VirtualStore not working

Hi, I've got a problem with Vista's file virtualization system.

For years I've had my profiles folder (\Users in Vista) moved to another
partition on a different disk, in order to make reinstallation and backup
easier while improving performance.

Yesterday I installed Vista with C:\Users moved to D:\Users (D is my data
partition) and all appeared to be working well. However I quickly realized
that file virtualization is not working at all: the VirtualStore folder in
\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Roaming does not even exist, and legacy
applications writing to C:\Program Files simply fail with an access denied
error.
The Event Viewer does not report any problem for UAC-File virtualization and
the luafv.sys driver is up and running (verified with sc query at prompt).

Now, is there a way to fix this? I REALLY need to have my profiles on a
different disk, but I'd also like to have virtualization enabled (I know I
can edit permissions in Program Files to allow writes...).

Thanks.

--
Merak

Hello,

From what I understand, Microsoft does not officially support moving the
entire user profiles folder.

My "hackish" advice would be create a directory symbolic link on drive C
that points to drive D:

- Click start
- Type: cmd
- Right-click cmd.exe, click Run As Administrator
- Type: mklink /D c:\Users d:\Users
- Press enter
- Restart your computer

And see if that gets things moving.


--
- JB
Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User

Windows Vista Support Faq
http://www.jimmah.com/vista/

> From what I understand, Microsoft does not officially support moving the
> entire user profiles folder.

I see: that's too bad.

> My "hackish" advice would be create a directory symbolic link on drive C
> that points to drive D:

I had tried that before moving phisically, but for some reason the profile
service was not following the link and giving me a "profile not found"
error. I'll give it another try later, maybe taking a deeper look at the
event viewer.

--
Merak

Do all the paths found under this registry key:

"HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ex plorer\User Shell Folders"

point to your redirected folders?


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

"Merak" <merak@nowhere.net> wrote in message
news:%2366y$6fTHHA.1212@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Hi, I've got a problem with Vista's file virtualization system.
>
> For years I've had my profiles folder (\Users in Vista) moved to another
> partition on a different disk, in order to make reinstallation and backup
> easier while improving performance.
>
> Yesterday I installed Vista with C:\Users moved to D:\Users (D is my data
> partition) and all appeared to be working well. However I quickly realized
> that file virtualization is not working at all: the VirtualStore folder in
> \Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Roaming does not even exist, and legacy
> applications writing to C:\Program Files simply fail with an access denied
> error.
> The Event Viewer does not report any problem for UAC-File virtualization
> and the luafv.sys driver is up and running (verified with sc query at
> prompt).
>
> Now, is there a way to fix this? I REALLY need to have my profiles on a
> different disk, but I'd also like to have virtualization enabled (I know I
> can edit permissions in Program Files to allow writes...).
>
> Thanks.
>
> --
> Merak

> Do all the paths found under this registry key:
>
> "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ex plorer\User Shell
> Folders"
>
> point to your redirected folders?

Yes, they do.

--
Merak

[thosrtanner]

I have had this problem as well. Many programs just don't work if virtualstore isn't on the same drive as the programs folder. It's really annoying.

Interestingly, even if I copied the virtualstore back onto the C drive where it would have been, the programs *still* didn't work.