windows Updates or Automatic Updates to Windows that involve an upgrade of critical system files (especially service pack installations) that update the user profile may result in this error.
Cause 2: File system integrity compromised
The hard drive’s file system may become damaged because of disk write errors, power outages or virus attacks. If that’s the case, the operating system cannot load the user profile to boot properly and the loading process is halted.
Fix Corrupt User Profile in Windows XP
To fix a corrupted user profile on a Windows XP computer, follow these steps:
- Boot into your Windows XP computer as an Administrator or any other user (
Another_Username
.).If you’re not able to log in as an Administrator, go to Cannot log in / No other user account available. - Go to Control Panel
- Click User Accounts
- Click Create A New Account
- Type a name for this new account (example:
New_Username
) - Click Next
- Make sure the account is Administrator
- Click Create Account
- Restart the computer and logon with the new account you’ve just created (
New_Username
) - Once logged in, restart the computer
- Login with the first account you used before you created the new account (
Another_Username
) - Right-click on My Computer
- Select Properties
- Go to Advanced
- Click Settings at the User Profiles section
User Profiles in Windows XP
- Select the corrupted account
- Click Copy To
- Click Browse and browse the Documents and Settings folder of the new account you created just now.
- Click Yes to confirm that the files of this account will be deleted and that the new files will be copied
- Once this operation is done, restart the computer
- Login with the new username,
New_Username
If the above method didn’t copy the files successfully, you can also copy the files manually:
- Boot into Windows XP as an Administrator or any other user except the corrupted user (
CORRUPT_USERNAME
).If you’re not able to do so, go to Cannot log in / No other user account available. - Click Start
- Click Control Panel
- Click User Accounts
- At the Pick a task section, click Create a new account
- Type a name (example:
NEW_USERNAME
) - Click Next
- Select an account type (make sure it would be part of Administrator group)
- Click Create Account
- Open Windows Explorer or My Computer
- Click Tools > Folder Options > View
- Click Show hidden files and folders
- Uncheck Hide protected operating system files
- Click OK
- Go to
C:Documents and SettingsCORRUPT_USERNAME
, whereCORRUPT_USERNAME
is the corrupted username - Select all files from this folder, except:
- Ntuser.dat
- Ntuser.dat.log
- Ntuser.ini
- Right-click on these files (make sure the above files aren’t being copied), click Copy
- Go to
C:Documents and SettingsNEW_USERNAME
, whereNEW_USERNAME
is the username you’ve recently created - Find an empty space to right-click and click Paste
- Restart the computer and logon as the new username (
NEW_USERNAME
)
Fix Corrupt User Profile in Windows Vista
Fix #1: Create a new Windows Vista account
To fix a corrupted user profile on a Windows Vista system, follow these instructions:

- Boot into your system as an Administrator. If you’re not able to do so, go to Cannot log in / No other user account available.
- Go to Control Panel > User Accounts (or Control Panel > Accounts and Family Safety > User Accounts)
- Click Manage another account
- Click Create a new account
- Type a name and choose a type for this account
- Click Create Account
Choose Account Type for New User in Windows Vista/7
- Open the File Explorer (any folder or My Computer)
- Click Organize
- Click Folder Options (or Folder and search options)
- Go to View
- Check Show hidden files and folders
- Uncheck Hide protected operating system files
- Click Apply and then click OK
- Go to
C:UsersOLD_USERNAME
, whereC:
the letter of the drive where your Windows Vista is installed andOLD_USERNAME
is the username of the corrupted profile - While you are this folder –
OLD_USERNAME
– copy all files, but except these ones: Ntuser.data, Ntuser.data.log, Ntuser.ini - To copy the files, select the files and the right-click > Copy
- Go to
C:UserNEW_USERNAME
, whereNEW_USERNAME
is the new username - Paste all files in this folder,
NEW_USERNAME
.To paste the files, right-click on a empty zone and click Paste. - Restart the computer
- Login with the username you recently created
Fix #2: Registry Editor
The steps to fix a corrupt user profile via the Registry Editor are the same as those for Windows 7.
