Win 7 Best Practices: separation of user data from system drive?

[jelson]

I'm trying to determine is the best way to separate user data from the system drive in Windows 7.

Primary motivation: ability restore a known good system image in the event of malware attack, system drive problem, or other system instability, such as a failed application install?

I've googled and read quite a few articles and the answers tend fail into one of two camps:

• Manual method -- "Microsoft approved" -- of moving specific user folders via "Properties"' "Location" tab.

(The Lincoln Spector, PCWorld article seems quite good, but has permission problems & sometimes it seems to break some of the hidden symbolic links in C:\Users\ subs)

• Moving entire Users directory -- via Robocopy or Xcopy -- in conjunction with symbolic links (via mklink).

(Currently, it seems best example is Keithius’ Core Dump article which has LOTS of comments, over 170: some are quite extensive & in-depth, but confusing due to lack of a clear consensus.)

This was fairly straight-forward in XP: move the "personal" user folders (Desktop, Favorites & My Documents & its subs) while leaving the "system" one, like Local Settings & Application Data, where they are.

Thus, I've been able to restore prior system images as needed with my user data being unaffected and everything works exactly the way it should: only need to redo any updates & recent installations of apps.

I'm looking to do the same in Windows 7. But I'm confused by the variety of opinions as well as mixed reports of those who tried the posters' methods.

I suspect the problem lies in my not knowing enough about Win7 to determine where the flaws and shortcomings of each method actually are. Of course, it doesn't help that most people's motivation is they have a SSD and want to get as much as possible off C:\

So, which method is a best practice?

Or, even better question: how would you set up a Win7 machine for your mom?

You'll be the one she calls after her system gets hosed by clicking on the wrong Facebook or browser link. After all, you want to be able to her machine back up quickly and be able to leave knowing there won't be any problems till the next time she gets click-happy.

[A Guy]

Looking to move your user folders?

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18629-user-folders-change-default-location.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/87555-user-profile-change-default-location.html

A Guy

[jelson]

Thanks, A Guy. I really appreciate it.

I have read a number of tutorials on 7forums. Quite informative, but...

Let me ask this a different way.

When I determined my user folders strategy for XP, it was a fully mature and well understood OS that have been out for 8 years. And it's served me well.

Hanging out around here, I regularly find myself trying out various app wish I hadn't. Revo Pro is good at uninstalling apps, but it's doesn't completely return the system to the way it was before. Restoring does.

Once I even had to go back to an image made a year earlier. I finally figured out an irritating issue stemmed from trying out Returnil. Restore... and Boom!

System rock solid and lean again. Just had a year's worth of updates to redo and reinstall any apps that were really worth the trouble.

And that's what I'm wanting to do now in Win7

I'll eventually figure out this sort of stuff by experimenting on my own machine. And that's fine, I learn a lot along the way.

But right now, I'm having to set up a Win7 machine for a small non-profit I'm helping out for free. The last thing I want to do is set it up wrong and months later find out there's a problem -- which I'll have to diagnose and then fix, if not redo everything -- I could have avoided if I asked around and read more.

[A Guy]

You posted the answer in your reply. Make backups. Make complete images of the system, and save them. Then make your changes. I really doubt it would take months to realize if this caused you problems. I can attest to the thoroughness and reliability of Brinks tutorials. He is a Microsoft MVP, and quite frankly the best asset of Seven Forums. His tutorials are the talk of other MS MVP's, and are the envy of them all. If he posts a tute, it has been tested and researched. A Guy

[jelson]

Thanks! Didn't know Brink's reputation.

As for the "months to know"... took me quite a while to recognize I needed to restore the system image made prior to the Returnil install. But, truth be told, it's one thing for me to experiment and take chances, but another when it's someone's data I'm dealing with. Kinda like driving or fixing someone else's car.

So, have you personally done the user folder relocation yourself? Curious if did the entire users dir or just folders.

[A Guy]

No, I have my entire data, windows and all files on my SSD. It is 80GB, and I am only using about 40%. Many feel the need to move files off their SSDs to limit writes to the drive. This is likely unnecessary as SSD life is going to far exceed listed life times.

However, if you have huge music, movie, game files, or pictures, these would be better on a spinner HDD (data drive).

I'm assuming you want to separate user data from the OS due to the commercial use of the PC?

A Guy

[jelson]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Not so much because it's a commerical PC. It's mainly about imaging strategy.

Earlier this year, I implemented this strategy on a faimly member's XP machine. Clicked on something they shouldn't have => rogue antivirus. (Actually, it was a series of c licks until they realized their error.)

Of course, they hadn't done a system image since I set it up... but restoring it got the machine back up and going and their data remained untouched and fully intact.

[brightspark]

As far as an imaging strategy is concerned, it depends entirely on the habits of the primary user.

If the primary user is conscientious about backing up, and can be relied on to regularly and frequently backup their personal data, then I would say to maintain that data on a separate partition.

On the other hand, if the primary user cannot be relied on to perform regular backups, I would recommend keeping everything together on the one drive/partition, so any created images will automatically include all personal data too.

It's much of a muchness really. People say it is best not to include personal data in images because images will then be smaller and easier to manage. BUT, personal data still needs to be backed up somewhere; in the end, if you add the two together (image + personal data backup), it's pretty much the same result as just including it all in the image.

Cheers...Jim

[jelson]

Brightspark, I pretty much agree.

My strategy's pointed towards my own situation. I'll do images of the OS & the data when I do the initial setup. Even take them by the hand and lead them through the steps. Of course, it doesn't fully take. Perhaps, 1 day. (Ain't betting on it.)

But interestingly enough, family members and friends get the "imaging religion" after that 1st malware attack. I think it takes a trauma like that to build sufficient motivation for most people.

"OMG, I could have lost everything!!!"

At the very least, they can't loss all their data, just the accumulation since I did the initial images. Also, I can walk them through a system image restore on the phone. Will take 15 min max. Makes my life easier.

I really don't like those calls of frantic anguish about possible loss of all photos, music, and especially biz records. Not a lot of fun resurrecting data from a mangled hard drive. (Did it once, don't want to have to do it again.)

Of course, if I was getting paid for doing it, it would sound more like a cash register going into overdrive. Them's the breaks.

[A Guy]

If you are helping friends and family, have them download and install Team Viewer. It will save you the anguish of having them describe what they are seeing/doing. Very easy for them to set up, and launch. Give you their code and password (generated by the program) and you are in control.

http://www.sevenforums.com/software/101318-teamviewer.html#post875248

A Guy