User folders being erroneously recreated in default location

[Vince]

I moved some of my User subfolders, ie Documents and Desktop, to my D: drive
for backup purposes. I moved them the correct way, by right
clicking>Properties>Location.

A few weeks later I noticed that when I looked in my User folder, I now had
two Documents and two Desktops shown. The new folders had somehow been
created, not by me, back in the default location for Vista. The new
Documents folder was empty, the new Desktop folder had a single icon, a
shortcut to a newly installed program.

I deleted the two new folders, and as a test, I uninstalled that new program
that had the shortcut. I then reinstalled it, and in the installation it
created again the erroneous Documents folder in the default location, along
with the program's shortcut located in it.

My best guess is that the installation called for placing a shortcut in that
particular location and Vista created the folder when it did not find it
there. I assume some kind of similar programming created the erroneous
Documents folder.

Is there any way to stop this from happening, or is it a non-issue that can
be ignored? It is irritating when I go in my user folder and see two
Desktops and two Documents.

Thanks

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

The app was poorly written. There may be a setting for a save folder of some
kind that could be changed, to allow deleting the Documents and Desktop
locations. Something like a Tools menu, or Options.

--
Please use the Communities guidelines when posting.
http://www.microsoft.com/wn3/locales/help/help_en-us.htm
Use the "Ratings" feature. It helps the new users.
Mark L. Ferguson MS-MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Mark.Ferguson

 

[Vince]

Thanks for the info.

On computers that I set up, I always move the user folders like this, and
I've looked at some others I've set up and see that this seems to be common
problem. On some computers I've seen a second Pictures folder created back
in the default location, but more commonly Documents or Desktop.

I am wondering if there is a way to stop this from happening, something to
do when I set up the computers?

Thanks

 

[Vince]

OK thanks.

Here is something odd. The erroneous Desktop folder just has the usual
folder icon when I look in my user folder, not the shell folder icon. (The
Desktop folder located on D: does have the shell folder icon). But if I go
to Windows Explorer and type %USERPROFILE%\Desktop in the address bar, it
goes to that erroneous folder. If I then delete the erroneous folder, then
it goes to the correct Desktop folder, on D:

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

My example assumed you moved the %userprofile% folder. There are any number
of combinations that might mess up. Failure of the app to use the proper
environmental variable resulted in the path error. If the creator of the app
had wanted to grant the right to move those as you did, it could have been
done. Nit picking the particular case really isn't relevant. In terms of
what you expect the app to do, it was not written as you prefer. No change
in the operating system is going to effect the coding technique of the
installed software. You would be forced to adjust the settings manually.

Recognized Environment Variables:
http://technet2.microsoft.com/Windo...70c6-462c-9e8f-591d14d875cd1033.mspx?mfr=true

--
Please use the Communities guidelines when posting.
http://www.microsoft.com/wn3/locales/help/help_en-us.htm
Use the "Ratings" feature. It helps the new users.
Mark L. Ferguson MS-MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Mark.Ferguson

 

[Vince]

Which settings are you referring to?

Also, how do I move the %userprofile% folder? I've only been able to move
the folders that are within it.

Thanks

 

[Synapse Syndrome]

?
Which settings are you referring to?

Also, how do I move the %userprofile% folder? I've only been able to move
the folders that are within it.

As %userprofile% contains the HKCU hive of the registry, you cannot move it
very easily. Without using Roaming User Profiles, you can do it with a lot
of registry editing, but I would expect that it would cause big problems if
the drive is unavailable to the OS for whatever reason. Here's a guy who
has manage to do it:

http://joshmouch.wordpress.com:80/2007/04/07/change-user-profile-folder-location-in-vista/

I just move the contained User Shell Folders to different drives, and even
network locations in some instances, and leave the User folder itself, where
it is, with the contained user registry hive and %appdata%.

The best way to do this is to move the folders to their new locations (even
network locations) and put hidden Symbolic Links in their places (using the
MKLINK command), pointing to the new locations. This allows you to use the
original addresses as usual, so completely avoids the issue you are having.

ss.

 

[Synapse Syndrome]

The best way to do this is to move the folders to their new locations
(even network locations) and put hidden Symbolic Links in their places
(using the MKLINK command), pointing to the new locations. This allows
you to use the original addresses as usual, so completely avoids the issue
you are having.

Oh, and once you have started to use my technique on all your
machines/accounts, you'll find that executing a batch script to make the
MKLINKs to the new locations time-saving.

ss.

 

[Vince]

Which option would you recommend when using MKLINK for this purpose: /D,
/H or /J?

Thanks

 

[Synapse Syndrome]

Which option would you recommend when using MKLINK for this purpose: /D,
/H or /J?

I have not used Vista for anything serious for the last year, so I have to
look in the archives.

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/mi...05fa17b01e16?hl=en&lnk=st&q=#9dbf05fa17b01e16

Looks like I used /J, but you will have to use /D for network locations. /D
is the default action when no switch is used.

ss.