Moving your Windows User folder to another SSD or from a legacy HDD or modern SSD can improve performance, provide a more responsive Windows experience, and increase security. The folder, located in C:\Users\[YourUsername], houses the main default storage folders for your data, such as Desktop, Downloads, Music, Videos, and others.

It’s not recommended to move the entire Windows User folder after installing Windows and using it for several weeks or months because of its dynamic environmental variables, which include pre-assigned names for folders, files, and applications. However, you can do it right after doing a clean installation.

Also, it's important to note that if you have been running Windows for a while, you can manually move individual user folders at any time. That in itself should improve Windows performance, data security, and storage space.

Moving the Windows user folder

Use the free Profile Locator tool

Moving the Windows User folder is best done right after doing a fresh installation of Windows. This prevents it from being affected by environmental variables. You will also want to disable OneDrive before it kicks in. It’s the first feature I always change on Windows. However, you should take the steps to install Windows offline. If you are creating a new bootable ISO with Rufus, consider selecting the option to prevent the need for a Microsoft account.

While you can move the folder manually using the CLI, it is inefficient and not best suited for those who are not comfortable in the command line environment. So, I found a handy, free, GUI-based tool called Profile Locator that allows you to move the folder to another SSD. When you run the tool, it advises you to use it at your own risk, and also recommends backing up your system after performing a fresh installation and creating a temporary user account. Work your way through the wizard, and it only takes a moment to move the folders since they should be empty, considering you’re coming off a clean installation.

Once I got my system up and running, the folders were populated with files on a separate SSD. Although the Windows User folder and its included folders have been moved, I still need to update the folder paths to point to the SSD. To do that, right-click each user folder, select Properties -> Location -> Find Target. Copy the path from the File Explorer address bar, paste it into the user folder, and click Apply.

Moving your user files can improve security, system performance, and save space on your local drive. You only have Windows running on your C: drive, and since M.2 SSDs are blazing fast, the data you move to the SSD will remarkably improve system performance. However, I have had problems with Windows performing the initial file index. If you use an alternative to Windows search like Voidtools' Everything, you can find your files instantaneously.

Move individual default user folders

It’s easier than you think

In some cases, you might only want to move one or two of the default user folders after installing Windows. The good news is you can do that, just not the entire Windows User folder. However, if OneDrive is backing up your folders, you need to disable it; otherwise, you can't move files that are actively backing up. Once the folders are transferred to the other drive, you can redirect OneDrive folder paths for backup.

Create a new folder where you want the existing default one to reside and give it a name. Using Ctrl + Shift + N allows you to create new folders quickly. Press Win + R, type %HOMEPATH%, and click OK. Right-click the folder you want to move and select Properties. Select the Location tab -> Move and open the folder you created on the new SSD. Click the Select Folder button, and a new path will be populated in the Location field. Click "Apply" and "Yes" when the verification message appears.

Don't move the entire Windows User folder after using Windows for some time

Because it breaks things

Now, it’s important to note that you can’t just move or copy the entire Windows User folder to the new SSD after you've been using Windows for a while. You need to take extra care and do it correctly if you want to do it after a clean installation. The folder and sub-folders are created during the installation process, and moving them after an installation could cause paths to break and specific Windows applications to function incorrectly, much like the misguided advice to delete your System32 folder.

However, you can use the above steps to move individual user folders to a different SSD, which I have done with excellent results. That alone will help save drive space and increase the responsiveness of File Explorer while accessing files within the folders. If you want to continue using OneDrive (or an alternative cloud storage service) for PC backup, remember to redirect its folder paths to the ones you created.

Benefits of moving user folders on Windows

Installing the Windows User folder on another SSD makes a significant difference in the speed and responsiveness of Windows. The OS is running separately, and it doesn’t need to deal with constant indexing of large folders. Windows won't be struggling with the data in your user folders; the performance is surprisingly better.

Since doing this, I also have more space on the local drive, less fragmentation, and improved system performance. I also have extra security in the event my system gets infected with malware on my local drive. Typically, your sensitive data on a different drive won't be seen by malicious code on another drive.

If you have a low-capacity SSD, moving the individual user folders from your current drive helps reclaim drive space. Additionally, transferring large files is faster since it’s an SSD-to-SSD transfer.

Overall, it has made a noticeable difference, and I am happier since I made the change. In fact, I might do this on all of my PCs when I do a fresh installation of Windows. Moving the folders individually to another SSD is already something I do. It is effective in improving system performance and security.