What are Links and What are Folders?

[Guest]

I am a Network Admin and I am pretty confused with Vista's Virtual vs. Real
Folders. In XP I had My Documents Redirected to C:\My Documents. This was
simply because I prefered to have the folder outside the profile folder.

When I migrated from XP to Vista I now have a "Documents" in C: which is
called "My Documents" if I am in the command line, but "Documents" in
Explorer and I can't seem to rename.

I can also see this "Documents" Inside My user Profile. The "obvious" links
have the little shortcut arrows on them. However, I am trying to Move the
files from C:\Documents to C:\Users\MyProfile\Documents just because I don't
want to have two copies. It "Moves" some files and copies others and now I
have no idea what is real and what is a shortcut-link.

I think it is great that Vista finally has included Junction Points with
Folder Links. However, they should have included properties or something so
we know where these Folders Link to or an Advanced view so we can see the
real files without having to go into command line.

Any ideas?

Thanks
Lara

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Lara

First, the folders that you see at the top of the folder heirarchy in
Windows Explorer, under your user name are not a duplicate copy of the same
folders in C:\Users\your username. They are a mirror image of those folders
not duplicates. They are mirrored at the the top of the folder list simply
to make it more convenient for access.

Second, you can easily see all of the Junction points with the name of the
old location and the path to the new location in Vista.

Press WINKEY+R and type CMD and press OK. This will open the command
prompt.

Type the following command.

dir /AHL

Press ENTER.

The results will show all of the Junction Points. Each junction will appear
like this:

12/13/2006 03:15 PM <JUNCTION> Application Data
[C:\Users\Ron\AppData\Roaming]

This shows the old location (Application Data) and the path to the new
location in brackets.

 

[Keith Miller MVP]

Did you see my reply to your previous post?


Additional response inline:

I am a Network Admin and I am pretty confused with Vista's Virtual vs. Real
Folders. In XP I had My Documents Redirected to C:\My Documents. This was
simply because I prefered to have the folder outside the profile folder.

When I migrated from XP to Vista I now have a "Documents" in C: which is
called "My Documents" if I am in the command line, but "Documents" in
Explorer and I can't seem to rename.

The 'Documents' display name for the folder comes from this line in its
desktop.ini file:

LocalizedResourceName=

Delete that line if you want the display name to reflect the true folder
name.

I can also see this "Documents" Inside My user Profile.

User folders that have been redirected and moved still show under
'Desktop\UserName' but not in the actual file folder 'C:\Users\UserName'.
Add the 'Folder Path' column to a details view to see the physical location.

The "obvious" links
have the little shortcut arrows on them. However, I am trying to Move the
files from C:\Documents to C:\Users\MyProfile\Documents just because I
don't
want to have two copies. It "Moves" some files and copies others and now I
have no idea what is real and what is a shortcut-link.

Covered in my earlier post.

I think it is great that Vista finally has included Junction Points with
Folder Links. However, they should have included properties or something
so
we know where these Folders Link to or an Advanced view so we can see the
real files without having to go into command line.

Agreed. If the attributes column displayed the 'L' attribute, that would be
nice. A 'Junction target' column, similar to 'Link target', would be handy
as well -- but I think the point of junctions is to behave transparently
like real folders.

 

[Guest]

Hi,

Thanks but that is not what I mean. The built in Junction Points are obvious
as they are marked with the shortcut sign.

What I mean is I right clicked "Documents" on the Start Menu and changed the
location to C:\My Documents. With XP This meant that when I opened up my
profile in C:\Documents and Settings and looked in the "My Documents" there
it was empty because it was just a "folder" now.

With Vista this isn't the case. If I redirect the Documents folder to C:\My
Documents and then go into C:\Users\Lara\Documents all my documents are there
as well. There is no 'junction point' arrow to indicate this is a Junction
Point but it obviously is.

My Problem is I wanted to return my Documents location from C:\My Documents
BACK to C:\Users\Lara\Documents just because it was getting confusing having
it in so many locations. Right Clicked My Documents and changed the location
back. Instead of moving the files it started "Copying" them. Well I have
about 2GB of data and did not want to have it duplicated. All I wanted to do
was move the documents back.

I tried to rename the My Documents in C:\ to Documents. It "seemed" to do so
however, when I went into the command line - it still was called My Documents.

I finally deleted all the desktop.ini files that I could find.

I put the location of Documents back to C:\Users\Lara\Documents and said NO
to moving the files. However, when I went to C:\Users\Lara\Documents it was
still listing all my files as was C:\My Documents.

Finally had to move and merge 2GB of data manually and renamed the C:\My
Documents to tempdocs.

I am still not sure if it was two My Documents or just one. With XP it used
to "MOVE" the files. Maybe with Vista it only copied them originally and that
was why it seemed I had two of everything.

Luckily I haven't had the laptop long enough to create enough files that the
can't be redone if I edited the wrong version.

Thanks
Lara

Lara

First, the folders that you see at the top of the folder heirarchy in
Windows Explorer, under your user name are not a duplicate copy of the same
folders in C:\Users\your username. They are a mirror image of those folders
not duplicates. They are mirrored at the the top of the folder list simply
to make it more convenient for access.

Second, you can easily see all of the Junction points with the name of the
old location and the path to the new location in Vista.

Press WINKEY+R and type CMD and press OK. This will open the command
prompt.

Type the following command.

dir /AHL

Press ENTER.

The results will show all of the Junction Points. Each junction will appear
like this:

12/13/2006 03:15 PM <JUNCTION> Application Data
[C:\Users\Ron\AppData\Roaming]

This shows the old location (Application Data) and the path to the new
location in brackets.



--

Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

I am a Network Admin and I am pretty confused with Vista's Virtual vs. Real
Folders. In XP I had My Documents Redirected to C:\My Documents. This was
simply because I prefered to have the folder outside the profile folder.

