Changing the default location of user folders in Windows 10 and Windows 11 can significantly enhance your experience on the platform, especially for users who require more efficient use of drive space or those who utilize multiple drives. User folders, such as Documents, Pictures, and Videos, are typically located in the C: drive under the user’s profile. However, by default, they can become cluttered, leading to potential performance issues or difficulties in managing files. This article will guide you through various methods to change these default locations, along with tips and precautions to ensure the process is smooth and successful.
Understanding User Folders
User folders in Windows serve as the primary storage area for personal documents, media files, and application data. The key user folders include:
- Desktop: The workspace when you log in.
- Documents: A place for personal files, Word documents, and more.
- Downloads: Files downloaded from the internet.
- Music: Contains audio files.
- Pictures: A repository for photo and image files.
- Videos: Stores video files.
- AppData: Contains application-specific data that may not be directly visible.
Each of these folders can be moved to a new location, which can be particularly useful for those who have limited space on their main system drive (usually C:) but have more storage capacity on another drive.
Preparation Steps Before Changing Default Location
Before making any changes, it’s essential to take certain preparatory steps:
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Backup Your Data: Ensure that you have backups of all your important files. Changing folder locations can sometimes lead to data loss if not properly handled.
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Consult Drive Sizes: Check the available space on the destination drive where you intend to relocate your folders to prevent any potential issues arising from insufficient storage.
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Create the New Folder Structure: It’s a good practice to create a new folder on the desired drive where you want to relocate your user folders. For example, if you plan to move your Documents folder to D:Documents, ensure that folder exists before you proceed.
Method 1: Changing User Folder Locations via Properties
The easiest way to move user folders is through their Properties dialog. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do this:
Step 1: Open File Explorer
- Launch File Explorer: You can do this by clicking on the folder icon in the taskbar or pressing the Windows key + E.
Step 2: Navigate to User Folders
- Find Your User Folder: Go to
This PC>C:>Users>[Your Username]. Here you’ll see various user folders like Documents, Downloads, etc.
Step 3: Access Folder Properties
- Right-Click on the Folder: For example, right-click on the “Documents” folder, then select Properties from the context menu.
Step 4: Move the Folder
- Go to the Location Tab: In the Properties window, switch to the Location tab.
- Click on Move: This button allows you to select a new location for the folder.
- Select New Location: Navigate to the new folder you created on your desired drive (e.g., D:Documents) and select it.
- Apply Changes: Click OK, and you’ll be prompted to move all files to the new location. Choose Yes to confirm.
Step 5: Repeat for Other Folders
- Repeat for Other Folders: You can perform the same steps for other user folders like Pictures, Music, and Videos.
Method 2: Using the Registry Editor
For advanced users, making changes through the Registry Editor is a powerful method to change user folder locations. However, this method requires caution as incorrect changes in the registry can lead to system instability.
Step 1: Open Registry Editor
- Press Windows + R: This will open the Run dialog.
- Type “regedit”: Hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Step 2: Navigate to User Folders Settings
- Locate the Path: Navigate to the following path:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerUser Shell Folders
Step 3: Change Folder Paths
- Identify the Folders: You will see a list of user folders here with paths assigned to them.
- Double-Click on the Relevant Folder: For example, double-click on Personal to change the Documents folder location.
- Edit the Value Data: Change the value to the new folder location. For example, replace the previous path (often something like
C:UsersYourUsernameDocuments) withD:Documents. - Save Changes: Click OK and close the Registry Editor.
Step 4: Restart Your Computer
- Reboot Your Computer: Restarting your system will ensure that the changes take effect.
Method 3: Command Prompt
Another way to change user folder locations is through the Command Prompt, which can be very efficient if you’re comfortable using command-line tools.
Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator
- Press Windows + X: Select Windows Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin) from the menu.
