Fix: “system32\config\systemprofile\Desktop” refers to a location that is unavailable

You logged on to your Windows system and your desktop is completely blank and you can’t seem to find any data you previously had on your desktop?The following error pops-up instead leaving you baffled and clueless as to what to do “…system32\config\systemprofile\Desktop” refers to a location that is unavailable It could be on a hard drive on this computer, or on a network. Check to make sure that the disk is properly inserted, or that you are connected to the Internet or your network, and then try again. If it still cannot be located, the information might have been moved to a different location.”, then you are not alone.

This error usually occurs after a corrupt window update gets installed on your computer or when your system crashed abruptly. The cause can be as simple as incorrect location path to as big as corrupt system files. If a simple reboot have not solved your problem, then follow this guide to get your desktop and its data back the way it was.

Solution 1: Repair Corrupt System Files

Download and run Restoro to scan and restore corrupt and missing files from here, once done proceed with the Methods below. It is important to ensure that all system files are intact and not corrupt before proceeding with the Methods below.

Solution 2: Restarting Windows Explorer

Sometimes, the error is triggered if the Windows Explorer isn’t functioning properly. Therefore, in this step, we will be restarting Windows Explorer after ending it completely. For that:

1. Press “Windows” + “X” keys simultaneously.
2. Select “Task Manager” from the list and click on the processes tab. Selecting Task Manager from the list
3. Scroll and select the “WindowsExplorer” option from the list. Selecting Windows Explorer from the list
4. Right-Click on it and then click on the “EndTask” button to end it. Right-clicking and then selecting the “End Task” option
5. Hover the pointer to “File” and click on “RunNewTask“. Clicking on File and then selecting Run New Task option
6. Type in “Explorer.exe” and press “Enter“. Typing explorer.exe and pressing enter
7. Check to see if the issue persists.

Solution 3: Reset Desktop’s Location

Your operating system may not be able to link your desktop to its default location.

Hold the Windows Key and Press R. In the run dialog, type

Open the folder with your username. There will be a folder named Desktop. Right click on it and click Properties.

Click on Location tab. Now click the button “Restore Default” and click OK. Close all windows and restart your system.

If that did not work, we can change its location through registry too.

Press Windows key + R. Type regedit and press Enter. Click Yes if a UAC warning appears.

In the left pane, click on HKEY_CURRENT_USER to expand it. Now click on Software under it. Similarly navigate to Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders.

Make sure User Shell Folders is highlighted and in the left pane, then double click Desktop. Make sure under Value data: the value is either %USERPROFILE%\Desktop or C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Desktop is the value. Click OK. Close the registry editor. And restart your system, and check if your problem is fixed.

If not, move on to the next method.

Solution 4: Move Profile’s Content Back to Its Location

Press Windows key + E to open file explorer. Copy %windir%\system32\config\systemprofile\ and click on the address bar above to make it editable now paste the path you copied. Press Enter to go to the path.

A folder will open. Now delete the folder named ”Desktop” there. If you see an Access is denied error, take ownership of the systemprofile folder first by following Solution 5 on our guide on this link and then delete it.

Hold Windows key and Press E. Open C: drive. There will be a folder named Users. Open it. Open your account folder. This will be your username/name.

Now you can see a folder named Desktop. This folder will have your entire desktop’s data you previously had. If you have two Desktop folders, then open each and delete the Desktop folder which is empty or has incorrect files, which is not supposed to be there.

Similarly if you can see any more duplicate folders, then delete the folder which has files it’s not supposed to have or is empty.

Now right click on the remaining Desktop folder and click copy.

Go back to %windir%\system32\config\systemprofile\ and paste the desktop folder there.

Now restart your system and check if your system’s back to normal. If not, you will have to create a new account and move your old data to it. Move to the next solution to do that.

Solution 5: Create a New User Profile

In this solution, we will create a new account and migrate your old data to it. Doing this can automatically fix corrupt paths in the registry.

Click Start and Type cmd, right click cmd and choose Run As Administrator. In the command prompt, type and execute the following two commands:

This works for local accounts only. BUT you can switch your account to Microsoft should you wish on Windows 8/10 by using any app from the Windows Store (that will prompt you to sign into the Microsoft Account). This is optional. Then, copy your data from the corrupt/previous profile by following these steps:

Relocation of the Users and the ProgramData directories to a drive other than the drive that has the Windows directory

This article describes the changes in policy for the relocation of the Users directory and the ProgramData directory to a drive other than the %systemdrive% drive in Windows operating systems.

