How to transfer a user profile to another drive/PC? The steps for moving a user profile from one drive or PC to another may vary depending on the operating system. Here's a general guide for Windows 10: 1. **Back up the user profile**: - On the original PC, press `Win + R` to open the Run dialog. - Type `%userprofile%` and click "OK" to open your user folder. - Copy the entire folder (including hidden files and folders) to an external hard drive or network location. 2. **Create a new user account on the target PC**: - On the new PC, go to "Settings" > "Accounts" > "Family & other users." - Create a new local user account with the same username as the original one. 3. **Transfer the profile**: - Connect the external hard drive to the new PC. - Locate the backed-up user folder and copy it to the corresponding location on the new PC, typically `C:\Users\New Username`. - If you encounter permission issues, you may need to change ownership in the folder properties. 4. **Merge the profile**: - Close all open applications. - Press `Win + X`, and choose "Command Prompt (Admin)." - Enter the following command, replacing "New Username" with your actual username, and hit Enter: ``` mklink /J "C:\Users\New Username" "C:\Path\to\Backup\User Folder" ``` This creates a symbolic link pointing the new user folder to the backed-up user profile. 5. **Restart the computer**: - After restarting, log in with the new account, and you should see the old profile content. Please note that this method might not work for all scenarios, especially with license-bound applications, games, or other specific settings. Before transferring, ensure you back up all important data and test the new environment before performing any actions.

Case 1 from the Q&A Forum: "Hello everyone. I have an SSD with the operating system (Drive C) and a 1 TB HDD (Drive B). I want to move my user profiles to the HDD. What is the best way to do this?"

Case 2 from TechPowerUp: “I'm trying to migrate a very important user profile to a new Windows 10 machine… I've tried several migration programs, but they didn't work out too well or simply failed…”

A user profile is a collection of data that you create, including your desktop, documents, and other account settings. By default, Windows stores these on the C drive at C:\Users\YourUsername. Typically, our personal data is stored here by default. What if your C drive is out of space? It may fail to cope with the ever-growing data, and you need to move user files to another drive or PC to free up storage.

Here's how to move the user profile to another drive, as well as how to transfer the user profile from one computer to another. Read on for both methods.

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How to Move a User Profile to Another Drive - 3 Ways
How to Transfer a User Profile from One Computer to Another

How to Move the User Profile Folder to Another Drive - 3 Ways

There are three ways to redirect the user folder location, one with third-party software and two with built-in features.

[3] 1 - Use a data migration tool to move the user profiles to another drive

The latest Todo PCTrans tool now supports transferring user profiles to another drive. This is the easiest way for regular users to change file locations from one hard disk to another. The software also supports moving applications to another drive. If you're looking for an effective method, we recommend this software to you.

Download the tool Todo PCTrans and use its “Transfer Default Folders” feature:

Please provide the English content you want to translate, and I'll promptly translate it into Chinese for you.

Step 1: Click on "Large File Cleaner" on the left, and then click the "Start" button.

Step 2: Click the “Folders” tab and check the box next to the folders you want to move. Select the target drive, then click the “Move” button.

Step 3. Wait for the move to complete, then click Done.

Note: You can click Restore to revert the current folder back to its default location.

Read more:

[[4] Redirect user profiles to another drive using a built-in feature](#4)

How to move the user profile folder in Windows 10 to another drive:

In the steps below, we'll use "moving the user folder from the C drive to the D drive" as an example.

Step 1: Open File Explorer.

Step 2. Go to the new location where you want to save your data.

Step 3: Click “New Folder” and name the folders “Documents,” “Music,” “Downloads,” “Pictures,” and “Videos.”

Step 4: Navigate to the C drive.

5. Right-click the folder you want to move, and click “Properties” in the drop-down menu.

Step 6: Click on the “Location” tab > Hit the “Move…” button > Select the new location on Drive D:.