When I migrated from XP to Vista I now have a "Documents" in C: which is
called "My Documents" if I am in the command line, but "Documents" in
Explorer and I can't seem to rename.

I can also see this "Documents" Inside My user Profile. The "obvious"
links
have the little shortcut arrows on them. However, I am trying to Move the
files from C:\Documents to C:\Users\MyProfile\Documents just because I
don't
want to have two copies. It "Moves" some files and copies others and now I
have no idea what is real and what is a shortcut-link.

I think it is great that Vista finally has included Junction Points with
Folder Links. However, they should have included properties or something
so
we know where these Folders Link to or an Advanced view so we can see the
real files without having to go into command line.

Any ideas?

Thanks
Lara

 

[Guest]

Actually Keith it was a different question. See my response to Ronnie.

Thanks for your help.

Cheers,
Lara

Did you see my reply to your previous post?


Additional response inline:

I am a Network Admin and I am pretty confused with Vista's Virtual vs. Real
Folders. In XP I had My Documents Redirected to C:\My Documents. This was
simply because I prefered to have the folder outside the profile folder.

When I migrated from XP to Vista I now have a "Documents" in C: which is
called "My Documents" if I am in the command line, but "Documents" in
Explorer and I can't seem to rename.

The 'Documents' display name for the folder comes from this line in its
desktop.ini file:

LocalizedResourceName=

Delete that line if you want the display name to reflect the true folder
name.

I can also see this "Documents" Inside My user Profile.

User folders that have been redirected and moved still show under
'Desktop\UserName' but not in the actual file folder 'C:\Users\UserName'.
Add the 'Folder Path' column to a details view to see the physical location.

The "obvious" links
have the little shortcut arrows on them. However, I am trying to Move the
files from C:\Documents to C:\Users\MyProfile\Documents just because I
don't
want to have two copies. It "Moves" some files and copies others and now I
have no idea what is real and what is a shortcut-link.

Covered in my earlier post.

I think it is great that Vista finally has included Junction Points with
Folder Links. However, they should have included properties or something
so
we know where these Folders Link to or an Advanced view so we can see the
real files without having to go into command line.

Agreed. If the attributes column displayed the 'L' attribute, that would be
nice. A 'Junction target' column, similar to 'Link target', would be handy
as well -- but I think the point of junctions is to behave transparently
like real folders.


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

 

[Keith Miller MVP]

I got confused about who I'd replied to

I had written a short essay about user folders here that explains the
duplicates and other things:



--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

Actually Keith it was a different question. See my response to Ronnie.

Thanks for your help.

Cheers,
Lara

Did you see my reply to your previous post?


Additional response inline:

I am a Network Admin and I am pretty confused with Vista's Virtual vs.
Real
Folders. In XP I had My Documents Redirected to C:\My Documents. This
was
simply because I prefered to have the folder outside the profile
folder.

When I migrated from XP to Vista I now have a "Documents" in C: which
is
called "My Documents" if I am in the command line, but "Documents" in
Explorer and I can't seem to rename.

The 'Documents' display name for the folder comes from this line in its
desktop.ini file:

LocalizedResourceName=

Delete that line if you want the display name to reflect the true folder
name.

I can also see this "Documents" Inside My user Profile.

User folders that have been redirected and moved still show under
'Desktop\UserName' but not in the actual file folder 'C:\Users\UserName'.
Add the 'Folder Path' column to a details view to see the physical
location.

The "obvious" links
have the little shortcut arrows on them. However, I am trying to Move
the
files from C:\Documents to C:\Users\MyProfile\Documents just because I
don't
want to have two copies. It "Moves" some files and copies others and
now I
have no idea what is real and what is a shortcut-link.

Covered in my earlier post.

I think it is great that Vista finally has included Junction Points
with
Folder Links. However, they should have included properties or
something
so
we know where these Folders Link to or an Advanced view so we can see
the
real files without having to go into command line.

Agreed. If the attributes column displayed the 'L' attribute, that would
be
nice. A 'Junction target' column, similar to 'Link target', would be
handy
as well -- but I think the point of junctions is to behave transparently
like real folders.


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

 

[Jon]

I don't know where you're at with this now, since there have been a number
of scattered posts, but it may help to understand the role of the "My
Documents" junction in %userprofile% (ie c:\users\USERNAME ).

In XP, the location of 'My Documents' was in
c:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\My Documents

In Vista there is a junction at c:\Documents and Settings
that points to c:\users

So in a default installation, an older application attempting to write to
c:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\My Documents
is instead redirected to
c:\users\USERNAME\My Documents

Now, the "My Documents" in 'c:\users\USERNAME\' is in fact also a junction,
that points to the
location of your 'Documents' folder. In a default installation this is the
'Documents' folder in
c:\users\USERNAME\ .

So, an older application attempting to write to
c:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\My Documents
will in fact write to the location of your 'Documents' folder, whereever
that may be.


Now in your case, it sounds as if the 'My Documents' junction has been moved
to c:\My Documents
rather that the 'Documents' itself having been moved.

You don't need a 'My Documents' junction in c:, but you do need to have a
'My Documents'
junction in %userprofile% that points to the location of your 'Documents'
folder, whereever you
have positioned it, for compatibility's sake.

Hope that helps

--
Jon

Hi,

Thanks but that is not what I mean. The built in Junction Points are
obvious
as they are marked with the shortcut sign.

What I mean is I right clicked "Documents" on the Start Menu and changed
the
location to C:\My Documents. With XP This meant that when I opened up my
profile in C:\Documents and Settings and looked in the "My Documents"
there
it was empty because it was just a "folder" now.

With Vista this isn't the case. If I redirect the Documents folder to
C:\My
Documents and then go into C:\Users\Lara\Documents all my documents are
there
as well. There is no 'junction point' arrow to indicate this is a Junction
Point but it obviously is.

