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Windows User Profile Relocator

Martin Brinkmann
Apr 23, 2010
Updated • Sep 19, 2016
Software, Windows software
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9

Profile Relocator is a free program for Microsoft Windows systems that allows you to move user profiles to another location.

The Windows operating system stores all user profiles on the hard drive partition Windows was installed on along with all operating system files.

Those user profile folders can grow quite large especially if the designated folders for multimedia files and documents are used extensively. Programs such as mail clients or Internet browsers can also amass huge amounts of data on that partition.

Windows does not come with tools to move user profiles to another drive. A manual way is available that involves moving user profile files and folders to another drive, and changing system path information in the Windows Registry.

The main issue with the manual method is that any error can lead to profile corruption so that the operating system cannot load it anymore.

Profile Relocator

The software Profile Relocator offers an automated option that is less error-prone than the manual method. It relocates the user profile folder for profiles that are created after you run it.

This does mean that existing profiles will remain in their original location on the main drive, and that newly created profiles will be stored in the new location.

Profile Relocator is ideally used after the installation of the operating system as you can easily start to use a newly created profile on the system afterwards so that data gets stored in the new location and not on the main drive.

So, the idea is to run Profile Locator after installing Windows and starting it for the first time. You would then create a second user profile after you ran Profile Locator, and use that profile from that moment on to take advantage of the new storage location.

user profile

Using the program is simple. It does not make available options, so that you only have to follow the instructions on the screen, usually clicking on a button, to complete the process.

Users who want to move the already existing Windows user profiles can still use the manual approach to do so.

Profile Relocator is only compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10.

It requires the Microsoft .net Framework 4.5.1 and can be downloaded from the developer's website. Users who run the software should consider creating a backup of the operating system before they start the operation. This is just a precaution, but if things go wrong, it allows you to restore the system to its previous state without having to run extensive troubleshooting.

Summary
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Author Rating
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1 based on 2 votes
Software Name
Profile Relocator
Operating System
Windows
Software Category
Administration
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Comments

  1. Zen Render said on April 26, 2010 at 9:04 am
    Reply

    How is this different from using the Migration Wizard (User State Migration Tool) to move your profile and settings from one user folder to another (or one machine to another)?

    Couldn’t you just use USMT and back up your profile, and then log in as the “new” user and import it back in?

    I’ll have to download and check out this tool, as it sounds like it would be very useful for our users that move around to machines (during cascade/refresh cycles, as they move to whatever the latest machines are that we’ve got).

    I’ll have to see what it does before I start asking questions, huh? :)

    1. Martin said on April 26, 2010 at 9:59 am
      Reply

      Zen,

      the tool is not migrating or moving existing user profiles. It is only changing the location that new profiles are created in.

  2. Jojo said on April 24, 2010 at 3:43 am
    Reply

    I came across this profile relocator one or two months ago. I was also curious about how it worked and sent an email to the author. Unfortunately, I never received a response in return.

    So based on the lack of response and any knowledge as to what the author is actually doing to effect the move, I would ensure that I have IMAGE level backups, just in case.

    And I would not count on any support.

  3. Beecher Bowers said on April 24, 2010 at 2:45 am
    Reply

    Here’s an easy way to move them between computers in a domain, without any special software. (for moving a user to another PC)

    http://beecherbowers.com/2009/09/29/move-windows-user-profile/

  4. bionic said on April 24, 2010 at 1:14 am
    Reply

    are you now trying to save more space for your ssd martin =)
    i have the same drive as you, i relocated a few folders manually but not much, im to coward for such manoeuver

    btw i tried disabling hibernation and relocate my swap, besides freeing valuable space, tests in passmark showed a 5% performance increase

    1. Martin said on April 24, 2010 at 1:24 am
      Reply

      My main user profile is still on drive c:\. Still have 30 Gigabytes free. Did the same as you plus moved the games that I play to another drive.

  5. Dan said on April 24, 2010 at 12:39 am
    Reply

    This looks like what I’ve been looking for – I knew about the manual way, but this looks a lot less tedious, user-interaction wise, especially with playing in the registry.

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