Can we lose the profiles and just go with direct folders as in Win98SE?

  • Thread starter Thread starter StargateFanFromWork
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StargateFanFromWork

I'm hoping that as with other modifications we can do to XP that make it act
more straightforward like the Win98SE interface, that this one is possible.
I'm a single-PC user and no-one else will ever use my PC and I'd like to get
the simple file paths back, i.e., C:\Windows\Desktop etc. rather than what
exists with XP. Can this be done?

I'm not sure which XP version I have, and don't know if the version would
actually make a difference. But I'll be able to work on the new PC tonight
and will find that out. I'll report back if it's necessary to this
question.

TIA. :oD
 
Not that I know of. Even on a single user system there are at least two
other accounts that Windows uses, Localservice and Networkservice.
 
StargateFanFromWork said:
I'm hoping that as with other modifications we can do to XP that
make it act more straightforward like the Win98SE interface, that
this one is possible. I'm a single-PC user and no-one else will
ever use my PC and I'd like to get the simple file paths back,
i.e., C:\Windows\Desktop etc. rather than what exists with XP. Can
this be done?

I'm not sure which XP version I have, and don't know if the version
would actually make a difference. But I'll be able to work on the
new PC tonight and will find that out. I'll report back if it's
necessary to this question.
Click to expand...

No.
Windows XP is and will remain a multi-user operating system.

C:\Documents and Settings\username\desktop seems more straight forward than
c:\windows\desktop to me - probably because I support som many systems with
multiple users though. heh

The paths are not *complicated* and can be accessed through environment
variables for the most part.

ALLUSERSPROFILE=C:\Documents and Settings\All Users
APPDATA=C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data
USERNAME=username
USERPROFILE=C:\Documents and Settings\username

So - for example - if you were writing a batch script to do some things for
you...

--- start script below this line ---
copy /y %USERPROFILE%\desktop\*.* f:\desktopbackup\
xcopy "%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\*.*" f:\mydocsbackup\ /D /E /V /C /F /G /H
/R /K /X /Y
--- end script above this line ---

As you can see, I used the environment variables in the script - that way it
would work for anyone *and* I didn't actually have to know the path.
 
You can use TweakUI to change the paths of the Special Folders to whereever
you want.
Create the folders, and then copy all contents to those folders and then use
TweakUI to change the paths.

Keep in mind, you must be sure that ALL applications (Windows XP, Microsoft
and ALL third-party applications use the registry the correct way and use
the environment variables correctly), for this to work.

If anything is hard-coded, all bets are off.

Plus you may run into problems if you change ALL users (including hidden
users - builtin Admininitrator, Guest, ....) to use the same folders.

I personally think you are opening a can of worms.

Plus, I believe, if they haven't changed it, Windows Vista has changed the
architecture of folders from C:\Documents and Settings concept.
 
Take some time to come to terms with winxp, trying to use it like win9* will
complicate your life, and could have unintended consequences.
 
It wasn't my intention to make XP act in a way it wasn't geared to, it's
just that someone boasted that XP could do practically everything. Well,
I've found many things that it can't do and/or can't do any better than 98
and, for example, I still need to install all the shell extensions that I
use in Win98SE. I've worked on XP several times and am familiar enough with
it to move forward. But 'nuff said. I did the research and have made my
decision. If this can't really be done without causing potential problems,
then so be it. I had to know, though <g>.

Thanks for everyone's responses. I appreciate it. :oD
 
Thanks. :oD

Kerry Brown said:
Not that I know of. Even on a single user system there are at least two
other accounts that Windows uses, Localservice and Networkservice.
Click to expand...
 
StargateFanFromWork said:
I'm hoping that as with other modifications we can do to XP that
make it act
more straightforward like the Win98SE interface, that this one is
possible.
I'm a single-PC user and no-one else will ever use my PC and I'd
like to get
the simple file paths back, i.e., C:\Windows\Desktop etc. rather
than what
exists with XP. Can this be done?

I'm not sure which XP version I have, and don't know if the version
would
actually make a difference. But I'll be able to work on the new PC
tonight
and will find that out. I'll report back if it's necessary to this
question.

TIA. :oD
Click to expand...