My Problem is I wanted to return my Documents location from C:\My
Documents
BACK to C:\Users\Lara\Documents just because it was getting confusing
having
it in so many locations. Right Clicked My Documents and changed the
location
back. Instead of moving the files it started "Copying" them. Well I have
about 2GB of data and did not want to have it duplicated. All I wanted to
do
was move the documents back.

I tried to rename the My Documents in C:\ to Documents. It "seemed" to do
so
however, when I went into the command line - it still was called My
Documents.

I finally deleted all the desktop.ini files that I could find.

I put the location of Documents back to C:\Users\Lara\Documents and said
NO
to moving the files. However, when I went to C:\Users\Lara\Documents it
was
still listing all my files as was C:\My Documents.

Finally had to move and merge 2GB of data manually and renamed the C:\My
Documents to tempdocs.

I am still not sure if it was two My Documents or just one. With XP it
used
to "MOVE" the files. Maybe with Vista it only copied them originally and
that
was why it seemed I had two of everything.

Luckily I haven't had the laptop long enough to create enough files that
the
can't be redone if I edited the wrong version.

Thanks
Lara

Lara

First, the folders that you see at the top of the folder heirarchy in
Windows Explorer, under your user name are not a duplicate copy of the
same
folders in C:\Users\your username. They are a mirror image of those
folders
not duplicates. They are mirrored at the the top of the folder list
simply
to make it more convenient for access.

Second, you can easily see all of the Junction points with the name of
the
old location and the path to the new location in Vista.

Press WINKEY+R and type CMD and press OK. This will open the command
prompt.

Type the following command.

dir /AHL

Press ENTER.

The results will show all of the Junction Points. Each junction will
appear
like this:

12/13/2006 03:15 PM <JUNCTION> Application Data
[C:\Users\Ron\AppData\Roaming]

This shows the old location (Application Data) and the path to the new
location in brackets.



--

Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

I am a Network Admin and I am pretty confused with Vista's Virtual vs.
Real
Folders. In XP I had My Documents Redirected to C:\My Documents. This
was
simply because I prefered to have the folder outside the profile
folder.

When I migrated from XP to Vista I now have a "Documents" in C: which
is
called "My Documents" if I am in the command line, but "Documents" in
Explorer and I can't seem to rename.

I can also see this "Documents" Inside My user Profile. The "obvious"
links
have the little shortcut arrows on them. However, I am trying to Move
the
files from C:\Documents to C:\Users\MyProfile\Documents just because I
don't
want to have two copies. It "Moves" some files and copies others and
now I
have no idea what is real and what is a shortcut-link.

I think it is great that Vista finally has included Junction Points
with
Folder Links. However, they should have included properties or
something
so
we know where these Folders Link to or an Advanced view so we can see
the
real files without having to go into command line.

Any ideas?

Thanks
Lara

 

[Rat_uk]

go to the vista newsgroup>file management and find this post:

by 'rat_uk' posted at 0235hrs on 25/2/07. there is a long explanation in
this thread.



steve.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Keith,

I think the My Documents structure of XP was FAR better than Vista.
I think it was a good idea to consolodate the profiles folder contents but I
think Microsoft should have kept the Documents and the Profiles in completely
different folders altogether.

Most users will save their files in the C:\Users\Username folder because
that is what they see on their desktop. They won't save in
C:\Users\Username\Documents. Because the Profiles folder is a system folder
containing profile data I think it wasn't very smart to put it in an area
where a regular user can view and just delete the files. "Hey what is this
Desktop - I didn't put this here - Delete!"

In a Domain with redirected folders and a Mandatory Roaming Profile do you
know if users have access to save in the C:\Users\Username directory itself?
I haven't tested it yet as I am on Maternity leave until Sept and will have
to support Vista in an XP environment. My users know if they save on the
desktop and logoff their files will be deleted. I am not sure if the same is
for the Users profile or not.

Thanks
Lara

I got confused about who I'd replied to

I had written a short essay about user folders here that explains the
duplicates and other things:



--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

Actually Keith it was a different question. See my response to Ronnie.

Thanks for your help.

Cheers,
Lara

Did you see my reply to your previous post?


Additional response inline:

I am a Network Admin and I am pretty confused with Vista's Virtual vs.
Real
Folders. In XP I had My Documents Redirected to C:\My Documents. This
was
simply because I prefered to have the folder outside the profile
folder.

When I migrated from XP to Vista I now have a "Documents" in C: which
is
called "My Documents" if I am in the command line, but "Documents" in
Explorer and I can't seem to rename.

The 'Documents' display name for the folder comes from this line in its
desktop.ini file:

LocalizedResourceName=

Delete that line if you want the display name to reflect the true folder
name.

I can also see this "Documents" Inside My user Profile.

User folders that have been redirected and moved still show under
'Desktop\UserName' but not in the actual file folder 'C:\Users\UserName'.
Add the 'Folder Path' column to a details view to see the physical
location.

The "obvious" links
have the little shortcut arrows on them. However, I am trying to Move
the
files from C:\Documents to C:\Users\MyProfile\Documents just because I
don't
want to have two copies. It "Moves" some files and copies others and
now I
have no idea what is real and what is a shortcut-link.


Covered in my earlier post.

I think it is great that Vista finally has included Junction Points
with
Folder Links. However, they should have included properties or
something
so
we know where these Folders Link to or an Advanced view so we can see
the
real files without having to go into command line.

Agreed. If the attributes column displayed the 'L' attribute, that would
be
nice. A 'Junction target' column, similar to 'Link target', would be
handy
as well -- but I think the point of junctions is to behave transparently
like real folders.


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

 

[Keith Miller MVP]

Response Inline:

Thanks Keith,

I think the My Documents structure of XP was FAR better than Vista.
I think it was a good idea to consolodate the profiles folder contents but
I
think Microsoft should have kept the Documents and the Profiles in
completely
different folders altogether.