Original product version: В Windows 10 — all editions, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2
Original KB number: В 949977

Using the ProgramData setting to redirect folders to a drive other than the system volume will block your ability to upgrade to future versions of Windows.

By changing the default location of the user profile directories or program data folders to a volume other than the system volume, you cannot service your Windows installation. Any updates, fixes, or service packs cannot be applied to the installation. We recommend that you do not change the location of the user profile directories or program data folders.

Beginning with Windows 10, OS upgrades are supported even if user profiles are redirected to another drive. For example, if you are using Windows 8.1 with ProfilesDirectory set to D:\, you can upgrade to Windows 10.

More information

%systemdrive% is defined as the drive that contains the Windows directory. There are various reasons why you may want to relocate the Users directory or the ProgramData directory to other drives.

For Windows, the most common reasons are as follows:

• It is easier to back up data from a single drive and from a drive that contains only user files.
• It is easier to rebuild the operating system drive on a user’s computer if user data is located on a separate volume. In this case, the drive that contains the Windows directory can be formatted, and Windows can be reinstalled without having to worry about how to remove user data.

For Windows Server, the most common reason is as follows:

• There are performance improvements when you relocate the Users directory and the ProgramData directory to a drive other than the operating system drive.

For information about how to use the answer file setting, see Answer Files Overview.

If you use the FolderLocations unattend setting to move user data to a location other than the %systemdrive% drive, some servicing components may not be installed. These components may include critical updates, security updates, hotfixes, and service packs.

Information that is documented in the current release of the Windows AIK and the Windows OPK

The Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) and the Windows OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK) for Windows and Windows Server contain documentation warnings that are related to the usage of the Profile Directory and ProgramData unattend settings. These are the settings that let you relocate the Users directory and the ProgramData directory to locations other than their default locations. This includes other drives.

These warnings were included before the servicing stack update (update 937287) was available. This update addresses the issue that is discussed in the warning text. Windows AIK and the Windows OPK documentation reads as follows. You cannot upgrade such installations to the next version of Windows.

Setting information from the Windows AIK and Windows OPK documentation:

The Profiles Directory setting

The Profiles Directory setting specifies the path of the user profile folder.

Use this setting to move the user profile folder (typically %SYSTEMDRIVE%\Users) to another location during Setup or Sysprep. The destination path can be on a volume other than the system drive, as long as it meets the following requirements:

• It must be on an NTFS volume.
• It must not be the path of another operating system user profile folder.
• It must not contain any serviceable components.

This setting can be used to keep system data separate from user data. If Windows is reinstalled on the system volume, a user who has administrative rights can manually recover data from this location.

Using ProfilesDirectory to redirect folders to a drive other than the system volume blocks upgrades. Using ProfilesDirectory to point to a directory that is not the system volume will block SKU upgrades and upgrades to future versions of Windows. For example, if you use Windows 8 together with ProfilesDirectory set to D:\, you cannot upgrade to Windows 8 Pro or to the next version of Windows. The servicing stack does not handle cross-volume transactions, and it blocks upgrades.

The ProgramData setting

The ProgramData setting specifies the path of the program data folder.

These settings should be used only in a test environment. By changing the default location of the user profile directories or program data folders to a volume other than the System volume, you cannot service your Windows installation. Any updates, fixes, or service packs cannot be applied to the installation. Microsoft recommends that you do not change the location of the user profile directories or program data folders. This is especially true for Microsoft Store apps. Changing the location of %programdata% will cause errors when you install, uninstall, or update these apps.

If you use the unattend settings to set up the operating systems that are listed in this article, we will provide commercially reasonable efforts to support your scenario.

Windows 10 location service and privacy

Some apps need to know when you’re in a specific location to work correctly. For instance, if you’ve asked an app to remind you to buy bread when you’re in the grocery store, the app will need to know when you’re in the store. To give you maps to get you where you’re going, or to show you lists of shops or restaurants near you, many apps and services request location information from your device. That’s what the Windows 10 location service does: tells your apps and services where you are or where you’ve been, so that you can get info more relevant to you.

