Anything new about missing 'My Documents' in Explorer?

[Andrey Tarasevich]

Hello

This problem with XP has been reported all over the net, but I don't
seem to be able to find any real solution.

The problem is that '<User's> Documents' folder disappears from 'Files
Stored On This Computer' section of 'Computer' folder in Windows
Explorer. For example, I have 'Shared Documents' there, but no 'Andrey's
Documents' for account 'Andrey' from 'Power Users' group. The same issue
exists in all user accounts with less than 'Administrators' rights.

The standard advice everybody gives in this case is to go to

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DocFolderPaths

and enter doc folder paths for each and every user on the machine. And
most everybody knows that this generally has absolutely no effect. On my
machine the doc folder paths for all users are entered correctly in the
above registry location, yet I can't see my own documents folder in
'Files Stored On This Computer' section of the Explorer.

The real root of the problem seems to be somehow related to the user
permissions. My account belongs to 'Power Users' group and I have this
problem in Explorer. If I login as 'Administrator' I'm able to see all
users' doc folders in 'Files Stored On This Computer' section (which,
BTW, indicates that the registry is set up properly), but anyone with
lesser permissions can only see 'Shared Documents' and nothing else.

Anyone has any idea about the real reason for this issue and how to fix it?

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

You are welcome to browse these earlier threads about the issue:
http://groups.google.com/group/micr...eral&q="my+documents"+++missing+++mvp+OR+msft

Other discussions:
http://www.google.com/search?q="my+...d=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&ie=utf8&oe=utf8

 

[Andrey Tarasevich]

You are welcome to browse these earlier threads about the issue:

Great. But those threads that are actually relevant to the issue in
question, only suggest the 'DocFolderPaths' fix I mentioned before. As I
said in my previous message, this fix doesn't really fix anything, which
is what usually pointed out in those threads as well. At which point the
thread usually ends, because no one know what else to do. This is why
I'm asking: is there anything new on this old issue? Has anyone found
the actual fix?

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

I've never encountered the problem personally.

Great. But those threads that are actually relevant to the issue in
question, only suggest the 'DocFolderPaths' fix I mentioned before. As I
said in my previous message, this fix doesn't really fix anything, which
is what usually pointed out in those threads as well. At which point the
thread usually ends, because no one know what else to do. This is why
I'm asking: is there anything new on this old issue? Has anyone found
the actual fix?

 

[Andrey Tarasevich]

I've never encountered the problem personally.

The problem is actually quite old and 100% reproducible.

http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/thread-446389.php

I believe an attempt to rename the 'My Documents' folder triggers it.

 

[WTC]

The problem is that '<User's> Documents' folder disappears from
'Files Stored On This Computer' section of 'Computer' folder in
Windows Explorer. For example, I have 'Shared Documents' there, but
no 'Andrey's Documents' for account 'Andrey' from 'Power Users'
group. The same issue exists in all user accounts with less than
'Administrators' rights.

The user or users probably does not have the proper file and folder
permissions to access other's "My Documents" folders which in turn will
not display other user's "My Documents" folder under "Files Stored On
This Computer".

If using Windows XP Home, go to one of the user's "My Documents" folder
properties page and de-select "Mark this folder private".

For Windows XP Pro, grant the Users or Groups to have access to these
folders.

How to set, view, change, or remove special permissions for files and
folders in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308419

 

[Andrey Tarasevich]

The user or users probably does not have the proper file and folder
permissions to access other's "My Documents" folders which in turn will
not display other user's "My Documents" folder under "Files Stored On
This Computer".

This has nothing to do with _other's_ "My Documents" folders. I'm
talking only about the _current_ user's "My Documents" folder. The one
that's listed as "<User>'s Documents" in 'Files Stored On This Computer'
where '<User>' is the current user's name.

The current user is not even supposed to see the other user's "My
Documents" folders (unless he's from the 'Administrators' group). The
current user is supposed to see "Shared Folders" and his own "<User>'s
Documents" folder in 'Files Stored On This Computer' and under the "My
Computer" in the tree. That's it. What I observe is that "Shared
Folders" is there, but his own "<User>'s Documents" is not. That's the
problem. And that's been the 100% reproducible problem with all XP in
installations where at least one user's "My Documents" folder has been
renamed (renamed "correctly", through Windows Explorer, meaning that
everything else related to "My Documents" location works, except for
this little part). (Maybe there are other factors that trigger this as
well).