Fix #3: Download Fix it 50446
Microsoft released the Fix it #50446 tool that can automatically fix this type of error without going through the all the steps listed here.
Fix it #50446 is only available for Windows Vista and Windows 7.
Go to http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9734641 to download this tool.
Fix Corrupt User Profile in Windows 7
Fix #1: Create a new Windows 7 account
To fix a corrupted user profile on a Windows 7 computer, follow these steps:
- Boot into your Windows 7 system with another use or with the Administrator account. If you’re not able to do so, go to Cannot log in / No other user account available.
- Go to Control Panel
- Go to User Accounts (or Accounts and Family Safety > User Accounts)
- Click Manage another account
- Click Create a new account to create a new account on your computer
Create a new account in Windows Vista/7
- Type a name and choose an account type
- Click Create Account
Choose Account Type for New User in Windows Vista/7
- Open File Explorer or My Computer
- Click Tools. If you don’t see the Tools item at the top of the window, press the Alt key.
- Click Folder Options
- Go to the View tab
- Check the Show hidden files and folders option
- Uncheck the Hide protected operating system files option
- Click Apply
- Click OK
- Go to
C:UsersOLD_USERNAME
, whereC:
is where your Windows 7 is installed andOLD_USERNAME
is the username that has the corrupted profile error - From this folder –
OLD_USERNAME
– select all files, but except: Ntuser.data, Ntuser.data.log, Ntuser.ini - Right-click on these files (except the files mentioned above) and click Copy
- Go to
C:UserNEW_USERNAME
, whereNEW_USERNAME
is the username you created as new - Paste all files in this folder,
NEW_USERNAME
- Restart the computer and login with the new username you’ve created
Fix #2: Registry Editor
- Login as an Administrator. If you’re not able to do so, go to Cannot log in / No other user account available.
- Open the Registry Editor and navigate to this key:
- Find the S-1 folder with
.bak
extension under the ProfileList folder, on the left pane - At the ProfileImagePath value, on the right pane, find if the path is correct:
C:UsersMY_USERNAME
- Go to the
C:Users
folder and check that the folder name of the corrupted username is the same as the one in the ProfileImagePath:MY_USERNAME
. If it’s not, rename it. - Go back to the Registry Editor and check if the folder name with the
.bak
extension has a duplicate folder, with the same name but without the.bak
extension.Example:If you have 2 folders with the same name (1 without .bak, 1 with .bak), follow these instructions: Rename the folder with
.bak
extension to be without.bak
and vice versa: the without.bak
folder to have.bak
afterwards. To do that, follow these steps:- Rename the
.bak
folder to.backup
- Rename the folder without
.bak
to.bak
- Rename the
.backup
folder name to have no extension
If you have only 1 folder name with a
.bak
extension, follow these steps:- Remove
.bak
to only leave the folder name: S-1-5-23232
- Rename the
- Now go to the folder without
.bak
and find aRefCount
item. The RefCount value should be0
.To edit it, double click on RefCount and edit the Value data field to be0
.If you don’t have a RefCount item, create it:- Right-click on an empty zone on the right and click New
- Click DWORD (32 bit) Value
- Type
RefCount
- Press Enter
- Click OK
- Go the same folder without
.bak
and find a State item - The State value should be
0
. If it’s not, edit it:- Double-click on State
- Enter
0
at the Value data field - Click OK
If you don’t have a State item, create it:
- Right-click on an empty zone in the right pane and click New
- Click DWORD (32 bit) Value
- Type
State
- Press Enter
- Close the Registry Editor
- Restart the computer
- Login to your computer with the corrupt user account
Fix #3: Download Fix it 50446
Microsoft released the Fix it # 50446 tool that can automatically fix this type of error without going through the all the steps listed here.
Fix it #50446 is only available for Windows Vista and Windows 7.
