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Make Profile folder(s) a subfolder


Dogway

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@Dogway, no disrespect meant at all, but it appears that you have exhausted our experience and knowledge on this topic over the last month. And it is something that you want to do, and your wants seem to be unique as far as the members of this forum are concerned, ie relocating the user directories in a specific way for a dual boot of XP and Win7. So I think it is time for you to do some more experiments yourself, and report back your methods and results if you would be so kind. If you run into difficulties, the specifics you report may trigger some useful feedback for you. I know you have said that you wanted to do this right, and not lightly, but if your expectation was that you would learn all there is to know then do it right the first time, then I think that was overly optimistic. You stated in post #24 that you were successful in doing what you wanted for XP, but I haven't seen that you have done any more tests for Win7, even though we have given you all the suggestions we know. Since you seem to be blazing a new trail, it seems to me that it would be useful to learn to do what you want for Win7 standalone before you try to merge the XP and Win7 installs. I know you didn't like what jaclaz said, but he is right that they have become different beasts, as you yourself have seen. Just a suggestion.

Cheers and Regards

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I was busy finishing a project, so I left the research on halt until this day. First things first.

First, bphlpt, do not consider my crossed posts with jaclaz as ontopic matter, or posts to consider to judge a person by. This guy just goes around provoking people playing with what he might (or not) actually know, as in this case, just throwing himself into a discussion with no real valuable input.

Second, I didn't exhaust anyone, I said I would come here after I did some research, I did that. Came back with a solution for WindowsXP, let you guys know about it, and expected some, "ahaaa! that's analog to this other file/method in 7", because I know 0 about 7. Now jaclaz and everybody come here saying that 7 is a totally different thing/beast, which is a bit of "stating the obvious" and a bit of "a fallback" for justifing not to look for a solution. I proved submix8c wrong by finding a solution for WinXP, what makes you think he knows about 7 not being capable when I proved it did was with XP? But the good thing about him, unlike jaclaz, is that he is trying to help out. And that's what I'm gonna do now, now that nobody knows anything about my find, I'm going to search on his links, and put my hands on the job.

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I proved submix8c wrong by finding a solution for WinXP, what makes you think he knows about 7 not being capable when I proved it did was with XP?

STOP RIGHT THERE!

Can you clarify that? I never said that XP can't do it, since many on MSFN have already accomplished "moving" a number of files/folders. I did not (necessarily) say Win7 is incapable, just that (seemingly) it can't be done via Unattended. Your rgument with both me and jaclaz (re "different beasts") is the misundertanding you have about "similarities" in the Install Sequence and Methods. They are absolutely different. Also, bear in mind that the whole "unattended" thing was never meant for the "general user" but for Corporate (read that as "remote install/upgrade") Installs and OEM Installs.

I have (above) provided (looks like) two different "methods" that (seemingly) work, the first being to (during Audit Mode) alter the (seemingly) "generated" UNATTEND.XML (in the "Panther" directory), the second using the "preferred" method (with the KB link inside the link).

Post #3 - explaining why they are "different beasts" (re - junctions and not "real").

Post #9 - with a link to the aforementioned (linked) KB.

Post #13 - specifically states "try".

Post #15 - specifically saying (quite truly) "it wouldn't be the first (nor the last) time that MS originated info is unclear, incomplete, misleading or plainly wrong."

Post #20 - specifically states " I HAVE NOT TESTED THIS OR USED THIS METHOD IN THREE YEARS." This appears to be the "REG Hack" mentioned in said link (with the KB link inside).

Post #25 - Only explaining that it's at the "primitive" level and suggesting that you will have to put on a "Schoolboy Hat" and stating specifically how much effort I placed in getting a "simple Fully Unattended" to work.

Post #26 - It appears that you assumed I said it couldn't be done by my simple phrase about the "(old) beast" then proceed to harangue jaclaz (in Post #29) after he agreed, while saying that you would "look into" the links provided in Post #28. Post #30 (jaclaz) also used the term "seemingly".

My own note - it seemingly appears that to put it into a SubFolder won't seemingly work.

P.S. Your "solution" has been on MSFN for a long time as well as elsewhere. Nothing new... What is new is your attempt to do what MS "implies" can't be done, which the aforementioned Link also says. Who knows what MS did to "break" this in Vista and Up except the fact that "junctions" are now used, as I specifically sated when suggesting you observe close the behavior of said folders. Seemingly to accomplish this you would, perforce, need to do this after the OS is "almost" installed, since "SETUP" does NOT understand it and/or REFUSES to do it on anything OTHER than a ROOT Directory.

That is all. ;) Please report back if you actually find out how to do the seemingly impossible. :yes:

Junctions (seemingly only OS-utilized after 2K/XP/2K3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTFS_junction_point

Google

microsoft windows junctions
the "thing" that has you hung up. Edited by submix8c
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It seems that jaclaz's contributions (scarce and low-quality as they might be :unsure:) are not particularly appreciated. :(

Just to make clear how not only jaclaz usually tries to help, but from times to times he even succeeds at it :yes:, here is a reference:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/162668-make-a-proper-dual-boot/

where Dogway was far less critical on his postings/suggestions.

On the other hand he was here far more critical on the help provided by submix8c :w00t::

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/162630-eisa-partition-unattended/

An image is worth a thousand words....

https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/4335306752/h32FCE4DB/

jaclaz

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It seems that jaclaz's contributions (scarce and low-quality as they might be :unsure:) are not particularly appreciated. :(

This guy just goes around provoking people playing with what he might (or not) actually know, as in this case, just throwing himself into a discussion with no real valuable input.

I'm starting to think you have really understanding issues, specially text/semantic related. The act of provoking doesn't deny one to help either. The problem is that you provoke either when you help and when you don't help indistinctly. I appreciate the help as much as I condemn your fodder posts.

