Whatever the reason it might be, Windows 10 does not include a tool to make the process easy, but it’s not impossible. If you need to move a shared folder to another drive preserving permissions and without reconfiguration in the clients, you can complete this task by copying the contents to the new drive and either modifying the Registry or changing drive letters, depending on the setup. In this guide, you will learn the steps to move a folder share to a new drive in the same computer or server without network users noticing the change or reconfiguring the share on Windows 10. This should also work on Windows 11, Windows Server 2019, 2016, and 2012.
Move shared folder to new drive modifying Registry on Windows 10 Move shared folder to new drive changing drive letter on Windows 10
Move shared folder to new drive modifying Registry on Windows 10
Before proceeding, make sure that no one is accessing the files in the shared folder. Also, you will be modifying the Registry. As a result, it’s recommended to make a backup of the system before making changes if you need to roll back. To move a shared folder to a new drive in the same computer, use these steps: Once you complete the steps, network users should be able to access the files in the shared folder from the new location. In the command, make sure to update the source and destination paths with the locations that apply to your setup. For example, this command copies the data from “MyShare” folder in the “C” drive to the “MyShare” folder in the “D” drive on the same server.
Here’s a breakdown of the Robocopy options:
/R:5 — Retries 5 times (you can specify a different number, the default is 1 million). /W:2 — Waits 2 seconds before retrying (you can specify a different number, the default is 30 seconds). /Copyall — Copies all file information (equivalent to /copy:DATSOU). /E — Copies Subdirectories, including empty ones. /MIR — Mirrors a directory tree (equivalent to /e plus /purge). Using this option with the /e option and a destination directory overwrites the destination directory security settings.
This is an example of the command you can use to move the data with their permissions to the drive. However, depending on your environment, you may need to use different options. For example, you can use the “/MT:n” switch to perform multi-threaded copies with n threads (default is 8).
Move shared folder to new drive changing drive letter on Windows 10
If the data resides on a drive other than the “C” drive, you do not need to modify the Registry. You can use Robocopy to copy the files to the new drive and then change the letter of the new driver to the previous letter, assuming that you don’t have an application or another share that will be affected by this change. To move a folder share to a new drive by changing the drive letter instead of modifying the Registry, use these steps: After you complete the steps, the shared folder will become available from the new location, but users won’t notice the difference since you also change the drive letter. In the command, make sure to update the source and destination paths with the locations that apply to your setup. For example, this command copies the data from “MyShare” folder in the F drive to the “MyShare” folder in the D drive on the same server.
Only after you have confirmed that everything is working correctly, you can proceed to delete the old shared folder to free up space (as needed). All content on this site is provided with no warranties, express or implied. Use any information at your own risk. Always backup of your device and files before making any changes. Privacy policy info.
