Got myself in trouble .....

[Jeff]

I have a new Windows 7 laptop. I know it is not necessary but I like to
put all my data in its own partition for easier backup. My data
partition is E:

Here is my problem:
I decided to move the folder "Downloads" from its location in C: to the
E: partition. So, I went into the Downloads properties and "Location"
and moved it to E:
I thought it would place itself in E: as "E:\Downloads". Instead
users/../downloads became simply E:\

How can I undo this? E:\ is my data partition and therefore contains a
lot of folders. Catch 22!

Maybe Regedit?

Jeff

 

[...winston]

wrote in message news:[email protected] have a new Windows 7 laptop. I know it is not necessary but I like to
put all my data in its own partition for easier backup. My data
partition is E:

Here is my problem:
I decided to move the folder "Downloads" from its location in C: to the
E: partition. So, I went into the Downloads properties and "Location"
and moved it to E:
I thought it would place itself in E: as "E:\Downloads". Instead
users/../downloads became simply E:\

How can I undo this? E:\ is my data partition and therefore contains a
lot of folders. Catch 22!

Maybe Regedit?

Jeff
The 'Location' tab has an option to 'Restore Default'

The default location before moving is (was)
C:\Users\<windows logon profile name>\Downloads

The Location tab also has a entry field for entering the path.
- When the location was changed what was entered in that path field ?

Normally to restore a folder (e.g. Downloads), one would rt. click the new location folder, properties, Location, Restore default.

Fyi....if you entered E: in the path field, you may not see the Downloads folder at all but only a list of folders for the E: drive
(shown as the the E: drive under your profile name)...i.e. you downloads will still go to E:/'s root.
- If so, right click it, properties, Location, Restore default. The original path should appear in the path field, then select
Apply
- if you receive an access denied message repeat the process and choose no to moving the contents then apply. Once complete, copy
any files from the E: drive that you wish to keep in the default Downloads folder.

 

[Jeff]

wrote in message news:[email protected]...
I have a new Windows 7 laptop. I know it is not necessary but I like to
put all my data in its own partition for easier backup. My data
partition is E:

Here is my problem:
I decided to move the folder "Downloads" from its location in C: to the
E: partition. So, I went into the Downloads properties and "Location"
and moved it to E:
I thought it would place itself in E: as "E:\Downloads". Instead
users/../downloads became simply E:\

How can I undo this? E:\ is my data partition and therefore contains a
lot of folders. Catch 22!

Maybe Regedit?

Jeff

The 'Location' tab has an option to 'Restore Default'

The default location before moving is (was)
C:\Users\<windows logon profile name>\Downloads

The Location tab also has a entry field for entering the path.
- When the location was changed what was entered in that path field ?

I entered E:\ thinking it would create the downloads folder

Normally to restore a folder (e.g. Downloads), one would rt. click the
new location folder, properties, Location, Restore default.

Fyi....if you entered E: in the path field, you may not see the
Downloads folder at all but only a list of folders for the E: drive
(shown as the the E: drive under your profile name)...i.e. you
downloads will still go to E:/'s root.
- If so, right click it, properties, Location, Restore default. The
original path should appear in the path field, then select Apply
- if you receive an access denied message repeat the process and choose
no to moving the contents then apply. Once complete, copy any files from
the E: drive that you wish to keep in the default Downloads folder.

I thought of doing that but was worried it would mess up the entire E:
partition. But I just did it (default location) and it worked fine. Then
I moved the location of the user\jeff\downloads to where I really wanted
it which is E:\Downloads.
Thank you!

 

[Wolf K]

I have a new Windows 7 laptop. I know it is not necessary but I like to
put all my data in its own partition for easier backup. My data
partition is E:

Here is my problem:
I decided to move the folder "Downloads" from its location in C: to the
E: partition. So, I went into the Downloads properties and "Location"
and moved it to E:
I thought it would place itself in E: as "E:\Downloads". Instead
users/../downloads became simply E:\

How can I undo this? E:\ is my data partition and therefore contains a
lot of folders. Catch 22!

Maybe Regedit?

Jeff

Just create E:/Downloads, then point all d/l software/plug-ins to it.
Leave /Users.../Downloads where it is, it normally won't be used. There
are some update processes etc that will use it. This will not affect the
Win Update process, which d/l updates to the system folders on C:.

With Mozilla Firefox, the next d/l will go to the last folder used for
d/l, so if you use several d/l targets (I do), make sure you select the
correct one for the next d/l. Don't know about IE, I keep it just for
Win Updates.

HTH

 

[choro]

Create a suitably named folder on your E drive. Cut and paste all your
relevant C drive folders onto your newly created E drive. And then go to
properties for Word say and configure it to save onto that folder on E
drive.

Use a bit of common sense which is how I did it quite a while back. So I
cannot remember the fine detail. But just in case back up all your user
files onto a memory stick or something, just in case. I regularly back
up (as opposed to backup) my user files anyway using xxcopy which is
third party stuff. You can of course use Windows' own xcopy command to
do the same but I find xxcopy to be superior to xcopy.

Even if you cut and paste Downloads and My Documents etc, Windows will
still create those folders on your C drive automatically. But once you
configure your software to save to My Documents on E:\ everything will
be saved to that folder on E:\ drive. I even have a My Docs folder
within the My Documents folder where I save specific types of user files.

