Hybrid SSD/HDD Windows installation not working with Windows 10 (but did with 8.1)

Discussion in 'Windows 10' started by Soulfate, Dec 2, 2015.

  1. Soulfate

    Soulfate MDL Member

    Feb 14, 2011
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    51
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    Hi everyone,
    I have set an hybrid installation of Windows 8.1 where some Windows folders are on a SSD and others on a HDD. "C:" is my SSD and "C:\HDD" my HDD (no drive letter for it, just a NTFS folder).
    What I've done and worked with Windows 8.1:
    - "C:\ProgramData" is a symbolic link to "C:\HDD\ProgramData"
    - "C:\Users" is a symbolic link to "C:\HDD\Users"
    - Temp folder of my current User is "C:\Temp\User" (so it is on the SSD, not the HDD)

    That worked very well, but it is not working anymore with Windows 10.
    What I've found is that registry hives ("C:\Users\User\NTUSER.DAT", for exemple) can't be accessed anymore as far as they are accessed through symbolic links or junctions while Windows is booting.

    So, I don't use symbolic links for "C:\Users" anymore and I only moved the Documents/Music/Pictures/etc. folders to my HDD. That's working, but Windows 10 cannot install Windows Update properly (installations fail after rebooting), even if I use Windows Update MiniTool or manual installation.


    Why there is such NTFS technology regression from Windows 8 to Windows 10 about NTFS symbolic links? Is there another way to redirect "ProgramData" and "Users" folders with Windows 10?
    Thank you for the time you've spent to read my problem, and thank you again if you have a solution :)