Most users will save their files in the C:\Users\Username folder because
that is what they see on their desktop. They won't save in
C:\Users\Username\Documents.

Well you can put Documents back on the desktop and hide the Profile.

Also, there is a group policy setting under:

"User Config\Admin Templates\Windows Components\Windows Explorer"

named: "Prevent users from adding files to the root of their Users Files
folder"

I haven't played with it, but it sounds like it might be helpful to you.

Because the Profiles folder is a system folder
containing profile data I think it wasn't very smart to put it in an area
where a regular user can view and just delete the files. "Hey what is
this
Desktop - I didn't put this here - Delete!"

You can modify permissions to prevent deletions. You could set the hidden
attribute for folders you don't want your users to see.

In a Domain with redirected folders and a Mandatory Roaming Profile do you
know if users have access to save in the C:\Users\Username directory
itself?

I don't know. I'm not a whiz in that area -- don't have a network to play
with :-(

Have you asked in the vista.networking_sharing newsgroup?


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

I haven't tested it yet as I am on Maternity leave until Sept and will
have
to support Vista in an XP environment. My users know if they save on the
desktop and logoff their files will be deleted. I am not sure if the same
is
for the Users profile or not.

Thanks
Lara

I got confused about who I'd replied to

I had written a short essay about user folders here that explains the
duplicates and other things:



--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

Actually Keith it was a different question. See my response to Ronnie.

Thanks for your help.

Cheers,
Lara

:

Did you see my reply to your previous post?


Additional response inline:

I am a Network Admin and I am pretty confused with Vista's Virtual
vs.
Real
Folders. In XP I had My Documents Redirected to C:\My Documents.
This
was
simply because I prefered to have the folder outside the profile
folder.

When I migrated from XP to Vista I now have a "Documents" in C:
which
is
called "My Documents" if I am in the command line, but "Documents"
in
Explorer and I can't seem to rename.

The 'Documents' display name for the folder comes from this line in
its
desktop.ini file:

LocalizedResourceName=

Delete that line if you want the display name to reflect the true
folder
name.

I can also see this "Documents" Inside My user Profile.

User folders that have been redirected and moved still show under
'Desktop\UserName' but not in the actual file folder
'C:\Users\UserName'.
Add the 'Folder Path' column to a details view to see the physical
location.

The "obvious" links
have the little shortcut arrows on them. However, I am trying to
Move
the
files from C:\Documents to C:\Users\MyProfile\Documents just because
I
don't
want to have two copies. It "Moves" some files and copies others and
now I
have no idea what is real and what is a shortcut-link.


Covered in my earlier post.

I think it is great that Vista finally has included Junction Points
with
Folder Links. However, they should have included properties or
something
so
we know where these Folders Link to or an Advanced view so we can
see
the
real files without having to go into command line.

Agreed. If the attributes column displayed the 'L' attribute, that
would
be
nice. A 'Junction target' column, similar to 'Link target', would be
handy
as well -- but I think the point of junctions is to behave
transparently
like real folders.


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

 

[Guest]

Hi,

Thanks Keith

---Well you can put Documents back on the desktop and hide the Profile.

Is this just done with a Shortcut? I have been trying to put Documents back
on the desktop but it is no longer recognized as the same type of desktop
folder that it was in XP so "show on desktop" is not available and shortcuts
are a problem because I have 2500 users with home directories in lots of
different locations.

I don't know. I'm not a whiz in that area -- don't have a network to play
with :-(

That's too bad. I love being a Network Admin and having a Network to play
with really gives me a chance to learn all the new OS in a Domain
environment. I am just off on Maternity so I won't support Vista until I go
back in Sept but I want to be prepared before I go back.

Thanks
Lara

Also, there is a group policy setting under:

"User Config\Admin Templates\Windows Components\Windows Explorer"

named: "Prevent users from adding files to the root of their Users Files
folder"

I haven't played with it, but it sounds like it might be helpful to you.

This sounds EXACTLY what I need. I haven't had a chance to see the Group
Policies for Vista. I am running Vista Premium at home because I want Media
Centre but didn't want to shell out an extra 190$ for Ultimate. I have no use
for Domain products in my home network. I have the ADMX files but can't read
them in notepad like I could the ADM's. Do you know where the new Group
Policies are listed on MS website?

Response Inline:

Thanks Keith,

I think the My Documents structure of XP was FAR better than Vista.
I think it was a good idea to consolodate the profiles folder contents but
I
think Microsoft should have kept the Documents and the Profiles in
completely
different folders altogether.

Most users will save their files in the C:\Users\Username folder because
that is what they see on their desktop. They won't save in
C:\Users\Username\Documents.

Well you can put Documents back on the desktop and hide the Profile.

Also, there is a group policy setting under:

"User Config\Admin Templates\Windows Components\Windows Explorer"

named: "Prevent users from adding files to the root of their Users Files
folder"

I haven't played with it, but it sounds like it might be helpful to you.

Because the Profiles folder is a system folder
containing profile data I think it wasn't very smart to put it in an area
where a regular user can view and just delete the files. "Hey what is
this
Desktop - I didn't put this here - Delete!"

You can modify permissions to prevent deletions. You could set the hidden
attribute for folders you don't want your users to see.

In a Domain with redirected folders and a Mandatory Roaming Profile do you
know if users have access to save in the C:\Users\Username directory
itself?

I don't know. I'm not a whiz in that area -- don't have a network to play
with :-(

Have you asked in the vista.networking_sharing newsgroup?


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

I haven't tested it yet as I am on Maternity leave until Sept and will
have
to support Vista in an XP environment. My users know if they save on the
desktop and logoff their files will be deleted. I am not sure if the same
is
for the Users profile or not.