But always when doing things like that make sure you use xcopy or xxcopy
or just cut and paste your user files first so you have a spare copy
somewhere. I prefer the xxcopy route which copies your user files as
opposed to using proper backing up programs that do the backing up of
thousands of user files as one file. I back up to an external 1TB drive.
But then I back up quite a lot of things. Even things like having copies
of my System+CDEF partitions. But these programs do not give you an easy
to access copy of each and every individual file separately. Same in
fact as the original files. With no need to unscramble them.

I find that understanding a process by careful thinking, you can do lots
of things on the computer without having to look up thick manuals
obviously not written for thick people like myself. I have manuals and
instructions. I think, what was on this software writer's mind when he
wrote this software? And that gives me clues as to how to do things.

But you've got to understand the basics of computing first. Then it
becomes easy, peasy!

I wonder whether anybody would like to comment on my approach to computing?

 

[choro]

Just create E:/Downloads, then point all d/l software/plug-ins to it.
Leave /Users.../Downloads where it is, it normally won't be used. There
are some update processes etc that will use it. This will not affect the
Win Update process, which d/l updates to the system folders on C:.

With Mozilla Firefox, the next d/l will go to the last folder used for
d/l, so if you use several d/l targets (I do), make sure you select the
correct one for the next d/l. Don't know about IE, I keep it just for
Win Updates.

HTH

Nice short and precise answer. I like that. Wish I could do the same and
not be my usual verbose self.--
choro
*****

 

[Dave Cohen]

Use a bit of common sense which is how I did it quite a while back. So I
cannot remember the fine detail. But just in case back up all your user
files onto a memory stick or something, just in case. I regularly back
up (as opposed to backup) my user files anyway using xxcopy which is
third party stuff. You can of course use Windows' own xcopy command to
do the same but I find xxcopy to be superior to xcopy.

Give winmerge a try, easier than messing aroung with dated dos commands

and you can save projects with provision for file exclusion lists etc.
Winmerge is freeware.

 

[Jeff]

Create a suitably named folder on your E drive. Cut and paste all your
relevant C drive folders onto your newly created E drive. And then go to
properties for Word say and configure it to save onto that folder on E
drive.

Use a bit of common sense which is how I did it quite a while back. So I
cannot remember the fine detail. But just in case back up all your user
files onto a memory stick or something, just in case. I regularly back
up (as opposed to backup) my user files anyway using xxcopy which is
third party stuff. You can of course use Windows' own xcopy command to
do the same but I find xxcopy to be superior to xcopy.

Even if you cut and paste Downloads and My Documents etc, Windows will
still create those folders on your C drive automatically. But once you
configure your software to save to My Documents on E:\ everything will
be saved to that folder on E:\ drive. I even have a My Docs folder
within the My Documents folder where I save specific types of user files.

But always when doing things like that make sure you use xcopy or xxcopy
or just cut and paste your user files first so you have a spare copy
somewhere. I prefer the xxcopy route which copies your user files as
opposed to using proper backing up programs that do the backing up of
thousands of user files as one file. I back up to an external 1TB drive.
But then I back up quite a lot of things. Even things like having copies
of my System+CDEF partitions. But these programs do not give you an easy
to access copy of each and every individual file separately. Same in
fact as the original files. With no need to unscramble them.

I find that understanding a process by careful thinking, you can do lots
of things on the computer without having to look up thick manuals
obviously not written for thick people like myself. I have manuals and
instructions. I think, what was on this software writer's mind when he
wrote this software? And that gives me clues as to how to do things.

But you've got to understand the basics of computing first. Then it
becomes easy, peasy!

I wonder whether anybody would like to comment on my approach to computing?

I do pretty much the same thing.
I have the settings in all my applications set to save their data files
to folders I created on E:\

I use Acronis True Image (and also Macrium for redundancy) to back up my
E: partition to an encrypted external USB drive. This allows me to
restore either entire partitions (like the system C or individual
files when needed.

Moving the actual system created user\downloads folder was something I
did for the first time because it is a new laptop. Usually I do not
bother and simply create a E:\downloads folder and instruct all my
browsers (I mainly use Firefox) to download there.

Jeff

 

[Jeff]

Just create E:/Downloads, then point all d/l software/plug-ins to it.
Leave /Users.../Downloads where it is, it normally won't be used. There
are some update processes etc that will use it. This will not affect the
Win Update process, which d/l updates to the system folders on C:.

With Mozilla Firefox, the next d/l will go to the last folder used for
d/l, so if you use several d/l targets (I do), make sure you select the
correct one for the next d/l. Don't know about IE, I keep it just for
Win Updates.

HTH

That is what I've always done. Just was being too fancy for my own good
this time.

 

[...winston]

wrote in message I thought of doing that but was worried it would mess up the entire E:
partition. But I just did it (default location) and it worked fine. Then
I moved the location of the user\jeff\downloads to where I really wanted
it which is E:\Downloads.
Thank you!
You're welcome.
Thanks for the feedback.

 

[choro]

and you can save projects with provision for file exclusion lists etc.
Winmerge is freeware.

Thanks for the suggestion. I don't feel daunted with DOS which I cut my
computing teeth on. However I will certainly give Winmerge a try. But I
feel so at home with xxcopy which gives me true copies of individual
user files. But still one has to try new software from time to time and
decide which is best for one's requirements and needs.--
choro
*****