Move Your User Folders to Another Drive — the Supported Way

Your C: drive is filling up and you want Documents, Downloads, or Pictures on a roomier drive. There’s a supported, built-in way to do it per folder — and a tempting shortcut (moving all of C:\Users) that you should not take.

The supported way: each folder’s Location tab

1. On the target drive, create the destination folder first — e.g. D:\Documents. Never point a known folder at a bare drive root like D:\.
2. Open your profile folder (C:\Users\<you>), right-click the folder you’re moving (Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Music, Videos, or Desktop) → Properties.
3. Open the Location tab → Move… → select D:\Documents → Select Folder → OK.
4. When Windows asks “Do you want to move all of the files…?”, click Yes. Yes physically moves your files and repoints Windows and apps to the new path; No leaves your files stranded in the old location — a common way people “lose” their data.
5. Let each folder finish before moving the next. Moving several at once is the classic cause of merged folders.

To undo: same folder → Properties → Location → Restore Default.

The Settings shortcut only affects new files

Settings → System → Storage → Advanced storage settings → Where new content is saved lets you pick a default drive for new apps, documents, music, photos and videos. It does not move existing files or relocate the known folders — it only changes where new content is saved going forward. To move what’s already there, use the Location tab above.

Do NOT move the entire C:\Users folder

People try to relocate all of C:\Users (and ProgramData) using unattend.xml ProfilesDirectory, registry edits, or symlinks. Microsoft is explicit: “Relocation of the ‘Users,’ ‘ProgramData,’ or ‘Program Files’ directory is not supported in Windows.” The documented consequences:

• Feature updates and in-place upgrades fail (errors 0x80070004 and 0xc1900102) — Microsoft’s only fix is to reset or reinstall Windows.
• Security and monthly quality updates can fail to install.
• With ProfilesDirectory specifically, Microsoft Store apps are unsupported and Reset this PC breaks.

Move individual known folders (supported). Leave the profile tree itself on C:.

Gotchas

• No Location tab on Documents / Desktop / Pictures? OneDrive’s folder backup (Known Folder Move) is managing that folder. Turn it off first: OneDrive icon → Settings → Sync and backup → Manage backup, then the Location tab returns.
• Your whole D: drive turned into “Documents”? You pointed the Location tab at the drive root or at another known folder, merging the two. Fix with Restore Default, or reset the value under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders (for example Personal → %USERPROFILE%\Documents) and restart Explorer.
• Use a permanent internal drive (NTFS). Known folders on removable drives break Libraries and disappear when the drive is unplugged.
• Libraries aren’t folders. Adding a folder to a Library never moves data; moving a known folder via the Location tab keeps it in its Library automatically.

FAQ

Does “Where new content is saved” move my existing files? No — it only sets the default drive for new content. Existing files stay where they are; use the Location tab to move them.

Can I move all of C:\Users to D: to save space? No. Microsoft says relocating Users / ProgramData / Program Files is unsupported; it breaks updates, in-place upgrades, Store apps and Reset this PC. Move individual folders instead.

Why is there no Location tab on my Documents folder? OneDrive is backing it up (Known Folder Move). Stop the backup in OneDrive settings and the tab reappears.

I moved a folder into the drive root and everything merged — how do I undo it? Properties → Location → Restore Default, or fix the User Shell Folders registry value and restart Explorer, then move the files back manually.

Sources: Microsoft — Error installing Windows because Users or Program Files folder redirected, Microsoft — Windows servicing operations fail after you move user profile or ProgramData folders, Microsoft — Back up your folders with OneDrive