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richard

In Explorer, my tree is: Desktop, My Documents, My Computer, Local Disk
(c:).

The odd thing is that when I click on properties for My Documents in
that tree, it shows this to be a desktop icon leading to My Documents (a
subfolder listed under my name).

Yet when I expand the My Documents in the tree, it shows the same
folders and files that exist in the My Documents subfolder under my name.

To confuse matters further--I do not have a desktop icon called My
Documents.

So somehow things got moved around and I am at a loss to know what to
do. This rearrangement might have happened when I was moving some files
around in Explorer. I have a spastic cursor that might have moved the icon.
 
'richard' wrote, in part:
| Yet when I expand the My Documents in the tree, it shows the same
| folders and files that exist in the My Documents subfolder under my name.
|
_____

That is normal. The 'My Documents' folder is a "special" folder. You can
specify any location for the 'My Documents' folder. The default location is
in the '{username} folder within the 'Documents and Settings' folder. The
'Documents and Settings' folder will always have a 'My Documents' folder,
but if you don't use the default setting for 'My Documents', the folder with
that name will still appear in '{username} folder, but will be empty. For
example, I use my D drive exclusively for 'My Documents'; that is the
physical location, the 'My Documents' folder in the '{username}' folder is
empty.

If you want to recreate a shortcut on the desktop for 'My Documents', open
Windows Explorer, right click on 'My Documents' and drag to the desktop and
choose 'create shortcut'.

Phil Weldon

| In Explorer, my tree is: Desktop, My Documents, My Computer, Local Disk
| (c:).
|
| The odd thing is that when I click on properties for My Documents in
| that tree, it shows this to be a desktop icon leading to My Documents (a
| subfolder listed under my name).
|
| Yet when I expand the My Documents in the tree, it shows the same
| folders and files that exist in the My Documents subfolder under my name.
|
| To confuse matters further--I do not have a desktop icon called My
| Documents.
|
| So somehow things got moved around and I am at a loss to know what to
| do. This rearrangement might have happened when I was moving some files
| around in Explorer. I have a spastic cursor that might have moved the
icon.
 
Phil said:
'richard' wrote, in part:
| Yet when I expand the My Documents in the tree, it shows the same
| folders and files that exist in the My Documents subfolder under my name.
|
_____

That is normal. The 'My Documents' folder is a "special" folder. You can
specify any location for the 'My Documents' folder. The default location is
in the '{username} folder within the 'Documents and Settings' folder. The
'Documents and Settings' folder will always have a 'My Documents' folder,
but if you don't use the default setting for 'My Documents', the folder with
that name will still appear in '{username} folder, but will be empty. For
example, I use my D drive exclusively for 'My Documents'; that is the
physical location, the 'My Documents' folder in the '{username}' folder is
empty.

If you want to recreate a shortcut on the desktop for 'My Documents', open
Windows Explorer, right click on 'My Documents' and drag to the desktop and
choose 'create shortcut'.

Phil Weldon

| In Explorer, my tree is: Desktop, My Documents, My Computer, Local Disk
| (c:).
|
| The odd thing is that when I click on properties for My Documents in
| that tree, it shows this to be a desktop icon leading to My Documents (a
| subfolder listed under my name).
|
| Yet when I expand the My Documents in the tree, it shows the same
| folders and files that exist in the My Documents subfolder under my name.
|
| To confuse matters further--I do not have a desktop icon called My
| Documents.
|
| So somehow things got moved around and I am at a loss to know what to
| do. This rearrangement might have happened when I was moving some files
| around in Explorer. I have a spastic cursor that might have moved the
icon.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response. I am wondering, however, about the duplication
of all the folders and files found in the My Documents in the tree and
the My Documents under my user name. There is a plus sign next to the My
Documents in the tree which, when expanded, show same folders and files
in the My Documents under my user name.
 
'richard' wrote:
| Thanks for the response. I am wondering, however, about the duplication
| of all the folders and files found in the My Documents in the tree and
| the My Documents under my user name. There is a plus sign next to the My
| Documents in the tree which, when expanded, show same folders and files
| in the My Documents under my user name.
_____

There is no duplication. 'My Documents' is a "special" folder and is
"magic". The 'My Documents' folder that appears directly at the top under
'Desktop' in the left panel of 'Windows Explorer' is just a directory of the
files in the "real" 'My Documents' directory whever that "real" 'My
Documents' directory is located. In your case that would be in your
{username} folder in the 'Documents and Settings' folder on the C: drive.
In my case that folder is on the D: drive. In both cases the 'My Documents'
directory information APPEARS twice in the left panel of 'Windows Explorer'
but the file contents and and directory information are STORED only once.

There are other "special" folders; 'Fonts' is a 'special folder, but for
other reasons.

Again, there is NO duplication of storage.

Phil Weldon

| Phil Weldon wrote:
| > 'richard' wrote, in part:
| > | Yet when I expand the My Documents in the tree, it shows the same
| > | folders and files that exist in the My Documents subfolder under my
name.
| > |
| > _____
| >
| > That is normal. The 'My Documents' folder is a "special" folder. You
can
| > specify any location for the 'My Documents' folder. The default
location is
| > in the '{username} folder within the 'Documents and Settings' folder.
The
| > 'Documents and Settings' folder will always have a 'My Documents'
folder,
| > but if you don't use the default setting for 'My Documents', the folder
with
| > that name will still appear in '{username} folder, but will be empty.
For
| > example, I use my D drive exclusively for 'My Documents'; that is the
| > physical location, the 'My Documents' folder in the '{username}' folder
is
| > empty.
| >
| > If you want to recreate a shortcut on the desktop for 'My Documents',
open
| > Windows Explorer, right click on 'My Documents' and drag to the desktop
and
| > choose 'create shortcut'.
| >
| > Phil Weldon
| >
| > | > | In Explorer, my tree is: Desktop, My Documents, My Computer, Local
Disk
| > | (c:).
| > |
| > | The odd thing is that when I click on properties for My Documents in
| > | that tree, it shows this to be a desktop icon leading to My Documents
(a
| > | subfolder listed under my name).
| > |
| > | Yet when I expand the My Documents in the tree, it shows the same
| > | folders and files that exist in the My Documents subfolder under my
name.
| > |
| > | To confuse matters further--I do not have a desktop icon called My
| > | Documents.
| > |
| > | So somehow things got moved around and I am at a loss to know what to
| > | do. This rearrangement might have happened when I was moving some
files
| > | around in Explorer. I have a spastic cursor that might have moved the
| > icon.
| >
| >
|
| Thanks for the response. I am wondering, however, about the duplication
| of all the folders and files found in the My Documents in the tree and
| the My Documents under my user name. There is a plus sign next to the My
| Documents in the tree which, when expanded, show same folders and files
| in the My Documents under my user name.
 
The "My Documents" you see is really a "special" folder, just a
shortcut to the one you see under your username.
MS just added it as an easier way to get to it instead of
having to go thru all the documents & settings etc. to get to it.
It's not a copy, it's just another method of seeing at the same
data.

HTH

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