A quick research with RegMon shows that under any 'Administrators'
account, every time the 'My Computer' view is refreshed, Windows
Explorer re-reads the 'HKLM\...\DocFolderPaths' location from the
Registry. However, under any lesser account Windows Explorer does not
even attempt to access that location in the Registry. I.e. under any
lesser account Windows Explorer is not even trying to display the
"<User>'s Documents" entry anymore. I don't know at what point it gets
cut off.

There's no permissions issue with the current user's "My Documents"
folder - he has 'Full Control' access (and everyting else works as
expected). There's no permissions issue with accessing the
'HKLM\...\DocFolderPaths' location by the current user's. Windows
Explorer just doesn't want do do it for some reason.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Patient (demonstrating): "Doctor, it hurts when I do this!"
Doctor: "Don't do that."

Don't do that.

 

[Kelly]

Sounds as though the "Make this folder private" is set under Sharing and
Security.

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Happy Birthday if today is your birthday!

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

 

[Andrey Tarasevich]

Patient (demonstrating): "Doctor, it hurts when I do this!"
Doctor: "Don't do that."

Don't do that.

That after all the effort the selfless overworked/underpaid MS
developers put into developing safely-renameable 'My Documents'
directory??? Sorry, but no. Besides, it's not really an option: nobody
can really use XP until these asinine 'My ...' prefixes are gone.

 

[Andrey Tarasevich]

Sounds as though the "Make this folder private" is set under Sharing and
Security.

I don't use "Simple File Sharing", but just in case I switched to that
mode and checked the "simple" sharing settings. No, "Make this folder
private" is not set. Why? How should that affect accessibility of user's
own documents folder and/or its visibility in 'Flies Stored On This
Computer' group?

 

[Kelly]

I don't have this whole thread anymore and if this is a repeat, ignore.

Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current
Version/Explorer/DocFolderPaths

If the user in question isn't listed add the name as a string value and the
path.

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Happy Birthday if today is your birthday!

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

 

[Andrey Tarasevich]

I don't have this whole thread anymore and if this is a repeat, ignore.

Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current
Version/Explorer/DocFolderPaths

If the user in question isn't listed add the name as a string value and
the path.

Well, as I said in one of my previous messages, this has no effect.

Moreover, an experiment with RegMon appears to demonstrate that
'HKLM/.../DocFolderPaths' is used by Windows Explorer _only_ under
accounts from 'Administrators' group. Administrator accounts, as you
know, display document folders from _all_ users on this machine in
'Files Stored On This Computer' group. And they do this retrieving the
paths and names from the 'HKLM/.../DocFolderPaths'. This, BTW, works
perfectly fine under 'Administrator' on my machine (or if I assign
myself to 'Administrators' group)'

The problem I describe though takes place with 'Power User' account (and
with any less-than-Administrator account). Such accounts don't access
'HKLM/.../DocFolderPaths' at all. (Which makes sense, since these
accounts aren't supposed to display everybody in the 'Files Stored On
This Computer' groups. They are only supposed to display 'Shared
DOcuments' there and their own 'Documents'. There's no reason to go
'HKLM/.../DocFolderPaths' for that.) That's what doesn't work. 'Shared
Documents' are there. User's own documents are not.

 

[WTC]

This has nothing to do with other's "My Documents" folders. I'm
talking only about the current user's "My Documents" folder.

I understand your problem now.

Please look at the contents of the "desktop.ini" file in the User's
document folder. It should look something this:

[DeleteOnCopy]
Owner=William Crawford
Personalized=5
PersonalizedName=My Documents

If Owner= has no user name then this may be the problem you are
experiencing because if Owner=a different name than the user's, the My
Documents folder is labelled with a different user's log on name when a
user views the folders by using Windows Explorer.

 

[Andrey Tarasevich]

This has nothing to do with other's "My Documents" folders. I'm
talking only about the current user's "My Documents" folder.

I understand your problem now.

Please look at the contents of the "desktop.ini" file in the User's
document folder. It should look something this:

[DeleteOnCopy]
Owner=William Crawford
Personalized=5
PersonalizedName=My Documents

If Owner= has no user name then this may be the problem you are
experiencing because if Owner=a different name than the user's, the My
Documents folder is labelled with a different user's log on name when a
user views the folders by using Windows Explorer.

Just checked. This is what I have

[DeleteOnCopy]
Owner=andreyt
Personalized=5
PersonalizedName=My Documents

where 'andreyt' is my user account name. My document folder is actually
named 'Documents', not 'My Documents' (both the folder under '\Documents
and Settings\andreyt' and the desktop icon), so I tried to change the
last line to just 'Documents'. Doesn't help.