Step 2: Use the ‘mklink’ Command
- Create a Symbolic Link: The mklink command is used to create a symbolic link to redirect folder locations. If you have the Documents folder in D:Documents, use the following command:
mklink /J C:UsersYourUsernameDocuments D:DocumentsThis creates a junction link with the path that now points to the new location.
Step 3: Verify the Link
- Check Your Folders: Open the Documents folder in File Explorer to confirm that it redirects to the new location.
Post-Migration Steps
After successfully changing the location of user folders, perform the following checks:
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Verify Functionality: Open each user folder to ensure it is working correctly, and files are accessible.
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Check Shortcuts: If you created shortcuts to any of these folders in another location (like on the desktop), ensure they still function as expected.
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Adjust Backup Settings: If you use backup software, update it with the new folder locations to ensure your data is protected.
Precautions When Changing User Folder Locations
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Avoid System Folders: When relocating user folders, always ensure they don’t point to system folders as it might interfere with Windows processes.
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Understand Data Loss Risks: While the methods above are designed to preserve your data, mistakes can lead to data loss. Always have a backup to avoid any catastrophes.
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Consistent Organization: After moving folders, keep a consistent organizational structure to facilitate easy access to your files.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
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Missing Folder Errors: If Windows cannot find a folder after relocation, ensure the folder still exists in the new location.
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Access Denied Errors: This can occur if you do not have the proper permissions. Ensure that your user account has administrative privileges.
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Performance Issues: Rarely, users might encounter slow performance after moving folders. This could be due to the speed of the new drive. Consider moving back or optimizing the new drive.
Conclusion
Changing the default location of user folders in Windows 10 and 11 is a straightforward process that can significantly enhance your user experience, improve organization, and optimize storage utilization. By using built-in tools like File Explorer or Registry Editor, as well as command-line options, you can easily relocate your folders to suit your preferences and storage needs. Always ensure that you take the proper precautions and backup vital data to avoid potential issues. With these methods at your disposal, manage your files more effectively and take full control of your digital environment.
Did you move the default user folders (Documents, Downloads, Pictures, etc) somewhere else? Did you change your mind and want them back to their initial location? Have you set up OneDrive, and you noticed that it changed the location of your Documents folder? Do you want to restore the default folder locations for Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Videos, or other user folders? Then you’ve come to the right place, as I’ll show you how to restore all the user folders in Windows 10 and Windows 11:
How to restore your user folders to their default location (Documents, Downloads, Pictures, etc.)
Each user account on a Windows computer has at least a dozen user folders. Some of these are hidden, and the user does not interact with them directly. However, they can be used automatically by Windows or the apps you’ve installed. If you have moved some of these folders to a new location, or you installed and configured OneDrive, which then moved their location automatically to the OneDrive folder, you can change your mind and reset their location to the default user folder.
If you’re using Windows 10, open File Explorer, go to Quick access or This PC, and then right-click (or press and hold) the user folder you want to restore to its original location. For this tutorial, I chose Documents, but you can follow the same steps to restore Downloads, Pictures, Desktop, or Music. In the right-click menu, select Properties.
In Windows 10, access user folders from the Quick access section of File Explorer
In Windows 11, go to Home or This PC in File Explorer’s left sidebar and right-click (or press and hold) the user folder you want to restore to its original location. In the menu displayed, choose Properties.
In Windows 11, access user folders from File Explorer’s Home section
NOTE: From now on, the steps are identical in Windows 10 and Windows 11, so I’ll only use screenshots from Windows 11.
When you see the Properties window for the selected user folder, go to the Location tab and click or tap Restore Default. Before you do that, notice the current location of the selected folder. It can be a partition like D instead of C, a subfolder in your OneDrive, or another location other than the default user folder from Windows.
Go to the Location tab and click or tap Restore Default
You then see the data in the location field changing to something like:
C:\Users\Username\Documents
…where Username is replaced by the name of your user account. Click or tap OK to continue.