When we collect data, we want to make sure it’s the right choice for you. That’s why we provide info about the location service and settings described here. To learn more about location and your privacy, see the location sections of the Microsoft Privacy Statement.

How the location settings work

The device location setting enables certain Windows features such as auto-setting the time zone or Find my device to function properly. When the device location setting is enabled, the Microsoft location service will use a combination of global positioning service (GPS), nearby wireless access points, cell towers, and your IP address to determine your device’s location. Depending on the capabilities of your device, your device’s location can be determined with varying degrees of accuracy and may in some cases be determined precisely.

If you have enabled the device location setting, your device sends de-identified location information (including wireless access point information, cellular tower information, and precise GPS location if available) to Microsoft after removing all personally identifiable information at the device. This de-identified copy of location information is used to improve Microsoft location services and, in some instances, shared with our location service provider partners, currently HERE, to improve the location services of the provider.

Additionally, you can allow apps to use your device’s location and location history to deliver location-aware services as precisely as your device supports. If you grant a specific app access to your device’s location on the settings page, that app will have access to precise location information. Otherwise the location information provided to the app has lower accuracy. When your location is used by a location-aware app or Windows service or feature, your location information and recent location history are stored on your device.

If you are signed in with your Microsoft account and location history has been enabled, your last known location information is also saved to the cloud, where it is available across your devices to other apps or services that use your Microsoft account. If you are signed in with your Microsoft account and your device cannot reliably determine your current location on its own (such as when you are in a building or basement), apps or services can use your last known location from your location history that is stored in the cloud if it is available.

There are some exceptions to how your device’s location can be determined that are not directly managed by the location settings.

Desktop apps are a specific type of app that won’t ask for separate permission to discover your device location information and won’t appear in the list that allows you to choose apps that can use your location. What are desktop apps? They’re usually downloaded from the internet or installed with some type of media (such as a CD, DVD, or USB storage device). They’re launched using an .EXE or .DLL file, and they typically run on your device, unlike web-based apps (which run in the cloud).

Even when you’ve turned off the device location setting, some third-party apps and services could use other technologies (such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular modem, etc.) to determine your device’s location with varying degrees of accuracy. Microsoft requires third-party software developers that develop apps for our Microsoft Store or develop apps using Microsoft tools to respect the Windows location settings unless you’ve provided any legally required consent to have the third-party developer determine your location. However, to further reduce the risk that an app or service can determine your location when the Windows device location setting is off, you should only install apps and services from trusted sources. For more comprehensive protection of your location, you could consider disabling radio-based components of your device such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular modem, and GPS components, which might be used by an app to determine your precise location. However, doing so will also impair other experiences such as calling (including emergency calling), messaging, internet connectivity, and connecting to peripheral devices like your headphones. Please read the privacy policies of the apps and services you’ve installed to learn more about how they use your device’s location.

To facilitate getting help in an emergency, whenever you make an emergency call, Windows will attempt to determine and share your precise location, regardless of your location settings. In addition, your mobile operator will have access to your device’s location if your device has a SIM card or is otherwise using a cellular service.

Location history

Some Windows apps and services that use location info also use your location history. When the location setting is on, locations looked up by apps or services will be stored on the device for a limited time (24 hours in Windows 10), then deleted. Apps that have access to this info will be labeled Uses location history on the Location settings page.

Default location

You can set a default location for your device that Windows, apps, and services can then use when a more exact location can’t be detected using GPS or other methods.

Geofencing

Some apps use geofencing, which can turn on or off particular services or show you information that might be useful when you’re in an area defined (or “fenced”) by the app. An app can only use geofencing if location has been turned on for that app. If any of your Windows apps are using geofencing, you’ll see One or more of your apps are currently using geofencing on the Location settings page.

Cortana

Cortana works best when she has access to your device location and location history, which she uses to help you—for example, by giving you traffic alerts before you need to leave or reminders based on location like “You’re near the grocery store, where you wanted to buy milk.” Cortana collects your location periodically even if you’re not interacting with her, like when you connect to Wi-Fi or disconnect from Bluetooth. When Cortana is turned on, the Search app also has access to your device location information and will automatically send it to Bing when Cortana suggests web search terms and results for Bing to use as described in the Privacy Statement. If you don’t want Cortana to have access to your device location, follow these steps:

Go to Start > Settings > Cortana.

