Why use "Libraries" when you dont know where the files are located ?

Hello Don, :)

Use the %UserProfile%\Pictures path to see if that may open the current account's Pictures folder with the files in it.

DonMurray said:

THERE IS NOT A FOLDER called pictures when I browse to that location. Someplace within the OS the OS must know where this file IS REALLY located.

Maybe there is a rational reason for these Libraries not being rational.

See box with heading "information" here:

Junction Points - Restore to Default in Windows

In Windows 7:

My Documents=Documents

and

Documents\My Pictures=Pictures

So like Brink said you can open %USERPROFILE%\Pictures

Which is the same as C:\Users\Username\Pictures although if you look for the folder it will be named "My Pictures"

Blessing to you for sharing the cool links ! And Also for exposing this situation with our reparse point

So I have windows 7 64 it appears that the bat files in RepairJunction_DocumentsAndSettings_win7-win8.zip
But from what I was reading it appears there are hidden folders that are really the folders for documents and settings and that they put up a false front to make explorer and apps "think" they exist with old names ..
So basicly the batch files will make real folders that are in actual existstance. ?

Many thanks you for sharing this information.

The link wae posted to explain the use of junction points and symbolic links in Windows 7 along with backwards compatibility for older programs. It was not intended that you should run any sort of repair. Anyway if repaired it would result in the defaults being used:

The defaults are:

Code:

Documents and Settings=@

[\ProgramData]
Application Data=\ProgramData
Desktop=@\Public\Desktop
Documents=@\Public\Documents
Favorites=@\Public\Favorites
Start Menu=Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
Templates=Microsoft\Windows\Templates

[@]
Default User=Default

[All Users]
Application Data=\ProgramData
Desktop=@\Public\Desktop
Documents=@\Public\Documents
Favorites=@\Public\Favorites
Start Menu=\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
Templates=\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Templates

[Public]
Documents\My Music=Music
Documents\My Pictures=Pictures
Documents\My Videos=Videos

[Default]
Application Data=AppData\Roaming
Cookies=AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies
Local Settings=AppData\Local
My Documents=Documents
NetHood=AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Network Shortcuts
PrintHood=AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Printer Shortcuts
Recent=AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent
SendTo=AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo
Start Menu=AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
Templates=AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Templates
AppData\Local\Application Data=AppData\Local
AppData\Local\History=AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\History
AppData\Local\Temporary Internet Files=AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files
Documents\My Music=Music
Documents\My Pictures=Pictures
Documents\My Videos=Videos

So when you see C:\Users\Username\Pictures in the address bar it's actually linking to C:\Users\Username\My Pictures which is the same thing.

If you type this into Start> Run dialog box:

shell:UsersFilesFolder

In the window that opens you will see your "My Pictures" folder. If you right click on that folder and choose "Properties" then go to the "Location" tab you will see where it links to. There is no actual folder named "My Pictures" and that is how it should be by design.

seavixen32 said:

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 Pictures.

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

Hi,
Libraries just gives a straighter shot to the files beit a shortcut or link it is a lot faster than digging down through c/ users for them :)
What can be the most confusing is the Public listing but one does not have to use that area unless one wants to share files with other users on the same machine otherwise the public area can be completely ignored.

I created a folder & made a shortcut to it on desktop.
All these various 'locations' windows seems to bury, I created shortcuts to (other locations etc also) & moved shortcuts to (original folder) <- shortcut key brings it up on top of everything. (solitaire & freecell included!)

Pyprohly said:

A ‘desktop.ini’ file is a customisation file that stores configuration settings for the folder in which it resides. Along with the ability of providing a personalised folder icon, they can also be used to configure a folder’s display name, masking the true name. Windows Explorer makes predominate use of these.

This explains why one would see their Pictures folder displayed as ‘My Pictures’ when viewed from Explorer but as ‘Pictures’—its underlying name—when viewed from a program that doesn’t make use of ‘desktop.ini’, such as the Command Prompt.

This has nothing to do with junctions, nor does the operation of Libraries as far as I’m aware.

Okay - cheers. Well I suppose that it is easy to assume that junction points have something to do with it!