Thanks
Lara

I got confused about who I'd replied to

I had written a short essay about user folders here that explains the
duplicates and other things:



--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

Actually Keith it was a different question. See my response to Ronnie.

Thanks for your help.

Cheers,
Lara

:

Did you see my reply to your previous post?


Additional response inline:

I am a Network Admin and I am pretty confused with Vista's Virtual
vs.
Real
Folders. In XP I had My Documents Redirected to C:\My Documents.
This
was
simply because I prefered to have the folder outside the profile
folder.

When I migrated from XP to Vista I now have a "Documents" in C:
which
is
called "My Documents" if I am in the command line, but "Documents"
in
Explorer and I can't seem to rename.

The 'Documents' display name for the folder comes from this line in
its
desktop.ini file:

LocalizedResourceName=

Delete that line if you want the display name to reflect the true
folder
name.

I can also see this "Documents" Inside My user Profile.

User folders that have been redirected and moved still show under
'Desktop\UserName' but not in the actual file folder
'C:\Users\UserName'.
Add the 'Folder Path' column to a details view to see the physical
location.

The "obvious" links
have the little shortcut arrows on them. However, I am trying to
Move
the
files from C:\Documents to C:\Users\MyProfile\Documents just because
I
don't
want to have two copies. It "Moves" some files and copies others and
now I
have no idea what is real and what is a shortcut-link.


Covered in my earlier post.

I think it is great that Vista finally has included Junction Points
with
Folder Links. However, they should have included properties or
something
so
we know where these Folders Link to or an Advanced view so we can
see
the
real files without having to go into command line.

Agreed. If the attributes column displayed the 'L' attribute, that
would
be
nice. A 'Junction target' column, similar to 'Link target', would be
handy
as well -- but I think the point of junctions is to behave
transparently
like real folders.


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

 

[Guest]

Hi,

I can't find a File Management Newsgroup. Are you talking about Finding and
Organizing Files? That sounds the closest.

Thanks
Lara

 

[Keith Miller MVP]

Hi,

Thanks Keith

---Well you can put Documents back on the desktop and hide the Profile.

Is this just done with a Shortcut? I have been trying to put Documents
back
on the desktop but it is no longer recognized as the same type of desktop
folder that it was in XP so "show on desktop" is not available and
shortcuts
are a problem because I have 2500 users with home directories in lots of
different locations.

1. Make My Documents a folder that is again available as "Show on Desktop"

Manually create the reg value below or copy the text between the lines, save
as a .reg file & merge.

--------------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel]
"{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}"=dword:00000000

--------------------------------

It can also be done under HKCU\.... if you want to control the display on a
per-user basis.

2. Know how to delete the Public folder on the desktop.

In the registry, locate the key:

"HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{4336a54d-038b-4685-ab02-99bb52d3fb8b}

You can delete it if you like, but I would just rename it to
'X{4336a54d-038b-4685-ab02-99bb52d3fb8b}', so that if you ever want it back,
you don't have to look up the CLSID. You'll need to logoff & back on after
the edit to refresh explorer's mind.

This sounds EXACTLY what I need. I haven't had a chance to see the Group
Policies for Vista. I am running Vista Premium at home because I want
Media
Centre but didn't want to shell out an extra 190$ for Ultimate. I have no
use
for Domain products in my home network. I have the ADMX files but can't
read
them in notepad like I could the ADM's. Do you know where the new Group
Policies are listed on MS website?

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...9b-3328-4350-ade1-c0d9289f09ef&DisplayLang=en


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

Response Inline:

Thanks Keith,

I think the My Documents structure of XP was FAR better than Vista.
I think it was a good idea to consolodate the profiles folder contents
but
I
think Microsoft should have kept the Documents and the Profiles in
completely
different folders altogether.

Most users will save their files in the C:\Users\Username folder
because
that is what they see on their desktop. They won't save in
C:\Users\Username\Documents.

Well you can put Documents back on the desktop and hide the Profile.

Also, there is a group policy setting under:

"User Config\Admin Templates\Windows Components\Windows Explorer"

named: "Prevent users from adding files to the root of their Users Files
folder"

I haven't played with it, but it sounds like it might be helpful to you.

Because the Profiles folder is a system folder
containing profile data I think it wasn't very smart to put it in an
area
where a regular user can view and just delete the files. "Hey what is
this
Desktop - I didn't put this here - Delete!"

You can modify permissions to prevent deletions. You could set the
hidden
attribute for folders you don't want your users to see.

In a Domain with redirected folders and a Mandatory Roaming Profile do
you
know if users have access to save in the C:\Users\Username directory
itself?

I don't know. I'm not a whiz in that area -- don't have a network to
play
with :-(

Have you asked in the vista.networking_sharing newsgroup?


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

I haven't tested it yet as I am on Maternity leave until Sept and will
have
to support Vista in an XP environment. My users know if they save on
the
desktop and logoff their files will be deleted. I am not sure if the
same
is
for the Users profile or not.

Thanks
Lara

:

I got confused about who I'd replied to

I had written a short essay about user folders here that explains the
duplicates and other things:



--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

Actually Keith it was a different question. See my response to
Ronnie.

Thanks for your help.

Cheers,
Lara

:

Did you see my reply to your previous post?


Additional response inline:

I am a Network Admin and I am pretty confused with Vista's Virtual
vs.
Real
Folders. In XP I had My Documents Redirected to C:\My Documents.
This
was
simply because I prefered to have the folder outside the profile
folder.

When I migrated from XP to Vista I now have a "Documents" in C:
which
is
called "My Documents" if I am in the command line, but
"Documents"
in
Explorer and I can't seem to rename.

The 'Documents' display name for the folder comes from this line
in
its
desktop.ini file:

LocalizedResourceName=

Delete that line if you want the display name to reflect the true
folder
name.

I can also see this "Documents" Inside My user Profile.

