Windows Vista Forums

Windows Live Contacts folder redirection

  1. #1


    ambrozy Guest

    Windows Live Contacts folder redirection

    Hello,
    I need to change the default Windows Live Contacts folder location to
    another drive.
    How can I do it ?



    thanks.


      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  2. #2


    Ildhund Guest

    Re: Windows Live Contacts folder redirection

    Well, when I discovered how immoderately much space WLContacts were taking
    on my hard-pressed C: drive, I did experiment with using a symbolic link to
    fool WLMail into thinking that that link to a folder on my D: drive was in
    fact my contacts folder. This seems to work and has saved almost half a GB.
    I haven't yet detected any faults with doing it like this (although there
    is the briefest of delays when accessing contacts), so if anyone else wants
    to try it, here's the procedure for XP (there may be a similar function in
    Vista and 7 - something to do with junctions, I believe):

    With WLMail and WLMessenger closed down,
    1. Copy the Windows Live Contacts folder to its new location. (I haven't
    yet tried with an external drive.)
    2. Rename the old folder to, say, Windows Dead Contacts.
    3. Open two Explorer windows. In one, locate the new folder. In the other,
    locate the folder called %userprofile%\Nethood.
    4. Right-click and hold on the new folder, and drag it to the Nethood
    folder. In the context menu that appears when you release the mouse button,
    select 'Create shortcut here'.
    5. Copy that shortcut to the same folder that Windows Dead Contacts are in.
    Rename the shortcut Windows Live Contacts.
    6. Restart WLMail and take it for a whirl.
    7. When you're satisfied that all's well, delete the Windows Dead Contacts
    folder. You can check the Properties sheet for one of the {GUID} folders in
    the bogus folder to satisfy yourself that its contents are actually
    somewhere else.
    8. Don't blame me if it all goes pearshaped.

    Of course, one could always move one's %userprofile% to another drive (
    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314843 ), but I haven't dared try that.
    --
    Noel

    "...winston" <winstonmvp@newsgroup> wrote in message
    news:uDQJZFCaKHA.1592@newsgroup

    > Let me know too

    > "Ildhund" <jnllb@newsgroup> wrote in message
    > news:#2#u2IfZKHA.2184@newsgroup

    >> "ambrozy" <ambrozy@newsgroup> wrote in message
    >> news:FA30338E-2CAA-400D-B539-B1F41CF3E1D3@newsgroup

    >>> Hello,
    >>> I need to change the default Windows Live Contacts folder location to
    >>> another drive.
    >>> How can I do it ?
    >>
    >> I don't think you can. If there is no WLC folder in your %userprofile%,
    >> WLMail will create one next time you start the program.
    >> I'll let you know if I find a workaround.



      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  3. #3


    Robert Aldwinckle Guest

    Re: Windows Live Contacts folder redirection

    "Ildhund" <jnllb@newsgroup> wrote in message news:e1SphyFaKHA.616@newsgroup

    > Well, when I discovered how immoderately much space WLContacts were taking
    > on my hard-pressed C: drive,

    > I did experiment with using a symbolic link to fool WLMail into thinking
    > that that link to a folder on my D: drive was in fact my contacts folder.

    You had me all prepared to see an example of fsutil hardlink in action. ; )
    What's not clear to me though is whether its symbolic link can refer to
    a different volume.


    > This seems to work and has saved almost half a GB.
    ....


    Supposedly one of the problems with real symbolic links
    is that it can confuse volume inventories, e.g. making it look
    as if more space is being used than there really is.


    ---



      My System SpecsSystem Spec

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