SOLVED Moving win 7 libraries from my ssd to data drive

[julio99]

I installed a Corsair SSD on my win 7 acer laptop. My laptop came with an empty bay for a second HD so I moved the old spinner from the original spot and installed the SSD in the old spot. Now I have the SSD which my OS is on and user stuff including the libraries. My old HD is filled with all kinds of Data. What I tried to do was move my libraries from the SSD to the Data drive. It worked out ok except that I now have my libraries in both spots instead of just the old hard drive which is now the Data drive or D;/drive. I wanted to free up the space in the libraries that are on the SSD but all I did was COPY them from SSD to D:/drive. It was like making a backup instead of freeing up that space. I guess I could've CUT and pasted to the D:drive but I went the route of moving the files via Properties-Location-Move, but all it did was copy the files and move them, but it also left them on the SSD libraries or the Original windows locations.I tried moving a test video file to MY VIDEOS and it left a copy in both locations. Not what I wanted. Can anyone guide me to how this can work so my library files or folders go to the Data location and not both. My goal was to free up the 60-70 GB's of space that my library folders were using.

 

[TrainableMan]

Please read over THIS to see if it helps clear things up.

 

[julio99]

Train I have "My Documents" and "My Music" and "My Videos" already moved over to the D drive in a folder called Aug 6. The problem I have is it's all saved in both places. I wanted to free up that space in the SSD or C drive. No need to have another set of Libraries right? I had told you that just for testing purposes I added a .pdf file to see wher it was saved and found that it was saved in both Libraries/Documents folder. I guess no matter what you do it will always default to the original location in Windows 7. I read both those posts on libraries when they suggested them after I posted last night. I used a method to move them from "How to Geek" Everything works except you end up with 2 Libraries instead of 1 after you finish. I think it all comes down to when I used HtG and followed their directions I went to My Documents, right click properties, chose Move and pick a location which was the D/Aug 6 folder. It started by copying the documents and moving them to said location, but it should have "CUT" the documents and moved them to the new location. Did I miss something? The link you gave me was in the similar threads last night so I started with that before I posted.

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[julio99]

I just read something so I'm going to ask for verification here. I just moved Pictures and Music over to the D:// drive to make sur all of it is there. These 2 folders were 16 GB total. After I COPIED them over via Properties/Location/Move there was actually 16GB of space freed up on my SSD. That is where I read about symbolic links. The move actually did free up all the space on the C:// drive. The folders from the library are in both spots, but I take it they are only symbolic on the C:// drive, so what happens on a system crash? Do the folders in Documents, Music, Videos and Pictures stay safe in the D:// drive or do they disappear also. If I delete in D:// it goes missing in C:// also, right? That is a question. This is where it gets confusing if I am on the right track about Symbolic links.

 

[TrainableMan]

I would really like to see your files folders and library settings.

When you copy it should make an exact copy so both should exist and deleting one will not effect the other but it's possible you simply have a pointer to the actual location which makes things more complicated.

By default (assuming your W7 userid is julio99), your user files/folders are stored in C:\Users\julio99\Documents, C:\Users\julio99\Music, C:\Users\julio99\Pictures, & C:\Users\julio99\Videos. Then a library is set up for each and the library is just a pointer so when you write to or read from "My Music" it really writes or reads to location C:\Users\julio99\Music.

So now, from what you said, you copied all the files from C:\Users\julio99\Music to D:\Aug 06\Music. But where your library points to is not as clear, in fact there can be multiple pointers under one library so you could point to both C:\Users\julio99\Music and D:\Aug 06\Music and editing one probably won't effect the other, so you could end up with multiple versions of the same file.

So what I would like you to do please ...
In Windows Explorer, Under Libraries, select the high-level entry "Music" and right-click, from the context menu that pops up choose Properties and please post a screenshot, same with "Pictures", "Videos" and "Documents". That will show me where the library pointers expect to find your files, and also whether you have multiple folders linked.

 

[julio99]

Here you go my friend. I think you will find this pretty basic. I have changed nothing other than moving those over, as far as libraries go anyways.

