Set user home folder
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\User Profiles Description
This policy setting allows you to specify the location and root (file share or local path) of a user's home folder for a logon session. If you enable this policy setting, the user's home folder is configured to the specified local or network location, creating a new folder for each user name. To use this policy setting, in the Location list, choose the location for the home folder. If you choose “On the network,” enter the path to a file share in the Path box (for example, \\ComputerName\ShareName), and then choose the drive letter to assign to the file share. If you choose “On the local computer,” enter a local path (for example, C:\HomeFolder) in the Path box. Do not specify environment variables or ellipses in the path. Also, do not specify a placeholder for the user name because the user name will be appended at logon. Note: The Drive letter box is ignored if you choose “On the local computer” from the Location list. If you choose “On the local computer” and enter a file share, the user's home folder will be placed in the network location without mapping the file share to a drive letter. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, the user's home folder is configured as specified in the user's Active Directory Domain Services account. If the "Set Remote Desktop Services User Home Directory" policy setting is enabled, the “Set user home folder” policy setting has no effect.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_UserProfiles/USER_HOME Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Set user home folder
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System]
"HomeDirLocation"=dword:00000001
"HomeDir"=""
"HomeDirDrive"="Z:"More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Set user home folder
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'HomeDirLocation' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'HomeDir' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'HomeDirDrive' -Value 'Z:' -Type StringIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_UserProfiles/USER_HOME
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="USER_HOME_LOCATION" value="1"/>
<data id="HOME_PATH" value=""/>
<data id="DRIVE_LETTER" value="Z:"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Set user home folder
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System' -Name 'HomeDirLocation' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System' -Name 'HomeDir' -Expected '' -Kind String)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System' -Name 'HomeDirDrive' -Expected 'Z:' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Set user home folder
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'HomeDirLocation' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'HomeDir' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'HomeDirDrive' -Value 'Z:' -Type StringSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Set user home folder
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Set user home folder
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System' -Name 'HomeDirLocation' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System' -Name 'HomeDir' -Expected '' -Kind String)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System' -Name 'HomeDirDrive' -Expected 'Z:' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Set user home folder
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'HomeDirLocation' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'HomeDir' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'HomeDirDrive' -Value 'Z:' -Type StringBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.