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How to redirect your Windows User library to another drive

How to manage your User Library data. Two options

#1 Microsoft directions - http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/redirect-folder-new-location#1TC=windows-7

#2 M-Tech expanded method with detailed images.

A primary concern with a dual drive setup, were any of your drives are Solid State Drives is making sure your SSD never comes close to the 50% used mark. These graphics below and instructions should allow you to easily change the user library from our C: drive to your D; drive. This allows you to have a smaller less costly high performance SSD for your O.S. and your programs and a secondary drive for the saving of your user data and recovery mirror images of your boot system drive. In the past customers have had to make special note to save their data to the D: drive and not the C; drive, now with this new procedure you wont ever have to worry if you saved your data to the wrong drive.

Changing your User library from your C; Drive to another drive on your laptop computer is fairly easy. sure you give your name full rights or you could find yourself locked out of some vital options.

First start by finding the 'User' Folder on the C: and do a copy of it. Make sure you copy the top folder and do not click the Users folder to open it. Now, find the drive letter that represents your second drive your computer where you want your data to be saved to, likely this may be your D: or an E: drive. It cannot be external or a DVD drive.

Now, click that drive letter once, again, do not open the drive itself. Do a right mouse click and then from the drop down menu choose to 'Paste' the option. Now you have a full copy and directory structure of your User folder on both your D and your C drive.

Once this is done you can now change where Windows will default save your data. Using the Computer icon open your computer and you will see the Library listed above the drives. Doing a right click on each of the libraries will show you the 'Properties' menu option. In the image below you will see the option to 'Include a Folder', Click that and then choose the Document from within the Users folder on the second drive. This will now include it in the list of folders in the Documents properties. Place a check mark in the box next to the preferred Documents folder. Now your Documents will be save to the Documents folder on the D drive.

At this point you can click the Documents folder that is the one on the C: Drive and then choose the 'Remove' option. The images below will show you were to look for the Include and remove features.

Finally

Just work your way down the library options, open the properties and choose the same folder on the D drive. Remember to click the Documents option that exists in the Window that resides on the C: Drive. This will not delete the folder itself, only the Libraries reference to it. Removing the reference to the C: Documents will help you avoid confusion.

Now to confuse the issue. There are some Library folders not included in the main folder listing. If you go to the D: drive itself you can open the User folder and will see additional folder that also should be redirected. Such as the Download folder.

I know your next question, "Yes. you could have done all the folder redirects from the D: Drive itself but we wanted to show you see that in Windows there are always many ways to do any one thing. This has just shown you two different ways to access the folder option.

Once completed you no longer need to worry about saving your documents and having them fill up your precious SSD C: drive. Test drive your saves of course to make sure you have done this right.

What you say? There must be a faster way of doing this?

Here is a newly discovered method we find much faster, it has the benefit of removing the empty directory from the C: drive once finished. This way you wont save files to the C: drive by mistake since the folder no longer exists.

Step one is to find the full set of library folders within your Users folder on your C: drive.

Step two is to do a right mouse click on each of these folders and locate the tab that says Location. (you may be surprised at just how many folders belong to the User Library, far more than the four or fove your Library shows. To make sure you have them all moved just right click all the folders in your named user direcotroy and choose properties. If you see a location tab then move it. If you do noty see a location tab then it is part of the O.S. amd has tp reman in the C: drive. You will also find that if you have a user/Admin that these folders lack the Location tab. Aparently Micro Soft wants any Administration Library folders to stay put. So either, do not creat a login for the Admistraotpr or delete oit and give your name full Admin privelages. You can change privelages or delete users and there libraray by going to Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\User Accounts. Once there you can change your login to have full rights (make sure you do this or else you will be locked out of vital options). Delete any users not being used. This will allow you to delete their Library folders and any data in them. Be sure you don't need that data before deleting the folder, of course.

Step three is to change the C: in the location address bar from C: to whatever drive letter is assigned to your secondary drive. For the sake of this example we will assume it is your D: drive. So simply replace the C with a D and hit OK or Apply. You will be given a small window pop up that suggests you move the files that were in the C: folder to your new D: folder. Choose this option and let it move your files. After it is done it will delete the empty folder from the C: drive so you wont mistakenly use it again. Now whenever you save any document, Picture , Music , Download or any other User Library option, it will automatically save these tp your larger D: drive and not your SSD C: drive. This will assist you greatly n keeping that drive as empty as possible which helps to preserve your SSD's speed.

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