RuntimeError: The Product License has not been initialized when trying to clone Python environment via Anaconda Prompt

[Eniac-6]

I am trying to clone my arcgispro-py3 Python environment with the default path  C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Pro\bin\Python\envs\arcgispro-py3. I want to clone it to a location that 1) I can access without admin rights and 2 ) will be recognized when I list out environments in Anaconda Prompt with conda env list. I need to clone it because I need it to be in a location that I can make changes to (e.g. install additional python packages to). I am following the instructions from How To: Clone a Python environment with the Python Command Prompt (esri.com)

If I make a clone arcgispro-py3 via Python Command prompt with a specified path (conda create --clone arcgispro-py3 --name C:\Users\me\Documents\Conda_Clone\arcgispro-py3_clone), the clone is created successfully. However, since I am placing the conda environment outside of the default envs folder, the environment is not named (i.e. I cannot refer to it with --name nor is it listed with conda env list in the Python Command Prompt).

In order to have the clone named, I tried cloning it to my default envs folder two ways. My first attempt was via Python Command prompt (conda create --clone arcgispro-py3 --name C:\Users\me\Anaconda3\envs\arcgispro-py3_clone). This attempt does nothing and prints out Access is denied.

My second attempt was with Anaconda Prompt (with base environment activated) :

conda create --clone "C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Pro\bin\Python\envs\arcgispro-py3" --name arcgispro-py3_clone

With this Anaconda Prompt attempt, I receive:

File "C:\Users\me\Anaconda3\envs\arcgispro-py3_clone\lib\site-packages\arcgisscripting\__init__.py", line 128, in <module>
from ._arcgisscripting import *
RuntimeError: The Product License has not been initialized.

My main question is: How can I clone my arcgispro-py3 python environment as a named environment to my default envs folder?

Also out of curiosity:

Why do I suddenly have licensing issues when cloning to one directory as opposed to another?

Why does cloning an arcgispro-py3 python environment perform differently via Anaconda prompt vs. Python Command Prompt?

[DanPatterson]

If you are using Pro 2.7, you might just want to follow the help topic

Work with Python environments—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation

since there is no Pro 2.6 for that help topic, it might have changed.

It appears that you want it in your User folder in any event

[Eniac-6]

Thanks Dan,

Unfortunately the manual way doesn't seem to give me an option to choose the directory it will be created in.

[Eniac-6]

My work around for this ended up being uninstalling Pro and then reinstalling but this time instead of for all users, I installed for a single user to a location where I had read/write access to. I then reinstalled Anaconda to the default install location, installed for single user and uncheck both options (set path and set as default python).

I was then able to clone my arcgispro-py3 environment via python command prompt with: 

conda create --clone arcgispro-py3 --name arcgispro-py3_cloned