Should I keep My Documents on C and Videos, Music etc on D ?

Page 4 of 8 FirstFirst ... 23456 ... LastLast

  1. mjf
    Posts : 5,969
    Windows 7x64 Home Premium SP1
       #31

    I actually keep My Documents on C: . I have lots of Word and Excel documents and they don't take up a lot of space. BUT I run a file/folder backup to make sure that a reimage doesn't cause me to lose documents made since the lat image. When I don't want to do a full file/folder backup I'll do a drag & drop to another drive.

    I store music and videos on a separate drive because these are large and is fairly static data that I don't want to clog up a system image. Also, I just have them in simple folders on another drive and my applications access them from there - I haven't moved libraries. Of course a separate drive can fail and this data needs to be backed up. This is when some form of differential backup makes sense.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 73
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #32

    whs said:
    Of course you keep the original documents folder on C - and all the other original folders too. And you keep those as default folders. But that does not mean that you cannot create user folders to the HDD - which you have apparently done. Just keep the system and program generated folders in the C folders.

    Btw - it is not only in Documents where programs place their repository folders. So if you have no default pictures, videos and music folders on C, you have the same problem as with documents.
    Hi guys, I reopened the thread because I realized that one of my yesterday's questions remained unanswered. And so i saw i couldn't go forth today applying your advices, since i have a doubt with something.

    Remember, you advised using libraries. For example the music library would contain both the original user folder (My Music) (on C) and the one i created myself: Music-A (on D), where the actual data is.

    So that when i backup C (programs and OS), the program settings that are saved in the default user folders are backed up too.

    I liked that you said that in order for my files to be saved in the right folder (on D), I should set the default save location of the library to that folder.

    Question 5: Is there a possibility that because of changing the default save location to the folder on D, well some programs will alson follow that and save their settings there ? Which was what we were trying to avoid in the first place.

    Question 6: When programs store their settings, do they save them in the default user folder or in the default save location of the concerned library ?
      My Computer


  3. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #33

    I liked that you said that in order for my files to be saved in the right folder (on D), I should set the default save location of the library to that folder.
    Nah never, the folders on C should remain default folders. The D partition you inmage or backup separately when needed. And that should only contain your own stuff.

    Q5 - that's exactly what would happen and that's not what we want

    Q6 - in the default folder.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 73
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #34

    whs said:
    I liked that you said that in order for my files to be saved in the right folder (on D), I should set the default save location of the library to that folder.
    Nah never, the folders on C should remain default folders. The D partition you inmage or backup separately when needed. And that should only contain your own stuff.

    Q5 - that's exactly what would happen and that's not what we want

    Q6 - in the default folder.
    Q6b : as default folder you mean the default save location ?
      My Computer


  5. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #35

    Right, the folder where the system or programs would put their stuff - as opposed to your stuff which would be on D.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Should I keep My Documents on C and Videos, Music etc on D ?-2015-01-19_1935.png  
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 73
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #36

    whs, i understand since the beginning that on C should be the program stuff and settings and that on D should be my own stuff. I get that. I know that.

    My question is specific and i don't know if you got it:

    If i make the folder on D the default save location of a library, does that also make it the default folder for programs ?
    In other words, does the default save location affect only the user when he clicks on "Save as.." (that location would be proposed as first choice) or does it ALSO affect the location where the programs store their settings ?

    In other words again: what are the programs looking for to store their settings? the default save location ? or the default folder ? are they the same ?
      My Computer


  7. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #37

    I thought I said that, sorry. The programs and the system look for the default folders. That's why we keep the folders on C as default folders, then the program stuff does not get mixed up with your own stuff. And if you make an image of C, the programs have their folders when you ever need to restore.

    The user folders on D are a completely different world which only the user manages - updates, backups, etc.

    Btw - I am not sure why that was not clear from my previous posting:

    Your question:
    Q6b : as default folder you mean the default save location ?
    My answer:
    the folder where the system or programs would put their stuff
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 73
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #38

    whs said:
    I thought I said that, sorry. The programs and the system look for the default folders. That's why we keep the folders on C as default folders, then the program stuff does not get mixed up with your own stuff. And if you make an image of C, the programs have their folders when you ever need to restore.

    The user folders on D are a completely different world which only the user manages - updates, backups, etc.
    I knoooow, indeed you have said that many times. I'm asking wether default folder and default save location is the same thing ?
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 6,458
    x64 (6.3.9600) Win8.1 Pro & soon dual boot x64 (6.1.7601) Win7_SP1 HomePrem
       #39

    I'll take a stab at answering this"

    Setting the default save location set in Libraries should make the folder selected the globally accepted default save location for that file type (General, Music,Pictures, Videos).
    There are however applications that don't always play by the rules and they might default to a different location - that's either bad programming or old programs.

    There's also a setting to save to the last location in some applications. With a few exceptions like the ones above, the Libraries save location works across the board.

    Program settings are not part of the default save location. Again, some applications have location defined or it can be changed in the options for that program.

    The installer controls where programs go - usually predefined to be a sub-folder in Program files or Program Files (x86)
    This location is not changed by the Libraries default save location. It is always defined in the Installer application.

    I haven't read the thread, only the post above.

    Here's one way to think about doing it. The directory tree might look like this:
    D:\UserFiles
    D:\UserFiles\adri123
    D:\UserFiles\adri123\Documents
    D:\UserFiles\adri123\Music
    D:\UserFiles\adri123\Pictures
    D:\UserFiles\adri123\Videos

    The four folders you recognize would be included in the library of the same type.
    Those folders would also be set in the library as the default save location for that type

    You can create additional libraries that point to different folders in the D:\UserFiles\adri123 tree
    Downloads comes to mind.

    If you look at the properties of regular folder -> customize tab you will see that folders are associated with a type, so are libraries.
    Your Documents folder is of the type General - a catch all.

    It's a little tricky but you asked good questions. I hope I answered them well enough.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 73
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #40

    Slartybart thank you very much that's the kind of answer i was expecting. It's clear now:

    Program settings are not part of the default save location.
    Question 7: But they could right ?
    If a program is programmed so that it stores its settings to the default save location, instead of the default folder.

    Question 8: The whole thread is about how can I back up C (os+progs) without omitting the program settings AND by avoiding libraries if possible. Do you think that's possible ?
      My Computer


 
Page 4 of 8 FirstFirst ... 23456 ... LastLast

  Related Discussions
Our Sites
Site Links
About Us
Windows 7 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 7" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

© Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:02.
Find Us