Changing the location of My Documents

[Jonathan Finney]

As I keep all my documents and valuable data on a separate partition (for
reasons that should be obvious), I've edited the path in the 'Target folder
location' filed under My Documents/properties to the folder where my
documents are actually kept. This makes it much more useful as I can now
use the My Documents links that crop up everywhere to actually take me to my
documents.

The problem is that there appears to be an unfortunate side-effect of
occasional, but extremely long delays that occurs whilst browsing. Most of
the time there's very little difference, but several times a day I'll open a
folder and nothing will happen for 20-30 seconds. If I leave it alone and
just wait, it resolves after the long delay, but it's obviously not an
acceptable situation.

I know the problem is related to the change in the location to which My
Documents points to because if I change it back to its default, the problem
clears up.

The partition in which my documents are stored is on another machine on the
LAN that's RAID mirrored and automatically backed up regularly, so changing
this is not an option.

Any ideas as to what's causing the problem?

Could the fact that the new location is over the LAN be the problem?

 

[Pop`]

As I keep all my documents and valuable data on a separate partition
(for reasons that should be obvious), I've edited the path in the
'Target folder location' filed under My Documents/properties to the
folder where my documents are actually kept. This makes it much more
useful as I can now use the My Documents links that crop up
everywhere to actually take me to my documents.

The problem is that there appears to be an unfortunate side-effect of
occasional, but extremely long delays that occurs whilst browsing. Most of
the time there's very little difference, but several times a
day I'll open a folder and nothing will happen for 20-30 seconds. If
I leave it alone and just wait, it resolves after the long delay, but
it's obviously not an acceptable situation.

I know the problem is related to the change in the location to which
My Documents points to because if I change it back to its default,
the problem clears up.

The partition in which my documents are stored is on another machine
on the LAN that's RAID mirrored and automatically backed up
regularly, so changing this is not an option.

Any ideas as to what's causing the problem?

Could the fact that the new location is over the LAN be the problem?

That's a special system folder. To move it, right click on it and choose
the Move option. Follow the instructions.
Whatever you changed, put it back.

Pop

 

[Ayush]

:
: That's a special system folder. To move it, right click on it and choose
: the Move option. Follow the instructions.
: Whatever you changed, put it back.


He said did that he did that and don't want to .....


: > The partition in which my documents are stored is on another machine
: > on the LAN that's RAID mirrored and automatically backed up
: > regularly, so changing this is not an option.
: >
: > Any ideas as to what's causing the problem?
: >
: > Could the fact that the new location is over the LAN be the problem?

:

This can be the problem.

 

[Jonathan Finney]

Thanks Pop, but this doesn't answer my questions. I don't want to Move
anything. ..and My Documents is not a system folder.

 

[Jim Macklin]

My Documents is a SPECIAL folder created automatically by
the Windows system. You can move the default location of My
Documents from C:/ to any partition. You had to do this
with TweakUI in prior versions of Windows, but XP has added
the function to the right click/properties menu. Go to the
first level My Documents folder, right click on it and
select Properties. One of the options is to moved the
entire folder to another location [drive}. Then
applications such as WORD will automatically use the new
location. I seem to remember that it will offer to move all
previously saved files from the old location.

To save the email files in Outlook Express, for each user,
Tools/Options/Maintenance and you'll have a option to change
the storage location for your email.



| Thanks Pop, but this doesn't answer my questions. I don't
want to Move
| anything. ..and My Documents is not a system folder.
|
| | > Jonathan Finney wrote:
| >> As I keep all my documents and valuable data on a
separate partition
| >> (for reasons that should be obvious), I've edited the
path in the
| >> 'Target folder location' filed under My
Documents/properties to the
| >> folder where my documents are actually kept. This
makes it much more
| >> useful as I can now use the My Documents links that
crop up
| >> everywhere to actually take me to my documents.
| >>
| >> The problem is that there appears to be an unfortunate
side-effect of
| >> occasional, but extremely long delays that occurs
whilst browsing. Most
| >> of the time there's very little difference, but several
times a
| >> day I'll open a folder and nothing will happen for
20-30 seconds. If
| >> I leave it alone and just wait, it resolves after the
long delay, but
| >> it's obviously not an acceptable situation.
| >>
| >> I know the problem is related to the change in the
location to which
| >> My Documents points to because if I change it back to
its default,
| >> the problem clears up.
| >>
| >> The partition in which my documents are stored is on
another machine
| >> on the LAN that's RAID mirrored and automatically
backed up
| >> regularly, so changing this is not an option.
| >>
| >> Any ideas as to what's causing the problem?
| >>
| >> Could the fact that the new location is over the LAN be
the problem?
| >
| > That's a special system folder. To move it, right click
on it and choose
| > the Move option. Follow the instructions.
| > Whatever you changed, put it back.
| >
| > Pop
| >
| >
|
|

 

[gls858]

Thanks Pop, but this doesn't answer my questions. I don't want to Move
anything. ..and My Documents is not a system folder.

