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I just purchased a new Sager NP9130. I am putting a 64GB mSATA SSD in it for the windows boot, as well as a 256GB SSD for all of my software, and lastly a 500GB Hybrid Drive for all of my files.

I don't have the computer yet, so I am trying to figure this all out before it gets to me.

I want to install windows on the mSATA drive so it will have fast boot times, but make it so the user folder (usually C:\Users) will be on the HDD (so it would be something like G:\Users). That way when I drop a file on the desktop it will be stored on the "G:" HDD, not my mSATA drive.

The other thing I want to do is put my "Program Files" and "Program Files (x86)" folders on the 256GB SSD, but I think I can just change the install path when I install my software, right?

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Check out the first answer in this MS Answers thread: Win7: how do I move user folder to a different drive

I suspect your question is really "How to I move the My Documents, My Pictures, etc. folders for family members to E:\?"

In Win7, as very different from Vista, the "Documents" virtual folder is not a conventional directory. If you open it, however, you can right-click on the "My Documents" real folder and its properties do have the "Location" tab, just as with Vista. The return to "My Documents" a la XP threw me, too, when I first saw it.

The same trick works for "My Pictures" and so on. Note that the Libraries functionality in Win7 is potentially a great tool, but it also opens the door to complete mayhem if you have several family members on the same system: document, picture, etc., folders can be physically anywhere while still appearing under the relevant Library tab in 7. If undisciplined users realize the possibilities, you could experience unexpected "drive full" issues where you least expect them. Best to have a quiet talk with said family about where to create their folders.

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  • Please quote the essential parts of the answer from the reference link(s), as the answer can become invalid if the linked page(s) change.
    – DavidPostill ♦
    May 21, 2020 at 7:40
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This is actually quite simple, using symlinks:

  1. Install windows as you would do normally.
  2. Move the Users folder to the desired destination.
  3. Make a symlink to the Users folder. Run mklink /D "C:\Users" "G:\Users" in the commandline.

Repeat step 2 and 3 with the Program Files folder.

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  • Thanks, and I might do this for the Program Files folders, but I like the idea of actually changing the location during setup as @ChrlieRB showed in the comments.
    – Sponge Bob
    Aug 21, 2012 at 20:59

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