Already in Windows: Start -> Help and Support

http://www.amazon.com/Windows-All-R..._bbs_sr_2/002-1526068-2440006?ie=UTF8&s=books
 
StargateFanFromWork said:
I'm hoping that as with other modifications we can do to XP that make it act
more straightforward like the Win98SE interface, that this one is possible.
I'm a single-PC user and no-one else will ever use my PC and I'd like to get
the simple file paths back, i.e., C:\Windows\Desktop etc. rather than what
exists with XP. Can this be done?
Click to expand...

Only by formatting the hard drive and installing Win98.





--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell
 
Bruce said:
Only by formatting the hard drive and installing Win98.
Click to expand...

I guess I don't understand the OP's question...
And I know I don't understand all the negative CBD replies...

What's the problem accessing folders directly?
I do it all the time.

The only difference is that XP has better multiple user support
so the desktop, etc are in a different place.

Browse My Computer/c:volumnName/All Users/Documents and Settings/
User Name/

for the Desktop, My Documents, Send To, Start Menu, etc folders.
All of those (and more) are duplicated for each user.

That one of the things I actually like about XP.
Great for a net machine used by several people.

But my main drafting machine still runs 98.


I guess YMMV...

Richard
 
cavelamb said:
What's the problem accessing folders directly?
I do it all the time.
Click to expand...

If you're programming or writing a script or batch file and use explicit
paths to folders then it will break if the folders aren't there. If you use
the environment variables then the program or script will always work even
if the user or OS changes the path. Many people redirect My Documents to a
different place for backup purposes. In Vista your profile is not under
X:\Documents and Settings but X:\USERS. In Windows 2000 and some XP installs
the system directory is X:\WINNT instead of X:\WINDOWS and X could be any
letter of the alphabet.
 
Kerry Brown said:
If you're programming or writing a script or batch file and use explicit
paths to folders then it will break if the folders aren't there. If you use
the environment variables then the program or script will always work even
if the user or OS changes the path. Many people redirect My Documents to a
different place for backup purposes. In Vista your profile is not under
X:\Documents and Settings but X:\USERS. In Windows 2000 and some XP installs
the system directory is X:\WINNT instead of X:\WINDOWS and X could be any
letter of the alphabet.
Click to expand...

Thanks, that's just the thing I was trying to avoid. For years, I've had
all my data on a partition with the D drive letter and on specific paths.
Because this is first time for an OS change for my personal stuff (as
opposed to work where I encounter 95/98 still, 2000 and XP at any given
moment), it just means a tremendous amount of work to change all the
shortcuts, and batch files and backups, etc., etc., to the new paths and
locations. And I'm having to sacrifice _some_ of the great benefits of LFNs
because things like the desktop are no longer on short paths! I was just
trying to see if I could avoid all these challenges. Seems I can't. No
problem. I'm resigned now. I needed to know, however. It'll take several
weeks but I'll eventually have everything re-done. But you understood where
I was coming from so I imagine you must be a power user, too <g>. One of
the things I've come to appreciate in my USB flash drive launcher is the
fact that there are no drive letters on it and the paths are _all_
relatively small! Boy, can hardly wait to see if there will be more
portable apps that avoid the whole drive letter issue. That will make life
easier. This launcher has worked without problems on every single computer
I've used it on. Wish my more permanent data at home was as easily
transportable! <lol>
 
StargateFanFromWork said:
Thanks, that's just the thing I was trying to avoid. For years, I've
had all my data on a partition with the D drive letter and on
specific paths. Because this is first time for an OS change for my
personal stuff (as opposed to work where I encounter 95/98 still,
2000 and XP at any given moment), it just means a tremendous amount
of work to change all the shortcuts, and batch files and backups,
etc., etc., to the new paths and locations. And I'm having to
sacrifice _some_ of the great benefits of LFNs because things like
the desktop are no longer on short paths! I was just trying to see
if I could avoid all these challenges. Seems I can't. No problem.
I'm resigned now. I needed to know, however. It'll take several
weeks but I'll eventually have everything re-done. But you
understood where I was coming from so I imagine you must be a power
user, too <g>. One of the things I've come to appreciate in my USB
flash drive launcher is the fact that there are no drive letters on
it and the paths are _all_ relatively small! Boy, can hardly wait to
see if there will be more portable apps that avoid the whole drive
letter issue. That will make life easier. This launcher has worked
without problems on every single computer I've used it on. Wish my
more permanent data at home was as easily transportable! <lol>
Click to expand...

I used to do a lot of programming but sadly no longer have the time. I
learned many years ago, long before Windows, never to hard code device
names, paths, filenames, etc.
 
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