win xp: how to change user directory?

[reor]

I'm running Windows XP Home SP2 and would like to know, if it's possible to change the default "documents and settings" user profile path to something shorter like "c:\user".

[Dak]

you'd have to change the %USERPROFILE% environmental variable, which involves editing the registry. needless to say with such a potentially OS-crippling change, make backups first.

 

If your just doing this so that you dont have to type 'C:\documents and settings\blah\' over and over again, you could allways type either '%userprofile%' or 'C:\docume~1\blah', to get the same result

[Pangloss]

If memory serves, you can also do this via computer policy, but it's a little cumbersome.

[Klaynos]

If memory serves, you can also do this via computer policy, but it's a little cumbersome.

 

You can indeed, an good google search will show you how, I did it about 18 months ago when I got my new PC...

[reor]

Thanks. Do you have Home or Pro?

[Dak]

Quick related question:

 

if you go to control pannel > system > advanced > environmental variables, you can change lots of the environmental variables (gasp).

 

But not all of them (not %userprofile%, for example).

 

i'm curiouse: why are only some of them there, do you reacon?

[Pangloss]

If memory serves, the environment variables are very old tech, intended to give old DOS programs shortcuts to new file locations in Windows. It's just not intended for that sort of thing.