User folders that have been redirected and moved still show under
'Desktop\UserName' but not in the actual file folder
'C:\Users\UserName'.
Add the 'Folder Path' column to a details view to see the physical
location.

The "obvious" links
have the little shortcut arrows on them. However, I am trying to
Move
the
files from C:\Documents to C:\Users\MyProfile\Documents just
because
I
don't
want to have two copies. It "Moves" some files and copies others
and
now I
have no idea what is real and what is a shortcut-link.


Covered in my earlier post.

I think it is great that Vista finally has included Junction
Points
with
Folder Links. However, they should have included properties or
something
so
we know where these Folders Link to or an Advanced view so we can
see
the
real files without having to go into command line.

Agreed. If the attributes column displayed the 'L' attribute, that
would
be
nice. A 'Junction target' column, similar to 'Link target', would
be
handy
as well -- but I think the point of junctions is to behave
transparently
like real folders.


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

 

[Guest]

Hi,

Thanks Keith. I did have the GUID for My Documents from XP but that didn't
seem to work. Can't tell off the top of my head if the one you listed is the
same or not. I will check when I get home. I have a reg file for my XP
Domain to add all the Guids with value of 1 so they all showed on the desktop.

I found an easier way to get rid of Public off the Desktop. I found the GUID
in HKLM and just set it to dword:00000001 and Voila. It was just in
HKLMachine instead of HKLUser. I posted the solution on this board.

Thanks for the Group Policy Link.

Appreciate the help.

Cheers,
Lara

Hi,

Thanks Keith

---Well you can put Documents back on the desktop and hide the Profile.

Is this just done with a Shortcut? I have been trying to put Documents
back
on the desktop but it is no longer recognized as the same type of desktop
folder that it was in XP so "show on desktop" is not available and
shortcuts
are a problem because I have 2500 users with home directories in lots of
different locations.

1. Make My Documents a folder that is again available as "Show on Desktop"

Manually create the reg value below or copy the text between the lines, save
as a .reg file & merge.

--------------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel]
"{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}"=dword:00000000

--------------------------------

It can also be done under HKCU\.... if you want to control the display on a
per-user basis.

2. Know how to delete the Public folder on the desktop.

In the registry, locate the key:

"HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{4336a54d-038b-4685-ab02-99bb52d3fb8b}

You can delete it if you like, but I would just rename it to
'X{4336a54d-038b-4685-ab02-99bb52d3fb8b}', so that if you ever want it back,
you don't have to look up the CLSID. You'll need to logoff & back on after
the edit to refresh explorer's mind.

This sounds EXACTLY what I need. I haven't had a chance to see the Group
Policies for Vista. I am running Vista Premium at home because I want
Media
Centre but didn't want to shell out an extra 190$ for Ultimate. I have no
use
for Domain products in my home network. I have the ADMX files but can't
read
them in notepad like I could the ADM's. Do you know where the new Group
Policies are listed on MS website?

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...9b-3328-4350-ade1-c0d9289f09ef&DisplayLang=en


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

Response Inline:
Thanks Keith,

I think the My Documents structure of XP was FAR better than Vista.
I think it was a good idea to consolodate the profiles folder contents
but
I
think Microsoft should have kept the Documents and the Profiles in
completely
different folders altogether.

Most users will save their files in the C:\Users\Username folder
because
that is what they see on their desktop. They won't save in
C:\Users\Username\Documents.

Well you can put Documents back on the desktop and hide the Profile.

Also, there is a group policy setting under:

"User Config\Admin Templates\Windows Components\Windows Explorer"

named: "Prevent users from adding files to the root of their Users Files
folder"

I haven't played with it, but it sounds like it might be helpful to you.

Because the Profiles folder is a system folder
containing profile data I think it wasn't very smart to put it in an
area
where a regular user can view and just delete the files. "Hey what is
this
Desktop - I didn't put this here - Delete!"

You can modify permissions to prevent deletions. You could set the
hidden
attribute for folders you don't want your users to see.


In a Domain with redirected folders and a Mandatory Roaming Profile do
you
know if users have access to save in the C:\Users\Username directory
itself?

I don't know. I'm not a whiz in that area -- don't have a network to
play
with :-(

Have you asked in the vista.networking_sharing newsgroup?


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]



I haven't tested it yet as I am on Maternity leave until Sept and will
have
to support Vista in an XP environment. My users know if they save on
the
desktop and logoff their files will be deleted. I am not sure if the
same
is
for the Users profile or not.

Thanks
Lara

:

I got confused about who I'd replied to

I had written a short essay about user folders here that explains the
duplicates and other things:



--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

Actually Keith it was a different question. See my response to
Ronnie.

Thanks for your help.

Cheers,
Lara

:

Did you see my reply to your previous post?


Additional response inline:

I am a Network Admin and I am pretty confused with Vista's Virtual
vs.
Real
Folders. In XP I had My Documents Redirected to C:\My Documents.
This
was
simply because I prefered to have the folder outside the profile
folder.

When I migrated from XP to Vista I now have a "Documents" in C:
which
is
called "My Documents" if I am in the command line, but
"Documents"
in
Explorer and I can't seem to rename.

The 'Documents' display name for the folder comes from this line
in
its
desktop.ini file:

LocalizedResourceName=

Delete that line if you want the display name to reflect the true
folder
name.

I can also see this "Documents" Inside My user Profile.

User folders that have been redirected and moved still show under
'Desktop\UserName' but not in the actual file folder
'C:\Users\UserName'.
Add the 'Folder Path' column to a details view to see the physical
location.

The "obvious" links
have the little shortcut arrows on them. However, I am trying to
Move
the
files from C:\Documents to C:\Users\MyProfile\Documents just
because
I
don't
want to have two copies. It "Moves" some files and copies others
and
now I
have no idea what is real and what is a shortcut-link.


Covered in my earlier post.

