SOLVED Dynamic disk conversion problem

[Jukih]

I have a configuration where win 10 is installed on SSD but the Users folder is on a dynamic disk on HDD and the linking is made by a hard junction link from C: to D:.
I have removed paging on D as well as protection. Hence, I am able to remove all volumes of the dynamic disk and convert it back to a basic disk and format it.
The problem is that I would like to keep all my installed programs (and settings, preferably). I have copied the Users directory to an external disk and copied them back to D after conversion. This seems to lead to a nonfunctional situation where I cannot even add a new user and most programs (even not all windows tools) do not work.
What would be the best approach to avoid reinstalling the programs and to keep existing users?

 

[Gideon]

You can use a program such as MiniTool Partition which is free and can be obtained HERE and also Macrium Reflect 6.1.909 which can be obtained HERE

Use Macrium Reflect to backup your users directory on an external hard drive or another partition which you can make with the MiniTool. I use an SSD which is a Samsung 250-EVO but I keep everything on it.

Welcome to The Forum BTW!

You do have to change that HDD to Basic.

 

[Jukih]

Thanks for the greetings and very useful piece of advice. I went through the following procedure:

1. made windows backup image (included C: and D: ) just in case anything would go wrong
2. started Reflect tool and made partition recovery/backup copy of D: to an external USB drive
3. Verified the correctness of the copy
4. removed automatic paging and paging file from the disk where D: was located. This is necessary to be able to remove volumes from the dynamic disk.
5. started windows disk manager
6. removed all volumes from the dynamic disk (at this point my desktop disappeaed - no worry)
7. Converted it to basic disk (actually this happened automatically)
8. restored the earlier made copy of D: to the now empty basic disk (and the desktop reappeared!)
9. checked disk for errors (there where some)
10. restarted the machine

and that's it. Everything ok. The procedure took several hours even if I have a fairly fast machine. But this was really useful because I had made some search on the issue without finding so working solution.

Thanks again!