Changing Default MyDocuments

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Guest

In general the MyDocuments folder is the default folder for everything ....
How can this be changed to a different folder. Are there other dependencies
that are impacted? Reason is reliability and security. Saving documents to
other than the C drive avoids some pitfalls with problems that are best
solved timewise by reimaging the C drive, however if data is present it would
be lost.
 
Right-click My Documents|Properties|Target and change the location.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| In general the MyDocuments folder is the default folder for everything
.....
| How can this be changed to a different folder. Are there other
dependencies
| that are impacted? Reason is reliability and security. Saving documents to
| other than the C drive avoids some pitfalls with problems that are best
| solved timewise by reimaging the C drive, however if data is present it
would
| be lost.
| --
| Unique Operator
 
How to Change the Default Location of the My Documents Folder:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310147/EN-US/

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org


In general the MyDocuments folder is the default folder for everything .....
How can this be changed to a different folder. Are there other dependencies
that are impacted? Reason is reliability and security. Saving documents to
other than the C drive avoids some pitfalls with problems that are best
solved timewise by reimaging the C drive, however if data is present it would
be lost.
 
Ramesh, is there any way to create another "My Documents" folder, i.e., My
Documents2 or something, so you can have 2 different targets that are given
the same special display priveleges in Windows Explorer, i.e., displayed at
the top of the shell hierarchy?

How to Change the Default Location of the My Documents Folder:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310147/EN-US/

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org


In general the MyDocuments folder is the default folder for everything ....
How can this be changed to a different folder. Are there other dependencies
that are impacted? Reason is reliability and security. Saving documents to
other than the C drive avoids some pitfalls with problems that are best
solved timewise by reimaging the C drive, however if data is present it
would
be lost.
 
Bruce,

It's possible, using the same old technique of creating a namespace icon in the Desktop and routing it to a real folder. This utility does the job perfectly. http://www.tropictech.de/software/shellobject/

As for the "the top of the shell hierarchy", there is another key/value to be added, after a small manipulation of the sort order values. This has to be done manually.

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org


Ramesh, is there any way to create another "My Documents" folder, i.e., My
Documents2 or something, so you can have 2 different targets that are given
the same special display priveleges in Windows Explorer, i.e., displayed at
the top of the shell hierarchy?

How to Change the Default Location of the My Documents Folder:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310147/EN-US/

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org


In general the MyDocuments folder is the default folder for everything .....
How can this be changed to a different folder. Are there other dependencies
that are impacted? Reason is reliability and security. Saving documents to
other than the C drive avoids some pitfalls with problems that are best
solved timewise by reimaging the C drive, however if data is present it
would
be lost.
 
Thanks Ramesh, this is perfect. Can you point me in the right direction to
figure out the sort order values; I'm scouring the registry but can't find
an obvious answer.

Bruce,

It's possible, using the same old technique of creating a namespace icon in
the Desktop and routing it to a real folder. This utility does the job
perfectly. http://www.tropictech.de/software/shellobject/

As for the "the top of the shell hierarchy", there is another key/value to
be added, after a small manipulation of the sort order values. This has to
be done manually.

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org


Ramesh, is there any way to create another "My Documents" folder, i.e., My
Documents2 or something, so you can have 2 different targets that are given
the same special display priveleges in Windows Explorer, i.e., displayed at
the top of the shell hierarchy?

How to Change the Default Location of the My Documents Folder:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310147/EN-US/

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org


In general the MyDocuments folder is the default folder for everything ....
How can this be changed to a different folder. Are there other dependencies
that are impacted? Reason is reliability and security. Saving documents to
other than the C drive avoids some pitfalls with problems that are best
solved timewise by reimaging the C drive, however if data is present it
would
be lost.
 
Bruce,

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{namespace-GUID}
SortOrderIndex (REG_DWORD value)

Ex: http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/sampchap/6232a.asp

This value decides the placement of the special icon in Desktop / W.Explorer. Try setting SortOrderIndex value to 1, so that the special icon occupies the top most position in the folder pane.

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org


Thanks Ramesh, this is perfect. Can you point me in the right direction to
figure out the sort order values; I'm scouring the registry but can't find
an obvious answer.

Bruce,

It's possible, using the same old technique of creating a namespace icon in
the Desktop and routing it to a real folder. This utility does the job
perfectly. http://www.tropictech.de/software/shellobject/

As for the "the top of the shell hierarchy", there is another key/value to
be added, after a small manipulation of the sort order values. This has to
be done manually.
 
Thanks for taking the time, Ramesh, you've been a great help.

Bruce,

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{namespace-GUID}
SortOrderIndex (REG_DWORD value)

Ex: http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/sampchap/6232a.asp

This value decides the placement of the special icon in Desktop /
W.Explorer. Try setting SortOrderIndex value to 1, so that the special icon
occupies the top most position in the folder pane.

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org


Thanks Ramesh, this is perfect. Can you point me in the right direction to
figure out the sort order values; I'm scouring the registry but can't find
an obvious answer.

Bruce,

It's possible, using the same old technique of creating a namespace icon in
the Desktop and routing it to a real folder. This utility does the job
perfectly. http://www.tropictech.de/software/shellobject/

As for the "the top of the shell hierarchy", there is another key/value to
be added, after a small manipulation of the sort order values. This has to
be done manually.
 
Most welcome Bruce. Glad to be of help!

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org


Thanks for taking the time, Ramesh, you've been a great help.

Bruce,

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{namespace-GUID}
SortOrderIndex (REG_DWORD value)
 
Hello,

I am a little late to this thread but I tried it and it worked, pretty much.
Word looks for the 'new' My Documents folder, but other applications still
choose the old location as the default.

I suppose I could custom set the location in each application, but it seems
as if the system should know that there is a new location for the My
Documents folder.

Also is there someway to delete the My Documents folder from the original
location? Mine is rather large and to have two of them is taking up needless
space.

Thank you.

Jerry
 
Jerry,

Perhaps some of the applications that you use are hard-coded to this path,
for the My Documents folder:

%userprofile%\My Documents

In that case, you need to contact the support team of that particular
application(s).
 
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