How Do I Move My Documents To Desktop?

[Barman58]

You can add the user folder to the desktop - easiest way is to right click on the user name on the start menu and click "show on Desktop" that creates a link on the desktop that is not a shortcut

 

[poolmon]

I'm back.
I definitely did NOT want a mere short cut on the desktop.
I wanted the actual "My Documents" folder where I could drag and drop files to. Windows XP had the "My Documents" folder on Desktop. It was not a mere shortcut.

Right now I'm on an XP computer but I will try the suggestion given when I get home to my Win 7 computer.
Thanks for all the input !!!

 

[Kari]

I'm back.
I definitely did NOT want a mere short cut on the desktop.
I wanted the actual "My Documents" folder where I could drag and drop files to. Windows XP had the "My Documents" folder on Desktop. It was not a mere shortcut.

I am sorry to say but that is absolutely not true. Please check your facts before stating it as truth.

Right click My Documents on your XP desktop, choose properties. This is what you see:



It was and is a completely normal shortcut to folder C:\Documents and Settings\your_usename\My Documents, only difference with other shortcuts being that it had no shortcut arrow.

Kari

 

[Sassa]

I am sorry to say but that is absolutely not true. Please check your facts before stating it as true.

Right click My Documents on your XP desktop, choose properties. This is what you see:

View attachment 22990

It was and is a completely normal shortcut to folder C:\Documents and Settings\your_usename\My Documents, only difference with other shortcuts being that it had no shortcut arrow.

Kari

Yes, but he doesn't understand that My Documents folder (XP) is replaced with "Username" folder (Vista &7) witch can be showed on desktop...

 

[Kari]

So here it comes, last time:

• IF you want to have your user folder on desktop, do as Barman told (post 21)
• IF you want to have your My Documents folder on desktop, do as I told (post 4)

Kari

 

[Sassa]

So here it comes, last time:

• IF you want to have your user folder on desktop, do as Barman told (post 21)
• IF you want to have your My Documents folder on desktop, do as I told (post 4)

Kari

Can I send you a PM?

 

[Kari]

Can I send you a PM?

Of course. Or did you ask me?

 

[poolmon]

Yes, I do see a path name in "My Documents" Desktop Icon in XP, but I can drag and drop files to and from it.
I cannot drag and drop files to a mere shortcut. What I was trying to do is replicate the XP structure allowing me to keep all of my files in that folder on the Desktop for immediate access.

I do appreciate all the comments and I don't pretend to know exactly how Windows is put together, as opposed to how it worked for me in the past.

 

[BishopLord]

Yes, I do see a path name in "My Documents" Desktop Icon in XP, but I can drag and drop files to and from it.
I cannot drag and drop files to a mere shortcut. What I was trying to do is replicate the XP structure allowing me to keep all of my files in that folder on the Desktop for immediate access.

I do appreciate all the comments and I don't pretend to know exactly how Windows is put together, as opposed to how it worked for me in the past.

Whether you want to believe it or not, the "My Documents" on the desktop is a short cut. Here's proof from my own XP Pro desktop (Click image for higher resolution):

 

[Kari]

Yes, I do see a path name in "My Documents" Desktop Icon in XP, but I can drag and drop files to and from it.
I cannot drag and drop files to a mere shortcut.

Yes you can. I have to repeate this:

I am sorry to say but that is absolutely not true. Please check your facts before stating it as truth.

And then:

I do appreciate all the comments and I don't pretend to know exactly how Windows is put together, as opposed to how it worked for me in the past.

If you do what Barman told in post 21 or I told in post 4, it works just as it did for you in the past.

Kari

 

[Sassa]

Yes you can. I have to repeate this:


And then:

If you do what Barman told in post 21 or I told in post 4, it works just as it did for you in the past.

Kari

Here we go again...
:roflmao:

 

[poolmon]

I conceed it's a shortcut, it's a short cut. Just not one with a normal shortcut arrow on it.

When I get home I will try your recommendations.

Thanks for the education guys. I do appreciate it, even if I do get beat up a little in the process.

 

[Kari]

Thanks for the education guys. I do appreciate it, even if I do get beat up a little in the process.

That's the spirit! Please understand nobody was offending you, we just tried to explain it so that you could understand it and solve your issue.

Kari

 

[Barman58]

Just want to add that the exact behaviour from XP should be possible by use of a junction point. am posting from my phone so will check later as to actual method and post a step by step. Will check this thread in am

 

[Barman58]

Ok I have checked the method I suggested in my last post and can confirm that it works for the OP's requirements.

To create the link

• start an administrator command prompt
• navigate to your desktop folder [normally c:\users\name\desktop]
• enter the following command
  mklink /D "My Documents" "d:\path to my documents folder"

Note the "" are important
You will now have a My Documents folder icon on the desktop which is a link to the My Documents folder that you can drag and drop items too

To change the icon you have to use the customize option in properties

This method will also work for any other folder that you wish to have a shortcut to with the drag and drop functionality

 

[poolmon]

Interesting.

When I left clicked Start Button then right clicked on my User Profile and selected Show on Desktop, it did copy the whole profile folder. BUT, when I opened that new Desktop Folder, what was labeled as "Documents" in the Library is now labeled "My Documents" in the new Desktop Folder [note that 'My' was automatically added].

I also left clicked Start then right clicked the Documents line and then selected Send To Desktop as a Shortcut. The Shortcut was labeled just "Documents" [not "My Documents" as it was in the prior method.]

This Win 7 file tree structure is really confusing to me from the older windows/dos structure.

 

[mckids]

You can make a folder on the desktop saying "My Documents"

Then go to Start--> Open the "Your user name" folder. The "My Documents" folder in there, right click on it and go to properties.

There should be something about "Target"

Click Browse and point it to the "My Documents" folder you created on your desktop. Click ok.

If this has helped you, please rep.

I tried this...
If he do that he will move "My Documents " folder to desktop permanently...

If want move (all Sub Folders) User- Folder to another Drive?? example to Drive D: because my Drive C: protected by Deep Freeze.

 

[mrgmr]

Here is an aricle on how to move my documents in Windows 7.

 

[akmens]

I was searching Google for the same problem and found this topic and because last poster's link doesn't work, let me post a link to a possible solution Is it possible to have a classic my documents folder?


I understand post author, because user's files folder sometimes gets confusing. For example, if you want to save documents, to do it right, you need to open My Documents subfolder in Users Files folder, but wait... you may think, you already opened your "personal files or documents" folder? Yes but at the same time No. Also, in User's Files folder there are maps that are used mostly by system (IE favorites, links, search) and you do not want to mess with them in your pesonal files folder, do you? But you can't simply delete them or even hide them with hidden attribute, it just doesn't work. Yet another reason for wanting My Documents shortcut on desktop.


BTW, Shortcut to My Documents is little different than system desktop folder that topic author wanted. Shortcuts have arrows and context menu is different (try to create shortcut to Computer and then right click on both, see the difference, same goes for My Documents, although there is smaller difference, but still). Moving My Documents folder directly to Desktop is not a good option too for several reasons.

But for the most users simple shortcut to desktop will be good enough and they will be happy using it the same way they used it on WinXP, it's just that some users are little more picky on these things