What Pop was trying to say was that the procedure you used was incorrect.
He gave you the correct method of moving the My Documents folder. The My
Documents folder is a system folder.

gls858

 

[Ayush]

No, his method was correct. Go and right click your My Documents, you will find a
column named "Target folder location"

--

Ayush [ Be ''?'' Happy ]

For any query, search > www.Google.com
Want to know about a term > http://en.wikipedia.org

Replied To :
-------------------------------------------------------------

: Jonathan Finney wrote:
: > Thanks Pop, but this doesn't answer my questions. I don't want to Move
: > anything. ..and My Documents is not a system folder.
: >
: > : >> Jonathan Finney wrote:
: >>> As I keep all my documents and valuable data on a separate partition
: >>> (for reasons that should be obvious), I've edited the path in the
: >>> 'Target folder location' filed under My Documents/properties to the
: >>> folder where my documents are actually kept. This makes it much more
: >>> useful as I can now use the My Documents links that crop up
: >>> everywhere to actually take me to my documents.
: >>>
: >>> The problem is that there appears to be an unfortunate side-effect of
: >>> occasional, but extremely long delays that occurs whilst browsing. Most
: >>> of the time there's very little difference, but several times a
: >>> day I'll open a folder and nothing will happen for 20-30 seconds. If
: >>> I leave it alone and just wait, it resolves after the long delay, but
: >>> it's obviously not an acceptable situation.
: >>>
: >>> I know the problem is related to the change in the location to which
: >>> My Documents points to because if I change it back to its default,
: >>> the problem clears up.
: >>>
: >>> The partition in which my documents are stored is on another machine
: >>> on the LAN that's RAID mirrored and automatically backed up
: >>> regularly, so changing this is not an option.
: >>>
: >>> Any ideas as to what's causing the problem?
: >>>
: >>> Could the fact that the new location is over the LAN be the problem?
: >> That's a special system folder. To move it, right click on it and choose
: >> the Move option. Follow the instructions.
: >> Whatever you changed, put it back.
: >>
: >> Pop
: >>
: >>
: >
: >
: What Pop was trying to say was that the procedure you used was incorrect.
: He gave you the correct method of moving the My Documents folder. The My
: Documents folder is a system folder.
:
: gls858

 

[Richard Urban]

Undo that which you have already done and then move the folder the correct
way - using the "move" function built into the property tab for My
Documents.

What you did is only a partial solution, and may cause consequences. You
have consequences. At least if you move the folder the correct way you can
eliminate one aspect of trouble shooting your problem

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[gls858]

No, his method was correct. Go and right click your My Documents, you will find a
column named "Target folder location"

I was speaking to the OP not to Pop. If I was unclear Pop was correct.
The OP used the incorrect method.

gls858

 

[Pop`]

He said did that he did that and don't want to .....

Mmmm, I missed that I guess. Guess he can work it out himself then.

 

[Pop`]

1. Please learn how to position your responses in threads; by going out of
order as you've done you've damaged and confused the issue for future
seekers trying to make sense of your post.

2. My Documents is a system folder, created by, and located by, and kept
track of by, the "system". Every user will have his own My Documents folder
also created by the system.

3. If you're mucking with the path you're trying to move it. However, your
description is so vague as to be able to mean about three different things,
so ... forget any assistance from this end; you appear to have a closed mind
or are trolling, I'm not sure which.

Pop

 

[Jonathan Finney]

No idea what trolling is and I can't see why you think I have a closed mind
unless it's your way of excusing that fact that you didn't read my post
properly. My original post was quite specific and detailed exactly what I'd
done and what was happening. If there's anything unclear, maybe you'd like
to be more specific.

My Documents is not a system folder, it's a system-generated 'shortcut' or
'link' that points to the user's My Documents folder (located by default in
C:\Documents and Settings\'user's name'\My Documents) which is also not a
system folder. The location to which the My Documents 'link' points can be
changed by right clicking on Start/My Documents and selecting Properties.
Under the Target tab you'll see a field called Target in which the path to
which the link points (the Target folder location) can be specified. Having
changed this to a folder located across the LAN may, indeed, be why I've
experienced the browsing delays as I said in the first place. If it becomes
a persistent problem (not had it at all this week), I can change it back.
The point of my post was to see if anybody actually KNEW this to be the case
and could add some explanation.

You're right that I haven't got an answer, but lots of you appear to have
had fun saying little or nothing. So far, every reply generated has been
either irrelevant or speculative, but since it's a public forum I have no
right to expect it to be any other way. It's a hit and miss affair and
whilst it may not have worked this time, a similar post next month could
turn up the answer.