After the default user folder location is shown, click or tap OK
On some computers, you may be informed that your chosen folder does not exist. This happens because it was moved to a different location. When asked whether you want to create it, select Yes.
Click or tap Yes
You’re asked whether you want to move all the files from the old location to the new one. Again, choose Yes.
Click or tap Yes one more time
Then, wait for all your files to be moved. When the process is over, you can access the user folder you’ve moved. Notice that it’s found in its default location as a subfolder of your user folder. Again, this procedure applies to all user folders: Documents, Desktop, Downloads, Pictures, or Videos.
How to deal with OneDrive changing the location of your user folder?
Some users don’t have a paid Microsoft 365 subscription, which gives them access to 1 TB of OneDrive storage. When they try OneDrive, it recommends them to back up their Documents, Pictures, Desktop, Music, and Videos. After creating a backup, they notice that their documents and files require much more storage space than the 5 GB that is free on OneDrive. Also, the OneDrive app has changed the location of their synced user folders. What should you do in this situation?
First, you should stop OneDrive from backing up your user folders. To do that, click or tap the OneDrive icon in the system tray, click or tap the Help & Settings cogwheel icon, and choose Settings.
Click or tap OneDrive > Help & Settings > Settings
In the OneDrive Settings window, go to Sync and backup and click or tap Manage backup.
Click or tap Manage backup
You see a list of all the user folders backed up by OneDrive. Click or tap the switch next to each user folder you don’t want on your OneDrive to turn it off.
When asked to confirm your choice, click or tap Stop backup. Repeat this step for all the user folders you don’t want in your OneDrive. Then, click or tap Close.
Turn off the switch for the user folder you don’t want to sync to OneDrive
You have stopped OneDrive from backing up your user folder(s). Now, you can use the instructions from the first section of this tutorial to change the location of your user folders to their default. It may also be a good idea to change OneDrive’s location in Windows to keep things separate. And remember, when OneDrive asks whether you want it to back up your user folders, don’t accept this invitation, unless you want to go through this process again.
Which user folder(s) did you restore to their original location: Downloads, Documents, Pictures?
I hope you found this guide helpful, that you successfully restored your user folders to their original location, and that you didn’t lose any files in the process. Before closing, leave a comment sharing which user folders you moved back to their original location and why. Was it because OneDrive moved them for you in the first place? Or is it because you have changed and reorganized the partitions on your Windows computer? Comment using the options available below and let me know.🙂
(Image credit: Future)
On Windows 10, each account has a set of default folders that allow users to save and organize their files, including documents, pictures, downloads, and other data on the device.
However, over time, depending on your usage, the folders can grow in size significantly, and if you have a computer with limited storage, using a different location (for example external hard drive or partition) can help to avoid running out of space on the system drive, which can be an issue when it comes the time to install new releases of Windows 10 or a new application. Also, you never want to use a device with a drive at capacity as it can affect system performance.
This guide will walk you through the steps to move the default user account folders to a different drive or partition on Windows 10.
How to change default user folders on Windows 10
You can only use the instructions outlined below if you’re not backing up files to OneDrive. If OneDrive backup is enabled, you must disabled the feature (see instructions below) before continuing.
To move the default user account folders to a new storage location, use these steps:
- Open File Explorer.
- Click on This PC from the left pane.
- Under the «Devices and drivers» section, open the new drive location.
- Browse to the location to move the folders.
- Click the New folder button from the «Home» tab.
- Name the folder Documents and press Enter.
- Repeat steps 5 and 6 to create the remaining folders. For example, Desktop, Downloads, Pictures, Videos, and Music.
- Quick tip: You can also use the «Ctrl + Shift + N» keyboard shortcut to create new folders quickly.
- Open Start.
- Search for Run and click the top result to open the Run command.
- Type the following path to open the location with the account default folders and click the OK button: %HOMEPATH%
- Right-click the folder you want to move and select the Properties options.
