Libraries- not working right-have to search much further for pics/docs

Hi,
I sure hope someone can help me with this. When I got this (Dell) computer a few months ago and opened Libraries, I had a nice clean and SHORT appearance that looked similar to this on the left side:

Libraries
Documents
Music
Pictures
Videos
...and perhaps 2 or 3 other items.

Then one day I opened Libraries and I suddenly had my whole computer system it seems showing up there.

Beyond that, I thought if I clicked "documents" or "pictures" in Libraries, ALL of them would be there. Not so. Now, if I'm searching for something I often have to search DOWN to each and every file labeled "documents" or "pictures" that are under files names same just under libraries... because they do not show up when I search in Libraries under such tags just below the "Libraries" tag. Some documents are in Document files three tow or three levels down. Sometimes I even have to search OS or Computer to find a document or photo. Isn't EVERYTHING supposed to be included in that first set of Libraries? I don't know what happened.

At one point, but I think it was AFTER this happened, my son moved all docs and photos from my old computer over to my desktop, but shouldn't they still be under Libraries now also? I HAVE found them in other doc/picture folders below libraries.

Does anyone know how I can move the other document and picture files so they will be in my Libraries under those tags and I don't have to search all through my computer to find them?

I thought I could do a screenshot, but can't seem to do that, either. Sorry. I hope I've given enough information to let you know what is going on.

The library now continues a long way to include "Lisa" (my name), Computer, Network, Control Panel, Documents (again...) and more...OS, another file called "Documents...and within these are picture files...all this under Libraries.

Thank you in advance!

Lisa

Hi, "A Guy"....

I thought of doing that, but fear that I'll a) lose docs and pics and b) especially lose the information my son moved over to this computer for me. Also fear that the names of my docs/pics and dates may be changed.

Am I safe doing this and NOT having any of those problems?

Thanks much for your reply!
Lisa

Hi Guy and Brink,

VERY sorry for the delay in responding- we had a family emergency and I'm just now catching up on what I was doing prior to it. I'm going to try to post a screenshot here, it looks like it is an attachment below this box. If you notice, there are several "documents" files, several "pictures" files...everything is so complicated now! As I said before, when I first started with this computer, the only thing that opened on the "Libraries" page was what was just below "Libraries." Just a few subfolders, and it looked something like this:

Libraries
Documents
my documents/
public documents
new progs (C:)
Favorites
Pictures
(my picture folders within here)
Public Pictures

I'm not EXACTLY sure which folders were there, but the page looked almost that simple. I don't think anything below "LISA" was on that page, definitely not all those other folders below "LISA."

Now, if you can open the attachment and see the screenshot, you'll see all those extra folders. They weren't there before, and now, sometimes, what I save ends up in one of the folders way down the screen. And then there is the matter of DUPLICATES! I have so many I don't even know where to begin...but SOME of my downloads post to several folders, and others don't post up in the first "Libraries" section at all.

I have Norton backup. Can I contact them and explain I want to restore default settings but make sure they keep what's backed up right now, without changing their OWN programs and losing a bunch of my documents and photos? I've saved so many things (I'm busy building a webpage and looking up keywords, taking photos, etc....) I fear I'll just lose months of work!

I hope that you can see the screenshot, for starters, and if so, that the tremendous new length of it will be obvious to you that it is NOT what I had before, and will help you to figure out what happened to me here!

Thanks very much (and I also hope you get this post since it's come to you so late!!) I AM back now, and will be able to keep up with my emails better so I'll know when I hear from you again. And I promise I'll then get back in touch with YOU guys much faster here on out.

Lisa

Thank you, Brink. I'll go through the tutorials and see if I can change things through techniques there.

I did notice ONE interesting thing today- I needed to save a Notepad file, and when I named the file and tried to save it, noticed that it was already AUTOMATICALLY set up to save here:

C:|Users|Lisa\Documents\VIOLET GEMSTONE NECKLACE +EARRINGS MADE IN NM files\TODAY 6-21 SALE THREAD

I got a popup that said:this file contains characteers in Unicode format which will be lost if you save this file as an ANSI encoded text file. To keep the Unicode information, click Cancel below and then select one of the Unicode options for the Encoding drop down list. Continue? (OK or CANCEL)

I changed where this should be saved to Libraries/Documents/My Documents...as there was NO photo in there, no reason for it to be saved anywhere but that. I wonder why Windows decided it should be saved where they had chosen! I'll have to watch these!

Thank you much,
Lisa

:) Well, now matters seem to be worse...if I try to even OPEN a document, I get a little "bell" sound, off to the right of the screen it says "file cannot be previewed" and I tried to open both by clicking and thru the drop-down box. No luck.

Any clues?

Thanks, sorry I'm a pain!

Lisa