Moving My Documents: what effect on shortcut links?

M

micky

On my XP (SP3) PC I'm about to move 'My Documents' from C:\Docs to I:\Docs
(about 500 GB).

Will XP automatically edit the thousands of shortcut links to these files
please?

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4019461/MyDocument-Changing-1.jpg

If it won't do it, there's a program that does change shortcuts and a
couple other things like that, unrelated to whether they have been
moved or not.

I learned of it 16 years ago or so, forgot the name 12 years ago, and
was told again 8 years ago. Now, what is it? It's a clever name,
very simple interface, runs under win98 and probably win95 and maybe
even 3.1. And under XP. Darn, this is going to bother me.

I don't seem to have it on this computer.

It's meant for when drive letters change, but I think you can just
enter C:\Docs as the from-name and I:\Docs as the to-name and it will
only do the files you want.

Sorry. It was probably in this ng I asked about 6 years ago, but
don't go by date. Use my old name, (e-mail address removed) in the
author field, and words like partition and change in the word field
and maybe you can find the thread. IF you find the thread, someone
gives the answer. The program is free.

There's another program too, but this one is so simple to use.

There might be a way to write a DOS macro, especially if you have TCC
LE (which is free for personal use, and well worth having) that will
edit every shortcut in turn, find the name of the file inside the
shortcut file and change it to I:\Docs...... I can't remember the
names of the DOS newsgroups either. Boy am I in trouble.
 
T

Terry Pinnell

micky said:
If it won't do it, there's a program that does change shortcuts and a
couple other things like that, unrelated to whether they have been
moved or not.

I learned of it 16 years ago or so, forgot the name 12 years ago, and
was told again 8 years ago. Now, what is it? It's a clever name,
very simple interface, runs under win98 and probably win95 and maybe
even 3.1. And under XP. Darn, this is going to bother me.

I don't seem to have it on this computer.

It's meant for when drive letters change, but I think you can just
enter C:\Docs as the from-name and I:\Docs as the to-name and it will
only do the files you want.

Sorry. It was probably in this ng I asked about 6 years ago, but
don't go by date. Use my old name, (e-mail address removed) in the
author field, and words like partition and change in the word field
and maybe you can find the thread. IF you find the thread, someone
gives the answer. The program is free.

There's another program too, but this one is so simple to use.

There might be a way to write a DOS macro, especially if you have TCC
LE (which is free for personal use, and well worth having) that will
edit every shortcut in turn, find the name of the file inside the
shortcut file and change it to I:\Docs...... I can't remember the
names of the DOS newsgroups either. Boy am I in trouble.

Hey, Micky, you've really grabbed my attention! ;-)

Maybe after a couple of strong coffees? PLEASE come back with any further
clues.

I find it very surprising there aren't a range of programs to do this,
given that it must be a fairly common and very tedious task. But if so
then I suppose I'll have to resort to trying to use Macro Express Pro to
tackle it. A quick search for LNK files found about 6,500 on my OS drive
alone, and there will be several thousand more on other drives (excluding
backups). So the idea of manually editing say 10,000 shortcuts is absurd!
 
T

Terry Pinnell

Hot-Text said:
"Hot-Text"
< "Terry Pinnell"
< Re: Moving My Documents: what effect on shortcut links?

This only For Networks Sharedfolders Links

But YES
It Will Make XP automatically
Edit the thousands of
Shortcut links
FOR Networks
Sharedfolders
Links OK ;)

But only The Networks Sharedfolders Links


Have a goody day

Thanks, but is there supposed to be a URL link (or even a program name) in
your reply?
 
M

micky

Hey, Micky, you've really grabbed my attention! ;-)

I deleted my speculation about DOS (although TCC LE is still a
wonderful free program. One of its best features is LIST, which
enables you to see inside ANY file with no risk of accidentlally
modifying the file. (Before I had this, I once added a byte of 8
zeroes to a .com fle and it wouldnt' work anymore) .

Maybe after a couple of strong coffees? PLEASE come back with any further
clues.

Did you search in groups.google like I told you to?

This will just make you want it more. It was designed to modify three
kinds of files, the kind that need to be changed when hard drive
letters change. Shortcuts, and ...oh my gosh, I forget the other
two. I guess my chances of getting on Jeopardy are about zero now. (I
took their tests, in Atlantic City, twice, and passed once, and they
said we had a one out of eight chance of being chosen in the coming
year.)
I find it very surprising there aren't a range of programs to do this,

I know what you mean.
given that it must be a fairly common and very tedious task. But if so
then I suppose I'll have to resort to trying to use Macro Express Pro to
tackle it. A quick search for LNK files found about 6,500 on my OS drive
alone, and there will be several thousand more on other drives (excluding
backups). So the idea of manually editing say 10,000 shortcuts is absurd!

It's quick too. When I thought about how long a DOS macro would
take, if I could write one, I was pretty sure it would take 100 times
as long.
 
M

micky

Did you search in groups.google like I told you to?

Well, I just tried and it didnt' work too well. Maybe I was using a
different email address. I tried not to use more than a couple.
 
M

micky

Maybe if I have time I can find my old hard drive, connect it, and see
if the program I'm thinking of is on that. Do you have a time
deadline?
 
A

Ardent

On my XP (SP3) PC I'm about to move 'My Documents' from C:\Docs to I:\Docs
(about 500 GB).

Will XP automatically edit the thousands of shortcut links to these files
please?

For XP there is a software named TweakUI by M.Soft that allows such
change. But also says that the opertion will not move the files
themelves and to do that it says "To change the location and
simultaneously move the files, right drag the folder to the desired
new location"

I have never tried as I never had a space constraint in the C:
partition.

Get TweakUI for XP (Ggl) and look under My Computer/Special Folders.
 

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