- Click the Location tab.
- Click the Move button.
- Select the equivalent folder in the new location.
- Click the Select Folder button.
- Click the Apply button.
- Click the Yes button.
- Click the OK button.
- Repeat steps 11 through 18 to move the remaining folders.
Once you complete the steps, the default account folders will move to the new location, and future files will save in this location by default.
Although moving folders one at a time introduces additional steps, you’ll avoid potential problems, which may be something that could happen while moving the main account folder.
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Redirect user folders when using OneDrive backup
If you are backing up the folders to OneDrive, you won’t be able to use this method. In the case that you still want to move the folders to another location, you will need to stop OneDrive from syncing your folders to the cloud. Here’s how:
- Right-click the OneDrive icon in the System Tray and select the Settings option.
- Click on Sync and backup.
- Click the Manage backup button for the «Back up important PC folders to OneDrive» setting.
- Turn off the toggle switch for each folder.
- Click the «I’ll do it later» button.
Once you complete the steps, you can use the instructions outlined earlier to redirect the user folders to another location.
Restore default folder location
If you change your mind, you can revert the changes for the folder location using these steps:
- Open File Explorer.
- Browse to the current user folder’s location.
- Right-click one of the folder to restore its location and select the Properties option.
- Click the Location tab.
- Click the Restore Default button.
- Click the Yes button.
- Click the Yes button to move the files to the original default location.
After you complete the steps, the account folder will relocate to its original location. You may need to repeat the steps to restore the remaining folders to their previous location.
Change default save location on apps
The only caveat about this process is that it’ll not change the default save locations for some apps. For instance, if you use Microsoft Edge, Chrome, or Firefox, these applications will continue to use the original path to try and save files.
If you want to avoid problems, change the default save location for these and other apps (if applicable). Here’s an example of changing the settings on Microsoft Edge:
- Open Microsoft Edge.
- Click the Settings and more (three-dotted) button in the top-right corner.
- Click on Downloads.
- Click the Change button.
- Select the new location for downloads.
- Click the Select Folder button.
Once you complete the steps, future files will download to the new location by default in the new storage.
More resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 or Windows 11, visit the following resources:
- Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
- Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know
Cutting-edge operating system
A refreshed design in Windows 11 enables you to do what you want effortlessly and safely, with biometric logins for encrypted authentication and advanced antivirus defenses.
Mauro Huculak has been a Windows How-To Expert contributor for WindowsCentral.com for nearly a decade and has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides. He also has an IT background and has achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and CompTIA. He has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years.
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The default location of a user profile in Windows 7 and later OS can be found in «C:\Users» folder, which is located at the same partition (disk) as the operating system is (OS disk). But if your OS disk has not enough free space, then is better to change the default location of your personal folders (user files) to another drive, in case that you have an additional drive available on your system.
In this tutorial you can find detailed instructions on how you can move Documents, Desktop, Music or Videos folders to another location on your computer and make the new location as the default save location for new files.
- Related article: How to change Personal Folders Location using Registry.
How to Change Default Save Location / Move User Folders on Windows 10, 8, 7 and Vista.
– On a standard Windows installation, all the personal files for every user, are stored at «C:\Users\<USERNAME>\» folder, under the following subfolders (Personal Folders):
* Note: The<USERNAME> variable represents the path of the user profile folder. (e.g. if you username is «Admin» then your user profile folder is: «C:\Users\Admin\»)
Desktop –> C:\Users\<USERNAME>\Desktop
My Documents – > C:\Users\<USERNAME>\Documents
Downloads – > C:\Users\<USERNAME>\Downloads
My Music – > C:\Users\<USERNAME>\Music
My Pictures – > C:\Users\<USERNAME>\Pictures
Videos – > C:\Users\<USERNAME>\Videos
– If you want to move the contents from a personal folder (e.g. the «My Documents» folder) to another destination on your computer and to change the default save location:
1. Open Windows Explorer and expand the contents of the following folder:
- C:\Users\<USERNAME>\
* Note: The<USERNAME> variable represents the path of your user profile folder. (e.g. if you username is «Admin» then navigate to «C:\Users\Admin\» folder).
