Cannot Move or Rename the Documents and Settings Folder

ID: Q236621

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

SYMPTOMS

If you try to move or rename the "Documents and Settings" folder in Windows 2000, you receive the following error message:

"Documents and Settings is a Windows system folder and is required for Windows to run properly. It cannot be moved or renamed."


CAUSE

This behavior is by design.


RESOLUTION

To specify a different folder for the "Documents and Settings" folder during installation, follow these steps:

  1. Use the /UNATTEND switch with WINNT.EXE or WINNT32.EXE and insert the following entry into the Unattend.txt file


    2. [GuiUNattended]
    ProfilesDir = z:\foldername
    where z:\foldername is the path and folder name you want.
  2. Install Windows 2000. The path you included in the Unattend.txt file is used instead of the default "Documents and Settings" folder.


For additional information about unattended setup of Windows 2000, please click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q183245 Windows 2000 Unattended Setup Parameters


MORE INFORMATION

NOTE: The following section provides information about a configuration that Microsoft does not support. We provide this information for informational purposes only; Microsoft makes no guarantee that this configuration functions properly.

WARNING: Microsoft strongly recommends against renaming any system folder. Catastrophic system failure or an unstable computer could result if you rename system folders.

To rename or move the "Documents and Settings" folder, use the appropriate method.

TweakUI

Use the TweakUI tool included in the Windows 2000 Resource Kit to specify a different folder for specific items within the "Documents and Settings" folder after you add a user. You can use the TweakUI tool to selectively change specific system folder locations. Use this method if you want to move or rename only certain system folders.
  1. Install the TweakUI tool included in the Windows 2000 Resource Kit.


  2. Create the new folder that you want to contain the new system folders, and then create the individual subfolders to be used as the new system folders.


  3. Log on the computer as the user you want.


  4. Open the TweakUI tool in Control Panel.


  5. On the My Computer tab, make the changes you want under Special Folders.


  6. Log off, and then log on to make the changes take effect.


User-specific

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys and Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).

NOTE: This method does not relocate key Windows components. Use this method if you require only user-specific data to be moved.

To specify a different folder for the "Documents and Settings" folder after you install Windows for a particular user, follow these steps:
  1. Identify the user's profile path. There are two methods to identify the profile path. Either by user path settings or user SID. The user SID method is preferred.


    • User SID method
      1. Use the GETSID tool from the Windows NT Server Resource Kit to obtain the SID. Use syntax similar to the following example:


        2. GETSID \\SERVER1 UserName \\SERVER1 UserName
      2. Once you obtain the SID, use Regedit.exe or Regedt32.exe to select the user's SID under the following registry key:


        3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList
    • User path setting
      1. Log on to the computer as the user, and then type SET at a command prompt. Note the setting for USERPROFILE, and then close the command prompt window.


      2. Log on as an administrator of the computer.


      3. Use Registry Editor to add the USERPROFILE setting to the following registry key:


        4. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList
      4. Click the registry key, and then click Find on the Edit menu.


      5. In the Find box, type the value of the USERPROFILE setting, and then click Find Next.


  2. Change the ProfileImagePath value to use the new path you want in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList registry key.


  3. Close Registry Editor, and then log on as the user. Type SET at the command prompt to verify the path has changed.


Entire Folder

NOTE: This method relocates key Windows components. Use this method only if you require the "Documents and Settings" folder to be moved or renamed and you cannot use the Unattend.txt file to change the name during installation.

To specify a different folder for the entire "Documents and Settings" folder, including key system components, follow these steps:
  1. Log on to the computer as an administrator.


  2. Create a new folder.


  3. Open the current "Documents and Settings" folder.


  4. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options, and then click the View tab.


  5. Under Advanced settings click Show hidden files and folders, and then click to clear the Hide file extensions for known file types and Hide protected operating system files check boxes.


  6. Click OK.


  7. Click and drag to copy all the folders to the new folder, except for the currently logged on users folder.


  8. In Control Panel, double-click System, and then click the User Profiles tab.


  9. Copy the current user's profile to the new folder.


  10. Click OK, close Control Panel, and then log off and log on to the computer as an adminstrator again.


  11. In Registry Editor, click Find on the Edit menu.


  12. Type documents and settings, and then click Find.


  13. Replace the value data or rename the value or registry key to the new path for each and every registry key and value that contains the original path.


    14. NOTE: You must complete this change for every instance in the registry or your computer may not start. It is imperative that you update all registry keys and values with the new path.

  14. Restart the computer.


  15. You can now safely remove the original "Documents and Settings" folder.


Additional query words:

Keywords : kberrmsg kbui
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb


Last Reviewed: December 30, 1999
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