Select Permissions or Permissions & History.

Select Manage the information Cortana can access from this device.

Turn the Location setting to Off.

Microsoft Edge

When location is turned on for Microsoft Edge, you still have control over which websites can access your device location. Microsoft Edge will ask for your permission the first time you visit a website that requests your location information. You can turn off location permission for a website in Microsoft Edge settings.

There are two versions of Microsoft Edge that can be installed on Windows 10. The new Microsoft Edge is downloadable and considered a desktop app. Follow these steps to turn on location for the new Microsoft Edge:

Go to Start > Settings > Privacy > Location.

Turn on Allow access to location on this device.

Turn on Allow apps to access your location.

Turn on Allow desktop apps to access your location if present.

The legacy version of Microsoft Edge is the HTML-based browser that was released with Windows 10 in July 2015. Follow these steps to turn on location for the legacy version of Microsoft Edge:

Go to Start > Settings > Privacy > Location.

Turn on Allow access to location on this device.

Turn on Allow apps to access your location.

Under Choose which apps can access your precise location, switch the Microsoft Edge setting to On.

How we build the location services database

To help us provide location services, Microsoft records the location of mobile cell towers and Wi-Fi access points. Our database might include the MAC addresses of your wireless router or other Wi-Fi network devices. We don’t associate MAC addresses with you personally or with the devices connected to your network.

To prevent Microsoft from using the MAC addresses of your Wi-Fi access points in our location services database, go to Opt out of location services.

How we help keep you informed: the location icon

When one or more apps are currently using your device location through the Windows location service, you’ll see the location icon in the notification area of your taskbar (on Windows 10 PCs) or in the status bar at the top of your screen (on Windows 10 Mobile devices). The icon won’t be shown for geofencing.

To show or hide the location icon:

On Windows 10 PCs:

Go to Start > Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.

Under Notification area, select Select which icons show on the taskbar.

Turn the Location Notification setting On or Off.

On Windows 10 Mobile:

Select Privacy > Location.

Turn Show location icon on or off.

If you’re using a device assigned to you by your workplace, or if you’re using a personal device at your workplace, you might not be able to change the location settings. If that’s the case, Some settings are managed by your organization will appear at the top of the Location settings page.

How to control location settings

Windows location settings give you control over whether Windows features can access your device’s location and which Windows apps can use your device’s location and location history information. To check your location settings, go to Start > Settings > Privacy > Location.

To clear location history, either restart your device, or go to Start > Settings > Privacy > Location, and under Location history, select Clear. Clearing the location history only clears the history on the device. Apps that accessed the history before it was cleared may have stored it elsewhere. Refer to your apps’ privacy policies for more info.

To clear location history that’s been stored in the cloud and is associated with your Microsoft account, go to account.microsoft.com, and make sure you’re signed in to your account. Select Clear location activity, and then select Clear.

To turn the Windows location settings on or off:

Go to Start > Settings > Privacy > Location.

Do one of the following:

To control location for the whole device if you’re an administrator on the device, select Change, and then in the Location for this device message, switch the setting to On or Off.

To control location for just your user account, switch the Allow apps to access your location setting to On or Off. If Location for this device is off appears on the settings page, you won’t be able to turn on the Allow apps to access your location setting for an individual user account. (Note that in previous versions of Windows, this setting was called Location service.)

On Windows 10 PCs, you can add or remove the Location tile from the notification area at the far right of the taskbar. Here’s how:

Go to Start > Settings > System > Notifications & actions.

Under Quick actions, select Edit your quick actions.

Add, remove, or move the Location tile.

On your mobile device:

Go to Settings > Privacy > Location.

Select Location to turn it on or off.

To change whether an individual app can have access to your precise location:

Go to Start > Settings > Privacy > Location.

Turn each app on or off where it appears under Choose which apps can access your precise location. On a device, each person can do the same for their own accounts. If Allow apps to access your location is turned Off for your user account, the on/off switches can’t be turned on until Allow apps to access your location is turned On.

To change the default location for your PC, which Windows, apps, and services can use when a more exact location can’t be detected:

Go to Start > Settings > Privacy > Location.

Under Default location, select Set default.

The Windows Maps app will open. Follow the instructions to change your default location.