Confused Between The Difference - "My Documents" & "Documents"-Win7?

Hello. I have been very curious for a while now and somewhat confused. This is regarding Windows 7, so if you are not using Windows 7 you may not know what I am talking about.

Okay, I see in Windows 7 you have a folder called "Documents" in your start menu and when you open it, you have the "Documents library". Inside there you have "2 locations" called "My Documents" and "Public Documents". When you go to: C:\Users\<username> you will see "My Documents". Some people cannot get past this part asking what is the difference between "Documents" and "My Documents" and how come I cannot see a folder called "Documents" on my system? But I need to know if I am right?

Please follow me here -- this is an assumption. I think, but I may be wrong, that: "Documents" is a *virtual* folder which actually is the same thing as the *virtual* "Documents library" (folder) that contains both two *real* folders called "My Documents" and "Public Documents". So if you were to look up on your system for a "Documents" folder, it does not exist. Only the "My Documents" and "Public Documents" are *real*. Basically substitute the "My" for your <username> and leave "public" as "public". Am I correct to say that?

However, I have another view and this is VERY CONFUSING and CONTRADICTORY in what I just said. ...that "My Documents" really is the "Documents" folder (for example: c:\Users\John\Documents) directory. If you notice in the address bar, when you are viewing "My Documents", and click in there, to see the full path, it changes to the actual folder path. The current Logged On user will always see their "Documents" Folder as "My Documents" based on folder personalization handled by the desktop.ini folder inside of it. This is just a thought.

So what is right? Is the "Documents" folder REALLY a *REAL* or NOT, especially when my last paragraph above is applied???

If someone here would explain the rationale here and what is going on here???

Please reply.

Thank you!

Thorsen said:

It is the same path. The folder view shows My Documents, but the actual physical location is c:/Users/<Name>/Documents

So to get this finally stragiht... ..."Documents" IS INEED A *REAL* FOLDER AND ***NEVER*** A *VIRTUAL* FOLDER then?????

Please reply.

The more I read about it, the more I get confused.

Thank you!!!

Good information on Windows 7's Libraries here:

Organizing with Windows 7 Libraries

Windows 7 uses virtual folders and symbolic links called junction points to assist legacy software that, for example, expects to find a folder called My Documents.

However, the default location in Windows 7 is C:/Users/User Name/Documents so a junction point is used to to tell the software written for say, Windows XP, you won't find a My Documents folder, but if you use this junction it will show you where Documents is in Windows 7.

@ Thorsen:

Hello again. Therefore from what I can gather... ..."Documents", "My Documents" and "Public Documents" are *ALL* *REAL* places. So the determiner of how or what we see written is, if it is:

1. the folder view.
-OR-
2. the physical location.

It is the folder view *ONLY* where we see "My Documents" and "Public Documents", BUT *NEVER* JUST "Documents"????

Is this ALL correct??????

Please reply.

Thank you again!!!