 

[TrainableMan]

Now can you go to D:\Aug 06\Music and make sure they are actual files rather than pointers (shortcuts) to C:\Users\julio99\Music and visa versa. If you show details and in your columns have it display TYPE it will say "Shortcut" or something like "MP3 Format Sound". If it is a shortcut then the actual files are still somewhere else but if it says MP3 ... then there is an actual file there.

If it is an actual file then make a copy in D:\Aug 06\Music. Now verify that copy does not exist in C:\Users\julio99\Music.
Make a copy of another song in C:\Users\julio99\Music. Verify that copy does not exist in D:\Aug 06\Music.

If they are not shortcuts on either side then both files should be independent and a change in one should not affect the other; in which case you should be able to delete all the files in C:\Users\julio99\Music and then just use D:\Aug 06\Music

 

[julio99]

I went to D:// My Music and clicked view and details but I didn't really understand what I was looking for. I did a screen, so you can see for yourself. Also I copied an album in D:// and pasted it to D:// Music and yes the copy was in C:// and when I did it over in C:// the copy came to D://. If you're right then something here is wrong and I need more guidance. If that is the way though, how come the size of the :// drive shrunk when I moved the folders to D:// but they still show them as being in C:// yet the GB's are gone???

 

[TrainableMan]

TYPE is not a column normally displayed in music, you would need to right-click on the line between NAME and # and select TYPE from the list.

See here:

Please post a screenshot of both C: & D: "music".
NOTE: Once it is showing, you may need to drag the TYPE column over to get it in the picture. Once you have the picture you can turn it off or drag it back to the far right.

 

[julio99]

Here we go. If you notice, both C and D of mine look like yours. They both have MP# format sound, but when I copy and paste a file it shows up in the other drives library. Same as if I delete one it is deleted in the other library. Could it be like that? I don't get it because when I moved the files from C to D my C drive shrunk in size, but the files stayed there. Could it be because I named them My Music instead of something else. Help Me!

 

[TrainableMan]

You are showing me your Library's Music in the first one ... your Library now points to D:\Aug 06\ so of course it matches what you see if you look directly at D:\Aug 06\ because it is just a pointer to D:\Aug 06\. Any changes you make under the music library are going directly into and out of D:\Aug 06\.

To see your old C: drive music folder you need to actually expand Acer (C: ) then expand USERS, and under that your userid, and under that Music ... that is where your music library was by default but you have moved it.
BUT NOTE: you may not even be able to see or get to these files directly because folders under USERS are considered protected system folders. W7 protects the USERS subfolders so other users that might share your computer (wife, kids, etc) can't see your files and they can't see yours; they were only meant to be accessed via Library pointers.

If you were concerned because Libraries matches ... it should, it IS now D:\Aug 06\. So honestly I think your computer is just fine.

But, you may want to make sure your old music folder is empty. If you want to see the old music library you can add a brand new library. Right-click on Library and select New > Library. Create a brand new Library Pointer, lets call it TEMPORARY. Now it should be in the list of libraries. Now right-click on TEMPORARY and choose Properties. Click "include a folder". On the very top line, left side, select what is there and replace it with %UserProfile%\Music (type that exactly as shown) and hit enter. Then click the Include folder button at the bottom. Now if you look in Libraries>TEMPORARY that should show you what is in your OLD music folder on the C: drive. Do me a favor and post a screenshot of TEMPORARY.

 

[julio99]

When I tried to put %userprofille%\Music in the top line I got a box with a red x saying it couldn't find what was there or something to that effect, so I put in My music after %userprofile% and it worked but when I took a screenshot of the Temporary folder it gave me the D;\Aug06\My Music as you will see. My C:\Drive\music still has all the files in it. Why can't those be deleted without losing the ones in D.?

 

[TrainableMan]

OK the Temporary thing didn't work as I had hoped because it must use the current library pointer to Music, so you can delete TEMPORARY.

As for C:\Drive\music - you have yet to show me a folder on C: called music. (See Ref #1 below)

Your Libraries are pointers, they can be anywhere and you shouldn't really think of them as being "on C:". The factory defaults started on C: but you changed those to your new folder on D:.

