I have a 137 GB c:\ drive on a Remote Desktop Services server that is full to the brink with user files. I have a 1.2TB e:\ drive that is totally empty.
I need to move the c:\users directory from c:\ to e:\.
As usual, the Microsoft article on this is totally not helpful, and the Technet forums make me want to throw up. A good resolution now posted on SO should do much good for the world.
It's obviously a messy cycle, so I can:
-
Manually do the move and then update the
%userprofile%environmental variables, etc. Scary. -
Easier but lazier, copy the Users folder and then create a symbolic link, which I might just do.
Either way, I have to move/copy the Users directory.
Now, in Windows, by default, Administrator does not have ownership of the user files for Security purposes, and messing with that is… messy.
My question
Can I copy the parent Users directory without messing with all the junior permissions below it? I really have no idea.
Or, if someone else has some great solution to this problem, I'll take it.
Update – Folder Redirection
I wouldn't mind setting up Folder Redirection, however i've never set this up after the fact on a server with 350 user profiles already set up. What would happen to their existing profiles? Seems messy.
Best Answer
Yes, you can move or copy the directories without changing any of the permissions.
I would use robocopy and the
/band/copyallswitches./copyallwill maintain the permissions (and other attributes) on the copied files, and/bwill do it in backup mode, so you don't need to take ownership or change permissions to access the files.That said, setting up folder redirection is probably the way to go, like Joe suggested. After setting that up, you can still, and probably should, use robocopy and those switches I mentioned to populate the redirected folder locations (on the new, bigger drive, I assume) with the existing data.