Windows Vista Profiles folders
Two days ago I finished downloading the Windows Vista (RC1) Build 5600 x64 version. The installation completed without any problems, errors and BSODs. I’m very happy of that, because I read on a few forums that people had a problems during the installation, so I was wonder if I will have any, but everything works fine.
The last few days I spent searching for a difference between XP and Vista especially in a registry and a directory structure, preparing for changing the location of a profiles and a program files (and Program Files (x86)) folders. Those tricks which I used in XP doesn’t works, something will have to change.
The table below shows the first node of profile folders in Windows XP.
| Documents and Settings | |
| <DIR> | All Users |
| <DIR> | Default User |
| <DIR> | AN |
| <DIR> | LocalService |
| <DIR> | NetworkService |
AN - AccountName
| Documents and Settings\AN | |
| <DIR> | Start Menu |
| <DIR> | Application Data |
| <DIR> | Cookies |
| <DIR> | Desktop |
| <DIR> | Favorites |
| <DIR> | SendTo |
| <DIR> | Local Settings |
| <DIR> | My Documents |
| <DIR> | NetHood |
| <DIR> | Recent |
| <DIR> | PrintHood |
| <DIR> | Templates |
| <FILE> | NTUSER.DAT |
| <FILE> | NTUSER.DAT.LOG |
| <FILE> | ntuser.ini |
AN - AccountName
In the Windows Vista the structure of a profile folders is little different. All profiles are stored in C:\Users folder, the Documents And Settings still exists but as a link (JUNCTION) to the C:\Users folder. For more information about junction on NTFS read this
| Root | |
| <JUNCTION> | Documents and Settings [C:\Users] |
| <DIR> | ProgramData |
| <DIR> | Users |
In the USERS folder we can find the names that are similar to those in the Documents And Settings in WinXP. The All Users folder is a symbolic link to C:\ProgramData, as you will see later in C:\ProgramData are links (JUNCTIONS) to C:\Users\Public (that folder contain informations that concerns all of the users).
| Users | |
| <SYMLINKD> | All Users [C:\ProgramData] |
| <DIR> | Default |
| <JUNCTION> | Default User [C:\Users\Default] |
| <DIR> | AN |
| <DIR> | Public |
AN - AccountName
Let’s take a look at account folder. The main difference is that the Appclication Data folder no longer exist it is only a link (Junction) to a new location C:\Users\AN\AppData\Roaming
I think that Microsoft decide to use short names without space for all the system folders (Local instead of Local Settings, Public instead of All Users, Documents instead of My Documents etc.)
| USERS\AN | |
| <DIR> | AppData |
| <JUNCTION> | Application Data [C:\Users\AN\AppData\Roaming] |
| <DIR> | Contacts |
| <JUNCTION> | Cookies [C:\Users\AN\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies] |
| <DIR> | Desktop |
| <DIR> | Downloads |
| <DIR> | Favorites |
| <DIR> | Links |
| <JUNCTION> | Local Settings [C:\Users\AN\AppData\Local] |
| <DIR> | Music |
| <JUNCTION> | My Documents [C:\Users\AN\Documents] |
| <JUNCTION> | NetHood [C:\Users\AN\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Network Shortcuts] |
| <DIR> | Videos |
| <JUNCTION> | Templates [C:\Users\AN\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Templates] |
| <JUNCTION> | Start Menu [C:\Users\AN\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu] |
| <JUNCTION> | SendTo [C:\Users\AN\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo] |
| <DIR> | Searches |
| <DIR> | Saved Games |
| <JUNCTION> | Recent [C:\Users\AN\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent] |
| <DIR> | Pictures |
| <JUNCTION> | PrintHood [C:\Users\AN\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Printer Shortcuts] |
| <FILE> | NTUSER.DAT |
| <FILE> | NTUSER.DAT.LOG |
| <FILE> | ntuser.ini |
AN - AccountName
The ProgramData folder contains links to the C:\Users\Public, the Application Data for All Users seems to be a ProgramData folder, All Users and All Users\Application Data folders points to ProgramData.
| ProgramData | |
| <JUNCTION> | Application Data [C:\ProgramData] |
| <JUNCTION> | Desktop [C:\Users\Public\Desktop] |
| <JUNCTION> | Documents [C:\Users\Public\Documents] |
| <JUNCTION> | Favorites [C:\Users\Public\Favorites] |
| <DIR> | Microsoft |
| <JUNCTION> | Start Menu [C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu] |
| <JUNCTION> | Templates [C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Templates] |
There’s a lots of changes in the profile folders structure. If I want to change the location of all the profiles folders I should reconstruct the whole structure on a different partition. It’s not that simple as was in XP, copying files is not enough. There will be a lot of work to do, but I take a challenge…
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