By default, Windows SteadyState saves the user's data to the My Documents folder associated with the user profile. Windows XP and Windows Vista provide the capability to redirect the My Documents folder to a different location.

Note IconNote:
In Windows Vista this folder is named Documents.

If you use Windows Disk Protection, but still want to provide users with the capability to save documents to the same location each time they log on the user profile, you can redirect the My Documents folder so that users can save data to a separate partition, a removable drive such as a USB drive, or to a mapped network drive. If you choose to save data to a separate partition, it must be a separate partition from the partition protected by Windows Disk Protection.

Before you redirect the My Documents folder to a different location, make sure that the Windows SteadyState environment is properly configured for the redirection of user data.

To configure Windows SteadyState for the redirection of user data

  1. Restart the computer to clear recent disk changes.

  2. Log on to the shared computer and start Windows SteadyState.

  3. Click Protect the Hard Disk, verify that Windows Disk Protection is turned on and that the Retain all changes permanently option is selected, and then click OK.

  4. Under User Settings, click the user account for which you want to redirect the My Documents folder.

  5. Turn off all restrictions for the user account.

  6. Restart the computer for Windows Disk Protection to save changes.

To redirect the My Documents folder in Windows XP

  1. Log on to the user profile for which you want to redirect the My Documents folder.

    Note IconNote:
    If you are saving user data to a USB drive, insert the USB drive into the USB port of the shared computer.

  2. Click Start, right-click My Documents, and then click Properties.

  3. In the My Documents Properties dialog box, click Move.

  4. In the Select a Destination dialog box, select the drive where you want to save user data, and then click OK.

  5. In the My Documents Properties dialog box, click OK.

  6. In the Move Documents dialog box, click Yes to move the documents or No to leave the existing documents in the old location.

  7. Log off the user profile and then log on as the Windows SteadyState administrator. If you turned off any user restrictions when you configured Windows SteadyState for the redirection of user data, reset those restrictions now.

  8. Restart the computer for Windows Disk Protection to save changes.

  9. Log on as the administrator.

  10. Click Protect the Hard Disk, verify that Windows Disk Protection is turned on and that the Remove all changes at restart option is selected, and then click OK.

To redirect the Documents folder in Windows Vista

  1. Log on to the user profile for which you want to redirect the Documents folder.

    Note IconNote:
    If you are saving user data to a USB drive, insert the USB drive into the USB port of the shared computer.

  2. Click Start, right-click Documents, and then click Properties.

  3. In the Documents Properties dialog box, select the Location tab, and then click Move.

  4. In the Select a Destination dialog box, select the drive where you want to save user data, and then click Select Folder.

  5. In the Documents Properties dialog box, click OK.

  6. In the Move Folder dialog box, click Yes to move the documents or No to leave the existing documents in the old location.

  7. Log off the user profile and then log on as the Windows SteadyState administrator. If you turned off any user restrictions when you configured Windows SteadyState for the redirection of user data, reset those restrictions now.

  8. Restart the computer for Windows Disk Protection to save changes.

  9. Log on as the administrator.

  10. Click Protect the Hard Disk, verify that Windows Disk Protection is turned on and that the Remove all changes at restart option is selected, and then click OK.