If you look at Windows Explorer you have different sections Favorites, Libraries, Homegroups, Computer, and Network:
- Your favorites are just pointers to places (websites) out on the worldwide web, sometimes you change those favorites, delete some and add others but few (if any) of the sites pointed to are on your C: drive or your D: drive; many are probably not even in the same country as you.
- Libraries are just "favorites" to subfolders on your computer (you used to have a favorite on C: someplace but your preferences changed and now your favorite music library is on D: somewhere)
- Homegroups are pointers to favorite folders on computers in your same Homegroup (Maybe you have a laptop and a desktop and you share folders between them so some may be on your laptop C: drive and some on this C: drive or this D: drive)
- Computer is the only section that is NOT a pointer, this is the actual partitions/folders/files located on the computer you are sitting at. (Ref #1) Can you find a music folder under Computer > Acer (C: ) and screenshot it?
- Network are pointers to shared folders on all the different computers in your network (in an office environment this could be some on your coworkers desktop, you bosses laptop, others in the server room, as well as any you share from your computer)

So do not think of what you click on under Libraries as C: or D:, it is simply a pointer.

Does that help any?

 

[julio99]

The reason you didn't see anything in the Computer Acer C is because I had moved them to D already. I just moved everything back to default so everything is back in the default Libraries. The screen you wanted to see is below. Now I need a way to move these to my D drive so there is nothing left in the C folders or libraries, If you have a way.

 

[TrainableMan]

OK so now you have My Music on C:. And is My Music gone from D: ???

 

[julio99]

Yes I defaulted the whole situation in Libraries.I still want to move them but this time when they are moved to D// I would like the Libraries or whatever space those files are allotted to empty. Not like they ended up last night. I guess there are ways to move the whole Users folder over to D//. Maybe that option would be best? Let me know what you think.

 

[TrainableMan]

First, no you don't want to move the entire USERS folder. There are all kinds of temp folders, your user contacts, work areas for applications you run, and many other things that really should stay under the protection of USERS.

Your data was moved properly, the fact that it was deleted from D:\Aug 06 when you moved it back just shows that it had done what it was supposed to. And if you move Music back to D:\Aug 06 it will move the data off of C: onto D: and then fix the Library pointer will be altered to point to D: where they are. The Library pointer will point to your data no matter where you move it. That does not mean it is on C:, it simply means the pointer is working and pointing to them wherever they are.

I was trying to explain that to you before. When your files were on D:\Aug 06 you showed me Libraries\My Music and D:\Aug 06\My Music and they were both the same because they SHOULD be the same. Libraries is a pointer.

So I suggest you move Documents, Music, Pictures, and Video to D: and when you do that your Library pointers should move with you.

 

[julio99]

Train, I really don't understand the Libraries situation 100% yet, but I do know that the 4 folders in the library totaled up to approx. 49GB's and that is exactly the same amount my SSD has shrunk by, so they had to have been moved even though they are still in the Library. As you say if I'm not mistaken the files that look like they are actually in the library are someplace else, namely the D:/drive. Is that what you are trying to say to me? I just don't understand why when you delete a file from, let's say Music in the Library, that it also deletes from the actual location of said file, in this case My Music(D. Strange the way that works if my brain is on the right track.

 

[TrainableMan]

Libraries are just an alias name, they do not have a physical location on your hard drive; they merely point somewhere.

I use the alias TrainableMan online but my real name is Brian. TrainableMan does not exist as a real person, it is made up, make believe. When you talk to TrainableMan you are actually accessing Brian's brain. Whether you use my forum name "TrainableMan" (analogous to Library\My Music) or my actual name "Brian" (analogous to D:\Aug 06\My Music) you are still always really accessing Brian's brain (D:\Aug 06\My Music).

If you think of the Wizard of Oz then libraries act like the curtain and if you look behind the curtain you find out there really is no Wizard (Library\My Music), it is really just a man (D:\Aug 06\My Music).

So anyway, if you move your Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos back to D:\Aug 06 then you will be able to access them directly at D:\Aug 06 or via the Libraries but either way it is exactly the same physical location on your hard drives.

 

[julio99]

Nice analogy Brian, I mean Train, I mean Brian. Yes they are in D: or as you say, behind the curtain. The great thing that this does is it frees up the space on my SSD, so I can install and not worry about space. Thanks Train.