< strong > Step 7. Select the newly created folder on Drive D and click 'Select Folder'. In the Properties window, click 'Apply' to apply the changes.

Step 8: Click “Yes.”

How to Move the User Folders in Windows 7 to Another Drive

Step 1: Type “View advanced system settings” into the search bar and open it.

< strong > Step 2. Go to the Advanced tab > In the User Profiles section, click on the Settings... button.

Step 3. In the User Profiles window, click on the profile you want to move. Then, click the Copy To... button.

Step 4: Choose a location for the file and click “OK.”

3. Use the Registry Editor

Step 1: Press Windows + R to open the Run box. Type "regedit" and click OK.

Step 2. Navigate to the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

Step 3. Right-click the file and select "Edit..."

Step 4. Enter your new location, then restart your computer.

Transferring a user profile from one computer to another can be a useful way to preserve your settings, preferences, and personal files when getting a new device or re-installing an operating system. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it in Windows 10, assuming both computers are running the same OS version: 1. **Backup User Profile on the Source Computer:** - Press `Win + R` to open the Run dialog. - Type `%USERPROFILE%` and press Enter. This will open your User folder. - Inside the User folder, copy all folders except for `AppData`. If you want to transfer application settings, you'll need to copy the `AppData` folder as well, but note that some applications may not work properly if their settings are moved. 2. **Connect Both Computers:** - Connect the two computers using an Ethernet cable for faster transfer or use a USB drive to transfer the data. - You can also use cloud storage services like OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox to transfer the files if both computers have internet access. 3. **Transfer the Profile:** - On the target computer, create a new user account with the same name as the one on the source computer. This is important because Windows associates user profiles with specific user accounts. - Paste the copied folders into the new user's folder on the target computer, replacing any existing folders with the same name (make sure to confirm when prompted). 4. **Transfer User Settings (Optional):** - If you copied the `AppData` folder, go to `%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming` on the target computer. - Replace the contents of the `Roaming` folder with the one from the source computer, again confirming any overwrite prompts. 5. **Update Registry (Optional and Advanced):** - This step is not recommended unless you're comfortable with editing the registry. - Export the following registry keys from the source computer: - `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList` - `HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-` - Replace `` with the SID (Security Identifier) of the source user account. You can find this by opening the `ProfileList` key and looking for the corresponding subkey. - Import these keys into the target computer's registry. Be cautious, as incorrect manipulation can cause issues. 6. **Log Off and Log In:** - Log out of the new user account on the target computer. - Log back in, and your user profile should be present with most settings and preferences transferred. Remember, not all applications or settings might migrate perfectly, especially if they're tied to specific hardware or licenses. Some programs might require re-activation or reconfiguration after the transfer. Also, make sure to update any software licenses or activation keys on the target computer.

If you're looking for a direct way to transfer user profiles to a new computer, you can use a professional PC transfer tool like Todo PCTrans. It lets you migrate user accounts with one click, including account settings, user data, personalization, and power options.

Download the software now:

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< strong > Step 1. < /strong> Install and run Todo PCTrans on both computers. On the source computer, select "Computer to Computer" to proceed.

Step 2. Choose which computer is the old one and which is the new one.

Select transfer direction

Please make sure both computers are on the same local area network. Connect via IP address or manually add the target computer, input the login credentials for the target computer, and click "Connect" to establish a connection between the two computers.

Step 3. Under “Accounts,” specify the user accounts and settings you want to transfer.

Step 4: Enter the source computer's user account and password, then select which user settings, data, and so on, to transfer.

Step 5. Click “Transfer” to start the transfer of user accounts and settings.

Get your answer here.

In this post, we list 3 methods to move user profile to another drive and a solution to transfer user folders to another computer. To save your time and prevent data loss on PC, we recommend the data transfer software - Todo PCTrans in Part 1 and Part 2.

Choose your preferred viable solution! If you have any questions, contact support@tools.com.