Resolved User Account Profile Migration

I'm in the process of moving my user account profile to another drive so that I can reduce the amount of disk space being used on the C: drive. I'm planning to install an SSD that is much smaller than my current C drive. I changed the pointer in the registry with regedit to the new drive and copied my old user account profile by using a temporary administrator account and Acronis True Image restore a backup to a new location. I would like to rename the old user profile account folder so that I can make sure all my programs are using the new account profile folder. When I try, I get message that I need to provide administrator permission to rename the folder. My account is set up as an administrator account and I start Windows Explorer to run as administrator. After I determine that everything is using the new folder, I plan to delete the old one. I've looked at the permissions listed in the folder properties and my account is listed and everything is checked as Allow for my account.

 

Windows 7 uses Administrator account to install and it disappears if the setup is complete, for security reasons. When I see the Administrator account after Windows 7 installation, I smell incompletion in the setup. User accounts as Administrator do not have everything that an Administrator account has. Administrator account is a "super user ", or the king of all "user accounts as Administrator ".

You may first of all, try clicking on the Start logo, and type Windows Explorer in the Search programs and files box, then right-click on the Windows Explorer program in the pop-up, and Run as Administrator. Then continue your work and see if it works.

If the above doesn't work, you may need to change in the Local Security Policy Editor. Click on Start, then type secpol.msc and press Enter, then enter your UAC credentials. In the Local Security Policy Editor, open the Local Policies, Security Options branch then click the Accounts:Administrator Account Status policy and click Enabled and click OK.

Also check the Local Users and Groups snap-in. Click Start, and type lusrmgr.msc, press Enter. Enter UAC credentials. In the Local Users and Groups snap-in, clikc Users and then double-click (or just click) Administrator. In the Administrator Properties dialog box, deactivate the "Account Is Disabled" check box. Click OK.

I experienced weird things when installing Windows 7 on virtual machines or from USB installation.

Remember to understand the process before starting. It's extremely sensitive in working on the Administrator account because doing something wrong on it may render losing everything and Windows reinstallation, or providing a security hole. Remember to disable the Administrator account after use. Let me know what you did when you're done.

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Some auditors require the systems administrator to create a password immediately for the Administrator account once entered. But when a password is added to the Administrator account, and Windows 7 needs a reboot, then in many situations Windows 7 does not boot up and a message telling the user name or password not found. So, I guess Windows 7 does not allow a password for the Administrator account. That's why the Administrator account has to be disabled by a user account as Administrator. the user account(s) as Administrator thus must have strong password. I also see cases that the Administrator account renamed and had problems.

The above methods may work in Windows 7 Professional and Enterprise 64-bit versions. But I have difficulties in Home Premium. In your case about using SSD, you are unlikely using Windows 7 Start version. Otherwise, you may try on the command prompt (as Administrator):

net user Administrator /active:yes

to log on as Administrator to migrate the user account profile.

 

Ivan H,

Thanks.

I forgot to mention that I am running Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit.

I didn't have any luck running the Windows Explorer as an administrator.

secpol.msc wasn't filed on my system.

When I run lusrmgr.msc, I get the following message that this snapin may not be used with this version of windows.


When I type "net user Administrator /active:yes" in in the cmd window, I get the message:

System error 5 has occurred.

Access is denied.

 

I reran the cmd window in administrator mode and the net user command worked. Now the administrator account is visible. I'll continue to work on the profile migration.

 

I logged into the Administrator account and I still can't change the name of the old user account profile on the C: drive. The Administrator Account was activated on the new /Users folder on my E: drive. So it looks like I moved the profiles properly, but some installed programs my still be saving info in the old AppData Folder and I assume if I can't change the name, I would also not be able to delete the old profile.

 

Try Safe Mode and repeat what you've done.

Good luck.

 

IvanH, I'll give it a try, but I have a full schedule today and I may not be able to try it for a couple of days.

 

I took another route to the desired end. I've reduce my C drive from nearly 400 GB to 84 GB. I moved music, pictures, videos, etc. to another drive and used Win 7's Libraries feature to point to them. I also uninstall some programs and deleted other files that I no longer needed. That allows me to use an SSD that's affordable although still much more expensive than an HDD.