Go to http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9734641 to download this file.
Fix Corrupt User Profile in Windows 8, 8.1 or Windows 10
Fix #1: Registry Editor
Another method is to attempt a repair of the user profile through the Registry Editor by replacing the profile with a good backup.
To do so, follow these steps:
- Login as an Administrator on your Windows 8, 8.1 or 10 system. If you’re not able to do so, go to Cannot log in / No other user account available.
- Press the Windows and R keys to open the Registry Editor
- Click OK
- Navigate to this key:
- At the ProfileList folders, you’ll see folder names that start with S-1
- Go to the folder that has a
.bak
extension - Check the ProfileImagePath value from the right side at the Data column.It should be something like this:
Where
MY_USERNAME
is the username of your account. - Go to
C:Users
and check that the folder name of the corrupted username is the same as the one in the ProfileImagePath: MY_USERNAME.If it’s not and the folder name isMYUSERNAME2
rather than the value shown in ProfileImagePath, rename it toMY_USERNAME
. - At the ProfileList folders, check if the folder name with the
.bak
extension has another folder above it with the same name, but without the.bak
extension.Example:If you have 2 folders with the same name (1 without
.bak
, 1 with.bak
), follow these instructions:- Go to the folder without
.bak
, right-click and click Rename - Add
.backup
at the end of its name: S-1-5-23232.backup - Go to the folder with
.bak
, right-click and click Rename - Remove the
.bak
and press Enter - Go to the folder with
.backup
, right-click and click Rename - Rename
.backup
to.bak
The purpose of these instructions is to move the
.bak
extension to the folder without.bak
and vice versa. You won’t be able to do that without a .backup extension so you don’t overwrite the folders. If you only have 1 folder name with.bak
extension, follow these instructions:- Right-click on the folder name, S-1-5-23232.bak, click Rename
- Remove
.bak
to only leave its name: S-1-5-23232 - Press Enter
- Go to the folder without
- Go to folder without
.bak
, find a RefCount item.If you don’t have a RefCount item, create it by following these steps:- Right-click on an empty zone on the right
- Click New
- Click DWORD (32 bit) Value
- Type
RefCount
- Press Enter
- The RefCount value should be
0
. To edit it, double click on RefCount and edit the Value data field to be0
- Click OK
- On the same folder without
.bak
, find a State item - The State value should be
0
. If it’s not, edit it:- Double-click on State
- Enter
0
at the Value data field - Click OK
If you don’t have a State item, create it:
- Right-click on an empty zone in the right pane
- Click Next
- Click DWORD (32 bit) Value
- Type
State
- Press Enter
- Close the Registry Editor
- Restart the computer
- Login with the corrupt account
Troubleshooting
Cannot log in / No other user account available
If you can’t log into your computer because the only user available is the corrupt user profile, you can log in as an Administrator.
If the Administrator user isn’t available at the Welcome screen, you can enable it via Command Prompt:
Move Windows User Profile Folder
- Restart your computer
- Press F8 before the Windows logo appears
- Select Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Command Prompt.If you selected Safe Mode and can log into the computer, go to Start and open Command Prompt from there.
- When Command Prompt loads, type this command:
- Press Enter
- Restart the computer
More Information
Windows 7 User Profile
Support Links
Copy User Profile Windows 7
- Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows – our repair and recovery disk.
It’s an easy-to-use and automated diagnostics disk. It’s available for Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista. It’s also available for Windows XP and Windows Server.Read more at Windows Recovery Disks.
- The NeoSmart Support Forums, member-to-member technical support and troubleshooting.
- Get a discounted price on replacement setup and installation discs: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10.
Applicable Systems
This Windows-related knowledgebase article applies to the following operating systems:
- Windows XP (all editions)
- Windows Vista (all editions)
- Windows 7 (all editions)
- Windows 8 (all editions)
- Windows 8.1 (all editions)
- Windows 10 (all editions)