How to Move the User Folder to Another Drive in Windows 11 (4 Ways)

The User Folder in Windows 11 is a folder created for the user when setting up the new system. This folder contains all important library folders, such as Documents, Downloads, and many Desktop folders.

Primarily, the User folder is saved on the C drive, which you can easily access. However, if your C drive or any other drive containing the User folder doesn't have sufficient space, it's advisable to plan moving the User folder to another drive on Windows 11. This is because, depending on the size of your data, the User folder can be quite space-consuming, which might slow down your system's performance.

But are user folders on the move safe?

Indeed, moving your user folder to a new location carries some risks, but if you do it the right way, you can seamlessly shift your user files. In this article, you'll find the correct method to move your user folder to another drive without losing data in Windows 11. So, let's get started!

Quick navigation:

• Method 1. Move the User Folder to Another Drive with PC Transfer Software
• Method 2. Move the User Folder to Another Drive with Windows Settings
• Method 3. Move the User Folder to Another Drive with File Explorer
• Method 4. Move the User Folder to Another Drive with Registry Editor

Why would I move my User folder to another drive?

There can be various reasons why you might want to move the User folder from one drive to another in Windows 11, such as:

Updated to Windows 11

If you've recently upgraded to Windows 11, you might have noticed that your C drive is now 64 GB heavier. That's because Windows 11 has a graphics-intensive interface that requires ample space to run smoothly on your computer. Since both user folders and the settings for Windows 11 are stored on the C drive, it makes sense to move your user folder elsewhere to ensure that Windows 11 runs as intended.

Backup Purpose

If your User folder contains important photos or documents, you can move them to another drive to create a backup. This backup will help you recover essential files in case of hard drive failure or corruption.

Low performance

If your computer fails to start up properly or crashes frequently, this might be due to an overloaded C drive. Thus, moving some user folders can relieve the stress on your hard disk and improve system performance.

Uneven disk partition

If the disk space on your Windows 11 computer isn't evenly distributed across different drives, you might encounter numerous system issues. Thus, you should move the User folder to another drive to keep the space balanced on all system drives.

Regardless of whether you want to move the User folder for the reasons mentioned above or some other reason, shifting the User folder on Windows 11 isn't very difficult if you go about it the right way. On your drive, you have several ways to transfer the data, such as:

Method 1: Move the User Folder to Another Drive with PC Mover Software

When you want to move the user folder to another drive without going through the system settings, a PC transfer software is your best option. You just need to download the tool and follow a few simple steps to relocate your user folder to the new location.

There are many different PC migration software available in the market. But the simplest, powerful, and free PC transfer software is the Todo PCTrans tool.

This tool easily迁移 all your custom user settings, programs, and user files to another drive with just a few clicks. Additionally, it lets you create backups of your user folders for future use. Importantly, the software is compatible with all available Windows versions, including Windows 11.

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For user folder migration, Todo PCTrans has a powerful feature called "Large File Cleanup." You can use this feature to locate all large user files on your system and then seamlessly move them to another drive or PC. Here's how you can use this function in simple steps:

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

Step 2: Click the "Folders" tab and check the box of the folder(s) you wish to move. Select the target drive and click the "Move" button.

Step 3. Wait for the migration to complete. Click on “Done”.

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

Method 2: Move the User Folder to Another Drive Using Windows Settings

In addition to using simple PC migration software, you can manually move user folders on your computer. Using Windows Settings, you can relocate the following folders:

Go to Settings > System > Storage > Change where new content is saved.

Choose a new save location, such as Drive D or another location, and save the changes.

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Method 3: Move your user folder to another drive using File Explorer

Another manual way to move your user files and folders to another drive is by using File Explorer. Here's how that works:

1. Open File Explorer > This PC > Devices and Drives, and select the new drive location. 2. Navigate to the location where you want to move the user folder. 3. Click the New Folder button and name the new folder.

• If you want to move multiple folders, repeat these steps for each one. • Press the Windows Key + R to open the Run command. • Type in the path to open the location of your User Account's default folders - %HOMEPATH% • Right-click on the folder you want to move, then select Properties. • Click on the Location tab, then click Move and choose the new location for the folder.

Click on “Choose Folder,” then Apply and Yes – your default user folder will be moved to the new location.

Restore Default Folder Location

If you change your mind, you can easily move the user folder back to its default location by following these steps:

1. Open File Explorer. 2. Navigate to the location of the current user folder, right-click on it, and select "Properties." 3. Click on the "Location" tab, then hit the "Restore Default" button and confirm. This will move the folder back to its original position.

Method 4: Move the User Folder to Another Drive with Registry Editor

If you're comfortable with tweaking your computer's registry settings, you can use the Registry Editor and the command line to move your user folder to another drive.

1. Press the Windows + R keys to open the "Run" box, then type "regedit" in the field. 2. Navigate to the following path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders. 3. Right-click on the file you want to move and select "Modify." 4. Enter the new drive location. 5. Restart your computer, and the file will be moved to the new location.

Move the User folder to another drive using Registry Editor

Closing

Now that you've seen four ways to move the user folder to another drive, the File Explorer and Registry Editor methods can be a bit tricky. While the Settings method is straightforward, one wrong click here can lead to serious system issues.

Thus, you can only use the PC migration software method to safely and easily transfer your files to Windows 11. There, you can also use the Todo PCTrans tool to quickly migrate your files anywhere.

Now it's up to you whether you choose the simple software method or the more complex manual one!