# Windows 10 "Users" folder and a full drive **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 24, 2021, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-users-folder-and-a-full-drive/942800 "2021-05-24T15:18:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2021, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-users-folder-and-a-full-drive/942800/1 "2021-05-24T15:18:47Z")
The relatively small C: drive on my desktop is full so I’m looking free up space. I’ve already started moving my Documents folder to a larger drive. I’ve looked on Google so now I’m asking Dopers: is there a way tell Win 10 to move the main Users folder rather than just the subfolders? I’m guessing not. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2021, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-users-folder-and-a-full-drive/942800/2 "2021-05-24T15:22:48Z")
Not a standard, safe method. In this it’s unlike Unix derivatives, where the standard user home directory can be its own drive mounted at the /home directory and work transparently in almost every implementation. Frankly, every approach I’ve ever seen for doing this in Windows has been characterized as a potentially unreliable hack which will make support impossible. ---
**Author:** ![Chickenwrangler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chickenwrangler/32/91_2.png) [@Chickenwrangler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chickenwrangler)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2021, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-users-folder-and-a-full-drive/942800/3 "2021-05-24T15:32:51Z")
In Windows 10 you can move several folders to different location (drives) while still keeping the original link. Right click on say “Documents” folder, click on “Properties” click on “Location” tab and chose a different location for the contents of that folder. This works with several folders including the “Picture” folder. Not sure how this works when backing up your main drive. Think you will have to remember to back up the new location drive also, but not sure. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2021, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-users-folder-and-a-full-drive/942800/4 "2021-05-24T15:33:57Z")
If you’re just looking to free up space, I suggest that the first thing you do is download and run the free version of [CCleaner](https://www.ccleaner.com/). It will probably free up a good amount of space. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2021, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-users-folder-and-a-full-drive/942800/5 "2021-05-24T15:38:04Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Not a standard, safe method. In this it’s unlike Unix derivatives, where the standard user home directory can be its own drive mounted at the /home directory and work transparently in almost every implementation. > > Frankly, every approach I’ve ever seen for doing this in Windows has been characterized as a potentially unreliable hack which will make support impossible. That’s kinda what I figured. Thanks. > [@Chickenwrangler](#): > > Right click on say “Documents” folder, click on “Properties” click on “Location” tab and chose a different location for the contents of that folder. Which is how “I’ve already started moving my Documents folder to a larger drive.” > [@GreenWyvern](#): > > If you’re just looking to free up space, I suggest that the first thing you do is download and run the free version of [CCleaner](https://www.ccleaner.com/). > > It will probably free up a good amount of space. Thanks for the reminder! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2021, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-users-folder-and-a-full-drive/942800/6 "2021-05-24T16:33:14Z")
CCleaner freed up a few gigs. C: will have plenty of space, though, after all those Documents (mostly game-related stuff) have moved to J:. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2021, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-users-folder-and-a-full-drive/942800/8 "2021-05-24T16:51:40Z")
CCleaner also got rid of a couple of popup generators which may have been trying to hijack Chrome on certain pages so thanks again.   ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2021, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-users-folder-and-a-full-drive/942800/9 "2021-05-24T18:59:23Z")
Hm. Changing the properties of the Documents folder made duplicates of the subfolders on J: but the originals are still on C:. Moving manually to ensure everything makes it over and removed from C:. I also moved my Steam software off C: so at least now it isn’t completely full… ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2021, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-users-folder-and-a-full-drive/942800/10 "2021-05-25T01:47:16Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Hm. Changing the properties of the Documents folder made duplicates of the subfolders on J: but the originals are still on C:. Moving manually to ensure everything makes it over and removed from C:. Be careful. Some of the folders on c: typically are virtual folders or linked folders. (Many folders are virtual folders and could be anywhere, but only a few virtual folders appear to be on c: ) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2021, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-users-folder-and-a-full-drive/942800/11 "2021-05-25T02:26:17Z")
S’all good. I’m only moving subfolders in Documents to the new Documents location, which I had expected Windows to do on its own rather than just copy everything. Evidently most of my Documents folder is occupied by stuff related to Electronic Arts games. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2021, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-users-folder-and-a-full-drive/942800/12 "2021-05-25T03:57:21Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > , which I had expected Windows to do on its own rather than just copy everything. If you approach it with the right incantations, there’s an option on the dialog for moving the contents. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2021, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-users-folder-and-a-full-drive/942800/13 "2021-05-25T04:19:54Z")
I thought I said “yes” to move contents. Anyway, I ended up manually moving one subfolder at a time because moving them all at once caused File Explorer to hang. Now there’s nearly 300 gigs of free space. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-users-folder-and-a-full-drive/942800/15 "2021-05-27T12:32:26Z")
Okay, this is weird. First thing I see on my computer this morning? A notice that C: is completely full _again!_ ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-users-folder-and-a-full-drive/942800/16 "2021-05-27T20:28:13Z")
Do you also have something like [WinDirStat](https://windirstat.net/)? It allows you to visualize what’s taking up space. If you have a Hibernation or Page file you can move those to the other drive. Google how. CCleaner has in the past been kind of sketchy/adware, I looked up 2021 version and the consensus seems to be “it might or might not be bad, but there’s safer alternatives” ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-users-folder-and-a-full-drive/942800/17 "2021-05-27T20:29:37Z")
I found the problem: a log file generated by _RimWorld_. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-users-folder-and-a-full-drive/942800/18 "2021-06-01T17:56:50Z")
Glad you found the problem but I’d like to second the recommendation for WinDirStat. It’s a very entertaining program and every time I run it I find multiple large files that I don’t need. Often gigabytes worth.