Solved Two 'My Documents' Folders

[kevvyb]

Hi

I have just noticed that I have two 'My Documents' folders in my user folder. The first points to the location to which I set it, my D drive which is where I store all my data. Exploring that folder reveals all my data folders as expected. This folder has a location tab confirming the above, showing D:\Documents

The second 'My Documents' points to what I think is the default location: C:\Users\[username]. It has no location tab and is to all intents and purposes, empty.

I know it was not like this originally. Just set up a Homegroup between my laptop and the desktop and the user account has same name on both machines. Wondering if this could somehow be the cause....?

 

[Brink]

Hello Kevvyb,

You can do OPTION TWO in the tutorial below to restore this default user folder's location.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18583-user-folders-restore-default-location.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[karlsnooks]

kevvyb,

If you rename the empty one to some other name,
then does all still work correctly?

 

[kevvyb]

Hello Kevvyb,

You can do OPTION TWO in the tutorial below to restore this default user folder's location.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18583-user-folders-restore-default-location.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Hi Shawn, sorry to say that I really wanted to know exactly what has casued this. How can there be two? I know how to change locations that's how one of the two folders I mentioned point to my D: drive

Before I make any changes think it best to try and work out how it has happened.

 

[kevvyb]

kevvyb,

If you rename the empty one to some other name,
then does all still work correctly?

Hi

The empty one won't accept renaming. Just reverts to My Documents.

 

[James Colbert]

Hello Kevvyb,

You can do OPTION TWO in the tutorial below to restore this default user folder's location.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18583-user-folders-restore-default-location.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Hi Shawn, sorry to say that I really wanted to know exactly what has casued this. How can there be two? I know how to change locations that's how one of the two folders I mentioned point to my D: drive

Before I make any changes think it best to try and work out how it has happened.

It happens when the user folder is improperly moved. Shawn's link shows you how to restore the user folder back to default, at which time you should revert to only one folder. You can then properly move the folder as shown here:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18629-user-folders-change-default-location.html

Take note of item#9 in 'Option Two'. This will likely explain how you came to have two identical folders.

James

Edit: It might also be worth mentioning that if you don't move all files to the new location (including any hidden files), the original will remain (also resulting in duplication). Following the tutorial for proper relocation will avoid this issue as well.

 

[kevvyb]

Two My Documents Folders

Hi James, Thank you for that reply and to the others for their replies too.

That's weird because I originally relocated this folder when i installed Win7 and have not touched it since as far as I am aware.

There is another user of the PC but don't think they would have got near this and I would have thought it a difficult thing to do accidentally so I am bemused.

Anyway will have a go at restoring and then relocating again.

Will update on outcome.

Thanks again.

 

[severedsolo]

It may even be because you didn't have permission to access the folder when you moved it. I had this happen once.

When you reinstall Windows, you have to open all the folders on the D partition that were set to User Folders before at least once to get permission to access them.

At least thats what caused it for me.

 

[kevvyb]

Two My Documents Folders

Hell this is complicated

 

[Vincenzo]

I have had this happen on computers that I set up where the Documents or Desktop folder were moved using correct procedure. The problem is due to poorly written applications that upon installation are needing to write (or to prepare to write) to the Documents folder. The installation routine then writes to C:\Users\(username)\Documents, and since the folder is missing it is created.

It is actually a harmless situation, more of an irritation. But if you want to fix it, you can set up symbolic links that will remedy the situation.

If you are interested I can find some info on the procedure. I've done it numerous times on Vista, but I've not bothered on the Win 7 machines I've set up, so not sure if there are any "gotchas" that may pop up.

 

[Vincenzo]

By the way, I say the application is poorly written because the correct way would be to access the Documents folder using the environment variable %UserProfile%\Documents, which would then direct the application to the location you had set for Documents, assuming you had done that move correctly.

 

[James Colbert]

Hell this is complicated

Not really. Following the tutorials should resolve it.

James

 

[kevvyb]

Two My Documents Folders

Vincenzo

Thanks for that. I am sure that it was something like this rather than the user folder being "improperly moved". I had after all, 'properly moved' many of the others without this issue.

I wonder which app install did that...

 

[kevvyb]

Hell this is complicated

Not really. Following the tutorials should resolve it.

James

To be more precise the whole Windows 7 virtual folder structure is pretty complicated. Hence the need for these tutorial to accomplish what was relatively simple, if different, in XP.

I actually followed the tutorial from this site when I first did this so I am pretty certain I didn't "improperly move" anything, complicated or not.

 

[Vincenzo]

If you right click on the extra Documents folder and go to Properties, it may show a creation date that could give you a clue what installation was at fault.

 

[kevvyb]

Two My Documents Folders

Damn it's gone now 'cos the advise here for restoring default and starting again has worked a treat. Thanks everybody.

 

[Brink]

That's great news Kevvy. I'm happy to hear that you got it sorted.