Redirecting or moving %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local to another drive for all users (AD joined workstation)

LeniVietz 1 Reputation point
2022-08-10T14:17:46.503+00:00

Hi,

I'm administering a school lab with Windows 10 Pro computers connected to AD.
I will be putting SSDs in computers but there are so many accounts that I'm concerned for their lognevity and space when the AppData\Local folders start growing and wanted to use existing HDDs for profile storage.
FolderRedirection works like a charm for most folders in the user's directory (including AppData\Roaming) but there is no way to treat the Local AppData in the same way.
I already tried the following:

  1. Changing the registry:
    HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
    for "AppData" replacing:
    %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local
    with:
    D:\Users\%USERNAME%\Appdata\Local
    Windows just creates a folder named %USERNAME% in D:\Users
    I also tried adding the "Shell Folders" to HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ but it also didn't work
  2. Seting the LOCALAPPDATA variable group policy:
    Computer Configuration > Preferences > Windows Settings > Environment
  3. Seting the LOCALAPPDATA variable by script:
    User Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings > Scripts > Logon
    md D:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local
    set LOCALAPPDATA=D:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local
  4. Windows Storage Spaces - doesn't work with a boot drive so unfortunately it's a dead end.
Windows for business | Windows Client for IT Pros | Directory services | Active Directory
Windows for business | Windows Client for IT Pros | User experience | Other
0 comments No comments
{count} votes

Your answer

Answers can be marked as Accepted Answers by the question author, which helps users to know the answer solved the author's problem.