That said, I installed the Win7 image I had since a few weeks ago and now it worked, it read correctly the paths. The only different thing that changed is new system and latest VBox version, the latter being IMO the main reason for this now to work on VM. After following a link of submix8c I entered audit mode, checked and everything was fine, specially read the setupact.log inside the UnattendGC folder, (it is possible I could find the reason for this other issue there), and I could read:

2014-01-22 10:04:03, Info                         [Shell Unattend] FolderLocations: Moved 'C:\Users' to 'D:\Profiles\Usuarios'2014-01-22 10:04:03, Info                         [Shell Unattend] FolderLocations: 'ProfilesDirectory' set to 'D:\Profiles\Usuarios'2014-01-22 10:04:03, Info                         [Shell Unattend] FolderLocations: 'Default' set to 'D:\Profiles\Usuarios\Default'2014-01-22 10:04:03, Info                         [Shell Unattend] FolderLocations: 'ProfileImagePath' set to 'D:\Profiles\Usuarios\Administrator'2014-01-22 10:04:09, Info                         [Shell Unattend] FolderLocations: Moved 'C:\ProgramData' to 'D:\Profiles\ProgramData'2014-01-22 10:04:09, Info                         [Shell Unattend] FolderLocations: 'ProgramData' set to 'D:\Profiles\ProgramData'

I made an install again without edit mode, and it worked again, so I'm now going to install Win7 for real. Thank you.

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Perhaps this will (partially) help understanding (of course you probably already know) -

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/6083.windows-xp-folders-and-locations-vs-windows-7-and-vista.aspx

All 2K/XP/2K3 User-type Folders have a corresponding "set" of folders in Vista/7/8 (only assuming 8 as I don't have it). When Explorer is opened instead of immediately going to "My Documents" it goes to "Libraries" which includes BOTH the User's -and- the Public (corresponding to "All Users") with -all- associated Junctions. "Default" is still "Default" and you must already know its purpose (same as XP).

As a follow-up, here is a Topic I participated in with a fully functional FULLY Unattended XML (post #6) -

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/170809-multiple-windows-7-versions-on-same-iso-unattended-product-key/

Note the stipulation is that I had to use "Diskpart Clean" before it would correctly function -and- I had hard-coded a couple of Drive Letters in it for -my- particular use/situation/hardware. Yes, I'm perfectly aware that it uses USB and the ISO. Here is the subject Topic that was for -me only- (see Post #21)...

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/163854-hp-g43-mobo-nops2usb-kbdmouse-nodetect/

HTH

Side note - Jeez, you ARE one touchy person. Jaclaz has a personality that you really should accept, as well as everyone else having a unique one (including you). GET OVER IT, please. ;)

Post #7, Post #9, and Post #15... Caring/Helping? :yes: (note the question mark of which he repeatedly used.)

REQUEST -

This is YOUR Topic, so how about you actually putting the EXACT PROCEDURE -and- TOOLS -and- ANY MODS (including the XML, with any Real Keys X'd out, of course) for the benefit of others. Don't be selfish. :no:

Edited by submix8c
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I just installed Win7 on Dual Boot (with jaclaz' help from a few months ago I -must and should- admit, that has to be said) and everything seems fine. I spent some time installing drivers and programs, and used EasyBCD for changing the boot manager countdown and OS titles.

One thing to note, I had to actually hide everything (partitions) I didn't want involved in the installation. So far I was using the "lis vol" and "assign letter" commands to reorder my volumes and get the profiles on my "D: storage" partition, the issue is that by some reason E: was being assigned D: (surely my sata plug order was quite random but...) and so forth I had to reinstall W7 up to 3 times. I just used the set ID's commands to hide everything except C: and D:.

My XML isn't anything out of this world. I posted it several times, it works except for the dialog for creating a new user account. After check, it seems that my unattended.xml user account fails to get a group (user/admin) so that's why I'm prompted to create a new one (and also get all those public folders scattered on root D:). I don't know if it's mandatory because that stage is also a good chance to enter audit mode so without this halt I don't know how it could be possible.

http://www.mediafire.com/view/nbpknlhqnc05b9s/Autounattend-m2.xml
Everything is quite simple, I followed this guide for the FirstLogon installs. Sorry I can't check now your links, I don't know why but internet is very slow now, probably the drive fragmented after installing all profile files.

edit: btw I have one remaining Profile folder on E: which now I can't delete, I tried by getting into XP safe mode, but still unable.

Edited by Dogway
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MSFN has been having "problems".

The Administrator account is not Activated by Default - you have to Activate it.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/enable-the-hidden-administrator-account-on-windows-vista/

It won't "exist" until then. 2K/XP/2K3, on the other hand will -always- "activate" YOU as the Administrator if you -don't- specify any other account. As soon as you -do- create another Account - POOF- the Administrator disappears from Welcome. This is all "by design". :yes: (Unattend.xml/WINNT.SIF) IOW, -when- you Define a User-As-Administrator on (e.g.) Win7 and press F8 it -still- won't "physically" exist until you Activate it (does -not- show) just like the infamous "Guest" account by default being Disabled in XP. Call it a "new wrinkle"...

Did you look at -my- XML? It has a User-in-Admin-group account and works fine. No Admin Account exists under those conditions.

Drive Letter Assignments still work the way they always did on an NT-type system. Win9x also has its "quirks". In your situation, you're having to "force" it to "not see" the other ones so the Assignments will work for -you-. Note what I had to do in -my- XML (I had said that) for using USB/ISO as the Install Media (hence the WARNING I had given).

HTH

edit - Reiterating - "Public" on Vista/Win7 is the "old" "All Users". My previous post (first link) shows that relationship.

Edited by submix8c
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