I think it is great that Vista finally has included Junction
Points
with
Folder Links. However, they should have included properties or
something
so
we know where these Folders Link to or an Advanced view so we can
see
the
real files without having to go into command line.

Agreed. If the attributes column displayed the 'L' attribute, that
would
be
nice. A 'Junction target' column, similar to 'Link target', would
be
handy
as well -- but I think the point of junctions is to behave
transparently
like real folders.


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

 

[Keith Miller MVP]

Hi,

Thanks Keith. I did have the GUID for My Documents from XP but that didn't
seem to work. Can't tell off the top of my head if the one you listed is
the
same or not. I will check when I get home. I have a reg file for my XP
Domain to add all the Guids with value of 1 so they all showed on the
desktop.

I found an easier way to get rid of Public off the Desktop. I found the
GUID
in HKLM and just set it to dword:00000001 and Voila. It was just in
HKLMachine instead of HKLUser. I posted the solution on this board.

Mine never showed on the desktop by default, so I presumed you wanted it
gone from the explorer tree.

Thanks for the Group Policy Link.

You're welcome.



--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

Appreciate the help.

Cheers,
Lara

Hi,

Thanks Keith

---Well you can put Documents back on the desktop and hide the Profile.

Is this just done with a Shortcut? I have been trying to put Documents
back
on the desktop but it is no longer recognized as the same type of
desktop
folder that it was in XP so "show on desktop" is not available and
shortcuts
are a problem because I have 2500 users with home directories in lots
of
different locations.

1. Make My Documents a folder that is again available as "Show on
Desktop"

Manually create the reg value below or copy the text between the lines,
save
as a .reg file & merge.

--------------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel]
"{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}"=dword:00000000

--------------------------------

It can also be done under HKCU\.... if you want to control the display
on a
per-user basis.

2. Know how to delete the Public folder on the desktop.

In the registry, locate the key:

"HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{4336a54d-038b-4685-ab02-99bb52d3fb8b}

You can delete it if you like, but I would just rename it to
'X{4336a54d-038b-4685-ab02-99bb52d3fb8b}', so that if you ever want it
back,
you don't have to look up the CLSID. You'll need to logoff & back on
after
the edit to refresh explorer's mind.

Also, there is a group policy setting under:

"User Config\Admin Templates\Windows Components\Windows Explorer"

named: "Prevent users from adding files to the root of their Users
Files
folder"

I haven't played with it, but it sounds like it might be helpful to
you.

This sounds EXACTLY what I need. I haven't had a chance to see the
Group
Policies for Vista. I am running Vista Premium at home because I want
Media
Centre but didn't want to shell out an extra 190$ for Ultimate. I have
no
use
for Domain products in my home network. I have the ADMX files but
can't
read
them in notepad like I could the ADM's. Do you know where the new Group
Policies are listed on MS website?

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...9b-3328-4350-ade1-c0d9289f09ef&DisplayLang=en


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

:

Response Inline:
Thanks Keith,

I think the My Documents structure of XP was FAR better than Vista.
I think it was a good idea to consolodate the profiles folder
contents
but
I
think Microsoft should have kept the Documents and the Profiles in
completely
different folders altogether.

Most users will save their files in the C:\Users\Username folder
because
that is what they see on their desktop. They won't save in
C:\Users\Username\Documents.

Well you can put Documents back on the desktop and hide the Profile.

Also, there is a group policy setting under:

"User Config\Admin Templates\Windows Components\Windows Explorer"

named: "Prevent users from adding files to the root of their Users
Files
folder"

I haven't played with it, but it sounds like it might be helpful to
you.

Because the Profiles folder is a system folder
containing profile data I think it wasn't very smart to put it in an
area
where a regular user can view and just delete the files. "Hey what
is
this
Desktop - I didn't put this here - Delete!"

You can modify permissions to prevent deletions. You could set the
hidden
attribute for folders you don't want your users to see.


In a Domain with redirected folders and a Mandatory Roaming Profile
do
you
know if users have access to save in the C:\Users\Username directory
itself?

I don't know. I'm not a whiz in that area -- don't have a network to
play
with :-(

Have you asked in the vista.networking_sharing newsgroup?


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]



I haven't tested it yet as I am on Maternity leave until Sept and
will
have
to support Vista in an XP environment. My users know if they save on
the
desktop and logoff their files will be deleted. I am not sure if the
same
is
for the Users profile or not.

Thanks
Lara

:

I got confused about who I'd replied to

I had written a short essay about user folders here that explains
the
duplicates and other things:



--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

Actually Keith it was a different question. See my response to
Ronnie.

Thanks for your help.

Cheers,
Lara

:

Did you see my reply to your previous post?


Additional response inline:

I am a Network Admin and I am pretty confused with Vista's
Virtual
vs.
Real
Folders. In XP I had My Documents Redirected to C:\My
Documents.
This
was
simply because I prefered to have the folder outside the
profile
folder.

When I migrated from XP to Vista I now have a "Documents" in
C:
which
is
called "My Documents" if I am in the command line, but
"Documents"
in
Explorer and I can't seem to rename.

The 'Documents' display name for the folder comes from this
line
in
its
desktop.ini file:

LocalizedResourceName=

Delete that line if you want the display name to reflect the
true
folder
name.

I can also see this "Documents" Inside My user Profile.

User folders that have been redirected and moved still show
under
'Desktop\UserName' but not in the actual file folder
'C:\Users\UserName'.
Add the 'Folder Path' column to a details view to see the
physical
location.

The "obvious" links
have the little shortcut arrows on them. However, I am trying
to
Move
the
files from C:\Documents to C:\Users\MyProfile\Documents just
because
I
don't
want to have two copies. It "Moves" some files and copies
others
and
now I
have no idea what is real and what is a shortcut-link.


Covered in my earlier post.

