Windows 7: How to set default Save location

I am trying to set my default file save location to my Desktop. I searched the web and found solutions but I must be doing something wrong.

For instance, I recently saved a Notepad file to My Documents / example_folder. Then I thought I had set the default to Desktop by the following:



Start > [my_username] > Documents > Properties, highlighting Desktop, clicking "Set save location" so that the checkmark is at Desktop, clicking Apply, clicking OK.

So the next time I save a Notepad file, it defaults to the last folder I saved in ( example_folder ), not Desktop.

How do I get the default Save File to be Desktop?

you need to change your 'documents' folder.

in xp this was easy, but in win 7 it needs a bit more work.

User Folders - Change Default Location

click on your user name on your start-menu, and you'll see a bunch of folders.

find 'documents' - right-click on it and choose properties >> location >> move... >> select desktop.

When I right-click on Documents, there is no choice "Location." I get a Documents Properties box with only one tab - "Library."

in that case, follow this tutorial, using OPTION TWO (shell:UsersFilesFolder)

The description of that tutorial does not seem to apply to my issue.

And, I just realized - did you mean to write "right-click on My Documents" (which is in the right pane) instead of "Documents" (which is in the left pane)?

yes - the right pane - sorry

Mickey, I appreciate your help but it appears I may have not been clear with my original question because My Document Properties > Location reads "You can change where files in this folder are stored to another place on this hard drive, another drive, or another computer on your network."

That's not what I want to do. I want it such that whenever I save a file, it automatically is saved (default) to the Desktop, regardless of where I had saved a file previously.

For example, let's say I open Notepad, write my text, and close it. It asks me where I want to save it. I usually save Notepad files to my Desktop (which I what I want to do MOST of the time). But on one particular occasion, I save a Notepad file to My Documents / example_folder.

Then the next time I create a Notepad file, close it, and save it (wanting it to go to the Desktop), the Windows "Save As" box wants to save it to the last place where I saved a Notepad file ( My Documents / example_folder ) even though I did the following:

Start > [my_username] > Documents > Properties, highlighting " Desktop," clicking "Set save location" so that the checkmark is at " Desktop," clicking Apply, clicking OK.

I hope that makes sense.

if you move the location, then all files that you save in the future will default to the new location.

yes it will also move files already in the old location as well.

every program will change its default save to your desktop, if that is what you want - you can't do it on a program-by-program basis.

What you should also remember is that Notepad, like so many other programs (such as Internet Explorer, Word, Paint Shop Pro, etc), will remember the last folder used when you saved a file or download, because they assume that this is where you will want to continue saving files.

I just ran a quick test of this theory with Notepad. I saved a file to my desktop, closed notepad, opened Notepad again and tried to save. The Save As dialog opened to the desktop. From there, I browsed and saved to my F:\. And again, when I repeated the exercise, the Save As dialog opened to the last folder that I used.

As I said, I've noticed this behaviour with many programs, and I suspect that the developers are trying to make our lives easier by having their software remember where we last saved a file. Some, but not all, will default to "My Documents", regardless of where you last saved a file. "Embarcadero RAD Studio" only remember the last used folder for the current session. If I close RAD Studio and re-open it, and new project want to be saved to "My Document\RAD Studio".

In a nutshel: not all programs respect the "Default Save Location" setting of libraries...

I do not want to do it on a program-by-program basis. That was only an example. I want most files I save to go to the Desktop - whether that be a download or whatever. The reason for that is I've spent a lot of frustrating time trying to locate a file I just saved when I failed to notice (or was not given the opportunity to see) where it went.

I do not want to move the location of where I store my file, I want to set a default to where the files are saved. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the terminology, but the Location tab in the Properties of the My Documents folder refers to where files are stored, not where they are saved to. The Location tab says nothing about the "Save" function. One might reason that "saving" relates directly to "storing," but in absolute terms, one can save something in one location and store it in another by moving it at a later date.

When you click "Move" in the Location tab (and after choosing the location and clicking "Apply"), you get a dialog that reads "Do you want to move all of the files from the old location to the new location?" - inferring (again, my perception) that this function has nothing to do with the "Save" function.

Please be clear that I am not trying to stir up trouble or be disrespectful - I'm just not sure that I am successfully converying what I'm trying to accomplish.

Regardless, I appreciate the time taken to attempt to help.