2. Right click on the personal folder that you want to change it’s location. (e.g. «My Documents») and select Properties.
3. At Location tab, click the Move button.
4. Select the new folder destination and click Select folder.
5. Click OK twice to exit and then click Yes at the warning message.
You ‘re done! If you want to restore the default location then navigate to the new location you specified, and by following the same steps, click the «Restore Default» button.
That’s all! Did it work for you?
Please leave a comment in the comment section below or even better: like and share this blog post in the social networks to help spread the word about this solution.
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Konstantinos is the founder and administrator of Repairwin.com. Since 1995 he works and provides IT support as a computer and network expert to individuals and large companies. He is specialized in solving problems related to Windows or other Microsoft products (Windows Server, Office, Microsoft 365, etc.).
February 26, 2023 10:11
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Are you having problems changing the location of your user files? Did you uninstall OneDrive, and now your personal folders are all screwed up. Here is how to manually change the default location of user files in Windows.
Being able to change the location of user files has to be one of the coolest features of Windows when it works. But there may be a time when you encounter an error when trying to move a folder location. The most common error is ‘Can’t move the folder because there is a folder in the same location that can’t be redirected. Access is denied‘. This error relates to the folder redirection done when OneDrive is used and often appears when you uninstall OneDrive.
Note: The following procedures require editing the registry. Incorrectly editing the registry can cause system instability and even failure to boot. If you do not feel comfortable editing the registry, please get in touch with a local computer technician for assistance.
Yes, truth be told, the special user folders are merely just registry entries and can be easily changed. But it is highly recommended to back up the registry first. So I want to show you how to back up the registry, change the location of your user files, and restore the registry if necessary.
How to open the Registry Editor in Windows
- Bring up the Run dialog box by either:
- Pressing the Windows logo key + R
- Right-click on the Windows logo on the Start Menu or press the Windows logo key + X and then select Run
- In the Run dialog box that appears, type regedit and select OK. If you’re prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
How to backup the registry
- With the Registry Editor open:
- Highlight Computer in the left-hand column to backup the complete registry.
- Highlight the key or value you want to backup.
- Left-click on the File pull-down menu and left-click on Export.
- Select the location and a descriptive file name for the backup file, then left-click on Save.
How to change the default user files location in the registry
- With the Registry Editor open:
- Navigate to the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
- In the right-hand column, right-click on the Name of the key you want to change and select Modify… from the context menu.
- Enter either the default settings for that folder from the table below or the path to the actual folder (C:\Example\Docs). Make sure the actual folder exists before changing the folder key.
- Log off or restart your computer for the registry change to take effect.
Default user shell folder settings
| Registry key name | Folder | Data (default value) |
|---|---|---|
| {374DE290-123F-4565-9164-39C4925E467B} | Downloads | %USERPROFILE%\Downloads |
| Desktop | Desktop | %USERPROFILE%\Desktop |
| Favorites | Favorites | %USERPROFILE%\Favorites |
| My Music | Music | %USERPROFILE%\Music |
| My Pictures | Pictures | %USERPROFILE%\Pictures |
| My Video | Videos | %USERPROFILE%\Videos |
| Personal | Documents | %USERPROFILE%\Documents |
How to restore the registry
- With the Registry Editor open:
- Left-click on the File pull-down menu and left-click on Import.
- Navigate to the location of the REG file you want to import and left-click on it.
- Left-click on the Open button. You should get a confirmation screen telling you successfully imported the file.
7a7e6c6e-fa37-4db0-9d2e-a2845d4b4b66|1|5.0|96d5b379-7e1d-4dac-a6ba-1e50db561b04