Get 'proper' user profile paths

[Compo]

I saw a question in a newsgroup a couple of days ago and noted that at least a couple of the members from this Forum had provided some input.

As I do not wish to use Google Groups and no longer have an installed newsreader I thought I'd make my suggestion here and leave open for comment/improvement.

At least one of the suggestions within the responses given has used WMIC, as does mine.

From Console:

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For /F "UseBackQ Tokens=1* Delims==" %A In (`WMIc Path Win32_UserProfile Where "Special!='True'" Get LocalPath /Value`) Do @For %C In (%B) Do @Echo=%C

From Script:

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@For /F "UseBackQ Tokens=1* Delims==" %%A In (
   `WMIc Path Win32_UserProfile Where "Special!='True'" Get LocalPath /Value`
   ) Do @For %%C In (%%B) Do @Echo=%%C&Pause>Nul

[foxidrive]

Is this designed to return the current user profile, compo? It only returns my own user profile here.
Oops. I guess that may be because there is only one user profile on this PC.

[Compo]

foxi, as you probably already know, it should provide all the 'proper' users profile paths, filtering out those weird hidden/system accounts we don't use.

[foxidrive]

it should provide all the 'proper' users profile paths

Yes, ta Compo.

There's a simple way of getting the user accounts - it does includes the public account but a findstr filter can get rid of that.

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dir "%USERPROFILE%\.." /b

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dir "%USERPROFILE%\.." /b|findstr /beiv "public"

[Matt Williamson]

Here is another way of framing your WMIC query. It will remove the need to use backquotes and if you ever have to use ^'s to escape, it will take care of them too. I just think it's easier to read too.

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@for /f "Tokens=1* Delims==" %%A in (
  '"WMIC Path Win32_UserProfile Where (Special!='True') Get LocalPath /Value"'
   ) Do @For %%C In (%%B) Do @Echo=%%C&Pause>Nul
exit /b

[Compo]

There's a simple way of getting the user accounts - it does includes the public account but a findstr filter can get rid of that.

Code: Select all

dir "%USERPROFILE%\.." /b

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dir "%USERPROFILE%\.." /b|findstr /beiv "public"

I can't say for sure, because I'm not currently in the vicinity of one, but I think if you redirect a profile folder, (more common than you think), the location of the parent directory for %UserProfile% isn't necessarily the same as the parent directory location for any of the other users.

[Ed Dyreen]

Too bad Path Win32_UserProfile is an unknown wmi class on my xp pro sp3

[Compo]

Too bad Path Win32_UserProfile is an unknown wmi class on my xp pro sp3 :(

The class may not have been implemented until Vista SP1, (not that I would be creating new solutions for Operating Systems that far out of date either).

One last alternative, just in case it's there but not found by default is to use the namespace location.

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For /F "UseBackQ Tokens=1* Delims==" %A In (`WMIc /NameSpace:\\Root\CIMv2 Path Win32_UserProfile Where "Special!='True'" Get LocalPath /Value`) Do @For %C In (%B) Do @Echo=%C

[Ed Dyreen]

One last alternative, just in case it's there but not found by default is to use the namespace location.

Code: Select all

For /F "UseBackQ Tokens=1* Delims==" %A In (`WMIc /NameSpace:\\Root\CIMv2 Path Win32_UserProfile Where "Special!='True'" Get LocalPath /Value`) Do @For %C In (%B) Do @Echo=%C

I used scriptomatic to figure out it is not there.

[foxidrive]

I can't say for sure, because I'm not currently in the vicinity of one, but I think if you redirect a profile folder, (more common than you think), the location of the parent directory for %UserProfile% isn't necessarily the same as the parent directory location for any of the other users.

You mean to use a non-standard location for the c:\users folder?

I am quite certain that Windows will use the non-standard location correctly, because it's in the registry and that's where Windows gets the %UserProfile% details from.

[Compo]

Basically unless all users are redirected using the same location, (e.g. REG QUERY "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList" /V ProfilesDirectory), they wont all show using %UserProfile%\..

Example:
1 PC, 3 HDDs - HDD1 (OS/System Drive 160GB) C:, HDD2 (Childrens Data Drive 500GB) D:, HDD3 (Parents Data Drive 2TB) E:

Son redirects %UserProfile% directory to D:\Kids\Son
Daughter redirects %UserProfile% directory to D:\Kids\Daughter
Father redirects %UserProfile% directory to E:\Profiles\Father
Mother redirects %UserProfile% directory to E:\Profiles\Mother

%UserProfile%\.. will only identify two users.

[foxidrive]

Basically unless all users are redirected using the same location, (e.g. REG QUERY "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList" /V ProfilesDirectory), they wont all show using %UserProfile%\..

Example:
1 PC, 3 HDDs - HDD1 (OS/System Drive 160GB) C:, HDD2 (Childrens Data Drive 500GB) D:, HDD3 (Parents Data Drive 2TB) E:

Son redirects %UserProfile% directory to D:\Kids\Son
Daughter redirects %UserProfile% directory to D:\Kids\Daughter
Father redirects %UserProfile% directory to E:\Profiles\Father
Mother redirects %UserProfile% directory to E:\Profiles\Mother

%UserProfile%\.. will only identify two users.

Are you able to redirect different user folders to different locations?