I think it is great that Vista finally has included Junction
Points
with
Folder Links. However, they should have included properties or
something
so
we know where these Folders Link to or an Advanced view so we
can
see
the
real files without having to go into command line.

Agreed. If the attributes column displayed the 'L' attribute,
that
would
be
nice. A 'Junction target' column, similar to 'Link target',
would
be
handy
as well -- but I think the point of junctions is to behave
transparently
like real folders.


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

 

[Guest]

Mine never showed on the desktop by default, so I presumed you wanted it

gone from the explorer tree.

Weird? Mine was on the desktop of all users new and imported.
It was a dell clean install and not an upgrade.

The documents thing seems to partly work. Shows up in Desktop Tree now.

Cheers

Lara

Hi,

Thanks Keith. I did have the GUID for My Documents from XP but that didn't
seem to work. Can't tell off the top of my head if the one you listed is
the
same or not. I will check when I get home. I have a reg file for my XP
Domain to add all the Guids with value of 1 so they all showed on the
desktop.

I found an easier way to get rid of Public off the Desktop. I found the
GUID
in HKLM and just set it to dword:00000001 and Voila. It was just in
HKLMachine instead of HKLUser. I posted the solution on this board.

Mine never showed on the desktop by default, so I presumed you wanted it
gone from the explorer tree.

Thanks for the Group Policy Link.

You're welcome.



--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

Appreciate the help.

Cheers,
Lara

Hi,

Thanks Keith

---Well you can put Documents back on the desktop and hide the Profile.

Is this just done with a Shortcut? I have been trying to put Documents
back
on the desktop but it is no longer recognized as the same type of
desktop
folder that it was in XP so "show on desktop" is not available and
shortcuts
are a problem because I have 2500 users with home directories in lots
of
different locations.

1. Make My Documents a folder that is again available as "Show on
Desktop"

Manually create the reg value below or copy the text between the lines,
save
as a .reg file & merge.

--------------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel]
"{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}"=dword:00000000

--------------------------------

It can also be done under HKCU\.... if you want to control the display
on a
per-user basis.

2. Know how to delete the Public folder on the desktop.

In the registry, locate the key:

"HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{4336a54d-038b-4685-ab02-99bb52d3fb8b}

You can delete it if you like, but I would just rename it to
'X{4336a54d-038b-4685-ab02-99bb52d3fb8b}', so that if you ever want it
back,
you don't have to look up the CLSID. You'll need to logoff & back on
after
the edit to refresh explorer's mind.


Also, there is a group policy setting under:

"User Config\Admin Templates\Windows Components\Windows Explorer"

named: "Prevent users from adding files to the root of their Users
Files
folder"

I haven't played with it, but it sounds like it might be helpful to
you.

This sounds EXACTLY what I need. I haven't had a chance to see the
Group
Policies for Vista. I am running Vista Premium at home because I want
Media
Centre but didn't want to shell out an extra 190$ for Ultimate. I have
no
use
for Domain products in my home network. I have the ADMX files but
can't
read
them in notepad like I could the ADM's. Do you know where the new Group
Policies are listed on MS website?


http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...9b-3328-4350-ade1-c0d9289f09ef&DisplayLang=en


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]




:

Response Inline:
Thanks Keith,

I think the My Documents structure of XP was FAR better than Vista.
I think it was a good idea to consolodate the profiles folder
contents
but
I
think Microsoft should have kept the Documents and the Profiles in
completely
different folders altogether.

Most users will save their files in the C:\Users\Username folder
because
that is what they see on their desktop. They won't save in
C:\Users\Username\Documents.

Well you can put Documents back on the desktop and hide the Profile.

Also, there is a group policy setting under:

"User Config\Admin Templates\Windows Components\Windows Explorer"

named: "Prevent users from adding files to the root of their Users
Files
folder"

I haven't played with it, but it sounds like it might be helpful to
you.

Because the Profiles folder is a system folder
containing profile data I think it wasn't very smart to put it in an
area
where a regular user can view and just delete the files. "Hey what
is
this
Desktop - I didn't put this here - Delete!"

You can modify permissions to prevent deletions. You could set the
hidden
attribute for folders you don't want your users to see.


In a Domain with redirected folders and a Mandatory Roaming Profile
do
you
know if users have access to save in the C:\Users\Username directory
itself?

I don't know. I'm not a whiz in that area -- don't have a network to
play
with :-(

Have you asked in the vista.networking_sharing newsgroup?


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]



I haven't tested it yet as I am on Maternity leave until Sept and
will
have
to support Vista in an XP environment. My users know if they save on
the
desktop and logoff their files will be deleted. I am not sure if the
same
is
for the Users profile or not.

Thanks
Lara

:

I got confused about who I'd replied to

I had written a short essay about user folders here that explains
the
duplicates and other things:



--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

Actually Keith it was a different question. See my response to
Ronnie.

Thanks for your help.

Cheers,
Lara

:

Did you see my reply to your previous post?


Additional response inline:

I am a Network Admin and I am pretty confused with Vista's
Virtual
vs.
Real
Folders. In XP I had My Documents Redirected to C:\My
Documents.
This
was
simply because I prefered to have the folder outside the
profile
folder.

When I migrated from XP to Vista I now have a "Documents" in
C:
which
is
called "My Documents" if I am in the command line, but
"Documents"
in
Explorer and I can't seem to rename.

The 'Documents' display name for the folder comes from this
line
in
its
desktop.ini file:

LocalizedResourceName=

Delete that line if you want the display name to reflect the
true
folder
name.

I can also see this "Documents" Inside My user Profile.

User folders that have been redirected and moved still show
under
'Desktop\UserName' but not in the actual file folder
'C:\Users\UserName'.
Add the 'Folder Path' column to a details view to see the
physical
location.

The "obvious" links
have the little shortcut arrows on them. However, I am trying
to
Move
the
files from C:\Documents to C:\Users\MyProfile\Documents just
because
I