# Node-RED User Directory
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-user-directory/25454
**Category:** General
**Created:** [25 April 2020 02:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-user-directory/25454 "2020-04-25T02:25:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@DizzyLurker](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/DizzyLurker)
#### Post date: [25 April 2020 02:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-user-directory/25454/1 "2020-04-25T02:25:14Z")
Hey,
I was hopeful I could move the working directory of Node-RED from the default location ( C:\Users\UserName.node-red ) to my Drop Box syncing directory. The reason I want to do this is twice now I have changed laptops and gone through all the process of re-installing all then nodes and flows I like to have ready to go.
I have tired Changing the "userDir:" in the settings.js file. It just made the flow editor look like a fresh install and didn't put any files into the new directory I specified in the settings.js file.
Can you point me in the correct direction here?
Thanks
---
### Author:  [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)
#### Post date: [25 April 2020 11:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-user-directory/25454/2 "2020-04-25T11:03:54Z")
> [@DizzyLurker](#):
>
> I have tired Changing the "userDir:" in the settings.js file. It just made the flow editor look like a fresh install and didn't put any files into the new directory I specified in the settings.js file
Did you copy everything from `.node-red` folder to the new folder specified by `userDir`?
If you start node-red with a different userDir but don't put anything in there before starting node-red, you'll get an empty project as you have seen.
Also, I find it preferable to use a batch file or command line
E.g..
```auto
node-red -u "c:/my-node-red-1880" -p 1880
```
And if I want to run 2 or 3 node-red instances from the same machine...
```auto
node-red -u "c:/my-node-red-1881" -p 1881
```
```auto
node-red -u "c:/my-node-red-1882" -p 1882
```
---
### Author:  [@DizzyLurker](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/DizzyLurker)
#### Post date: [1 May 2020 06:04 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-user-directory/25454/3 "2020-05-01T06:04:49Z")
Great! Thank you. Worked perfectly. Moved my files onto a directory synced with the cloud so I can easily run it again if the PC dies etc.Lost a lot of flows when my laptop dies recently. I do export them sometimes but now I don't have to worry.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [30 June 2020 06:04 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-user-directory/25454/4 "2020-06-30T06:04:57Z")
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