duplicate documents folders

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Guest

I seem to have about three locations where the documents
folder is located. I guess Winxp has C:\my documents,
C:\documents and settings, and
My Computer\(my name)'s documents. Most of the same
files are in each of these folders, I have noticed there
are some which are not in each folder. This is really
frustrating when searching for a file and knowing it is
under documents, but not knowing which one! Is this a
WINXP bug? I like the older version where there is one
simple folder for My Documents. Isn't this duplication
problem taking up double the space on my hard drive? Any
advise would be appreciated.
 
In Windows 98/ME, all documents were stored in a common C:\My Documents directory for all users that logged on to the system. In Windows XP, this behavior has been changed so that user-specific data is stored in separate locations for each user under that user's profile, in the following location:

C:\Documents and Settings\(User Name)\My Documents

It appears that you have upgraded to Windows XP from 9x and the C:\My Documents are intact. You can transfer (move) all your documents in that folder to C:\Documents and Settings\(User Name)\My Documents (type %Userprofile%\My Documents in the RUN box).
----------------------
My Computer > user Documents folder also point to this location, and so it's not a duplication:
C:\Documents and Settings\(User Name)\My Documents
----------------------

* Whereas the "Documents and Settings" folder contains the user profile home directories (for each user). Therefore this folder must not be deleted

--
Ramesh - Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k

AumHa VSOP: http://www.aumha.org

I seem to have about three locations where the documents
folder is located. I guess Winxp has C:\my documents,
C:\documents and settings, and
My Computer\(my name)'s documents. Most of the same
files are in each of these folders, I have noticed there
are some which are not in each folder. This is really
frustrating when searching for a file and knowing it is
under documents, but not knowing which one! Is this a
WINXP bug? I like the older version where there is one
simple folder for My Documents. Isn't this duplication
problem taking up double the space on my hard drive? Any
advise would be appreciated.
 
It can be confusing, especially coming from Win98.

Basically it works like this. You have a username (Bill,
mom, whatever). Your documents are stored, by default, at
C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents.
The "shortcut" My Documents folder on the XP Desktop or
on the Start menu IS C:\Documents and Settings\username\My
Documents. They are the same thing. Same with the one
under My Computer named "username's Documents". They all
point to the same physical location.
 
No, they don't.
MGGP said:
It can be confusing, especially coming from Win98.

Basically it works like this. You have a username (Bill,
mom, whatever). Your documents are stored, by default, at
C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents.
The "shortcut" My Documents folder on the XP Desktop or
on the Start menu IS C:\Documents and Settings\username\My
Documents. They are the same thing. Same with the one
under My Computer named "username's Documents". They all
point to the same physical location.
Click to expand...
 
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