Moving 'My Documents' folder; strange results

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  1. Posts : 46
    Windows 7 Pro 64-bit
       #1

    Moving 'My Documents' folder; strange results


    I recently installed a SSD as the boot drive and made the original HDD a data drive. I wanted to move the data intensive user folders over to the data drive.

    I go to C:\users\myName, select My Documents and change location to D:\My Documents.

    Before moving, My Documents contains 2535 files, and this is what D:\My Documents shows, so that's fine.

    But now there is a new folder in C:\users\myName\ called 'Documents' (the original 'My Documents' folder is no longer listed in C:\users\myName). This new C:\users\myName\Documents folder contains 655 files.

    One example of a subfolder in My Documents is the Dropbox folder. In D:\MyDocuments\Dropbox there are 1090 files.

    In C:\users\myName\Documents there are 628 files.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 46
    Windows 7 Pro 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #2

    To undo this, I went to D:\My Documents, and in the Location tab, selected Restore Default.

    Of course some of the files being copied already exist in c:\users\myName\Documents. So I expected to have to copy and replace (or skip) 655 files. Instead, it turned out to be 649 files, which just adds further confusion.

    And once this process completed, the folder in c:\users\myName\ is no longer called 'Documents', it's 'My Documents'.

    Would love it if someone could explain the logic of what Windows is doing here (e.g., why was there a 'Documents' folder left in c:\users\myName\ with 655 files?) along with the naming conventions for these user folders.

    When I moved c:\users\myName\Downloads to d:\Downloads, it moved the folder, and there was no c:\users\myName\Downloads remaining. This was also surprising because I thought it's supposed to leave a Downloads folder that acts as a pointer to the new location.


    Should mention that D: is a Truecrypt encrypted partition occupying an entire HDD. But I think that's transparent to Windows, which just sees it as a regular partition.
    Last edited by colt; 15 Dec 2014 at 22:55.
      My Computer

  3.    #3

    Did you follow exactly the steps to move User Folders - Change Default Location?

    Sometimes restoring the default requires extra steps which must be completed at length exactly as shown in User Folders - Restore Default Location - Windows 7 Forums.
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  4. Posts : 46
    Windows 7 Pro 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #4

    gregrocker said:
    Did you follow exactly the steps to move User Folders - Change Default Location?
    I didn't follow this guide per se, but those are the same steps I used.

    I'll try again using these steps exactly as written.

    Two questions:
    1. In step 3, it says to name the new folder without spaces, but in the example provided, the new folder is named 'My Music' with a space. So are spaces ok or not?

    2. To access the user folders location, step 5 suggests using shell:UsersFilesFolder
    That brings up an explorer view that is very similar to, but not exactly the same as, c:\users\myName\ - the difference I notice is that on the latter, I can select all files and folders, right click and select Properties, and the Properties dialogue box comes up. In the former view (the one gotten to via shell:UsersFilesFolder or alternatively via clicking Start button, then username at the top of right column), when I select all files and folders, right click and select Properties, nothing happens - I think this is a libraries view. But I could be wrong.

    Anyway, is it OK for me to access the folder I want to move by going to c:\users\myName\ instead of using shell:UsersFilesFolder?
      My Computer

  5.    #5

    Drop the "My" in the name when creating the new folder.

    You wouldn't select all User folders to choose Properties box. Do them individually for only the folders you use and want to move.

    I only call up the Shell user folders if I need to Restore User Folders Default Location and must reconstruct the folder from scratch because it's been lost and can't be found. You can run the Move operations from your named User folder.
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  6. Posts : 33
    Win 7 Home Premium 64-bit
       #6

    colt said:
    And once this process completed, the folder in c:\users\myName\ is no longer called 'Documents', it's 'My Documents'.
    Is there any chance that you are seeing window's "libraries" and not folders? The library is called "Documents" and the specific default user folder that is usually included in that library is called "My Documents". Sounds like you may not be familiar with folders versus libraries. If this is not the case, please forgive me.

    As a side note, there mere existence of the libraries feature means that you don't even have to move the My Documents folder. The "Documents" library can simply point to a new documents folder of your choosing, in any location or drive, without ever moving anything.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 46
    Windows 7 Pro 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #7

    gregrocker said:
    Drop the "My" in the name when creating the new folder.
    Will do, thanks.

    gregrocker said:
    You wouldn't select all User folders to choose Properties box. Do them individually for only the folders you use and want to move.
    Yes, understood. I only mentioned that to demonstrate that shell:UsersFilesFolder does not bring me to exactly the same view as navigating to c:\users\myName.

    gregrocker said:
    You can run the Move operations from your named User folder.
    OK, thanks. That's how I performed the move described in the OP. Will do so again using the guide on this forum.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 46
    Windows 7 Pro 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #8

    [QUOTE=tblob;2961149]
    colt said:
    And once this process completed, the folder in c:\users\myName\ is no longer called 'Documents', it's 'My Documents'.
    tblob said:
    Is there any chance that you are seeing window's "libraries" and not folders?
    Possibly. I just navigated to c:\users\myName\

    tblob said:
    The library is called "Documents" and the specific default user folder that is usually included in that library is called "My Documents". Sounds like you may not be familiar with folders versus libraries. If this is not the case, please forgive me.
    You are correct. I am not particularly familiar with libraries.

    tblob said:
    As a side note, there mere existence of the libraries feature means that you don't even have to move the My Documents folder. The "Documents" library can simply point to a new documents folder of your choosing, in any location or drive, without ever moving anything.
    OK, so if I'm understanding this correctly,

    1. I can create a d:\documents folder (in the root of my data drive)
    2. add this folder to the 'Documents' library

    My goal is to move the data intensive user folders (at least the ones that can be easily moved without registry editing or special programs) like My Documents, My Pictures, My Videos, My Music, and Downloads to the data drive. Can I use the libraries feature to accomplish this? Wouldn't it still require physically moving the files in these user folders from the boot drive to the data drive?
      My Computer

  9.    #9

    Yes, you can as an alternative first try copying User folders to the data drive to add to Library - Include a Folder - Windows 7 Forums

    Then set that folder as Library - Set Save Folder - Windows 7 Help Forums

    I'd keep the C user folder in the Library so you can see visually if anything lands in it to drag over to the data drive's User folder.

    If this is to your liking then it isn't necessary to move the shell User folder.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 46
    Windows 7 Pro 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #10

    gregrocker said:
    Yes, you can as an alternative first try copying User folders to the data drive to add to Library - Include a Folder - Windows 7 Forums

    Then set that folder as Library - Set Save Folder - Windows 7 Help Forums

    I'd keep the C user folder in the Library so you can see visually if anything lands in it to drag over to the data drive's User folder.
    I can do this, but to accomplish the goal of getting my user data (see below quote) off the boot drive and onto the data drive, wouldn't there be extra steps?

    If I understand this correctly, the steps described above would ensure that new files and new saves of existing files would placed in the designated folder(s) on the data drive, but would not change the location of existing files in c:\users\myName\

    colt said:
    My goal is to move the data intensive user folders (at least the ones that can be easily moved without registry editing or special programs) like My Documents, My Pictures, My Videos, My Music, and Downloads to the data drive. Can I use the libraries feature to accomplish this? Wouldn't it still require physically moving the files in these user folders from the boot drive to the data drive?
    Or are you suggesting I should:
    1. add a new folder on d:\ to a library, e.g., add d:\My Documents to library 'Documents'
    2. set d:\My Documents as the default save location for library 'Documents'
    3. drag and drop contents of c:\users\myName\My Documents into d:\My Documents
      My Computer


 
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