SOLVED Problems Relocating Library/Download Folders From C Drive to D Drive.

[Heathsideboy]

Hi, I apologise if this has been answered before.

I'm having a problem with my new laptop relocating all my library/download folders to my D drive in Windows 10. I want them so they show up nice and neatly underneath 'This PC' on the left hand side in the Navigation Pane.

On my other laptop, where I also have Windows 10, when I click on ' This PC,' on the Navigation Pane on the left-hand side, above the heading 'This PC,' Quick access & OneDrive are showing contracted. Then under ''This PC' I have the folders, Desktop, Documents, Music, Pictures & Videos all nice and neat underneath each other. Then shows the local disk (C), Storage Drive (D) Network & Homegroup.

Also showing when I click on ' This PC,' there are all my main folders showing under 'Folders' on the right-hand side of the navigation pane that show as follows: Desktop (this is shown as on the 'C' drive in properties). Then there are the 'Documents,' 'Downloads, 'Music,' 'Pictures & 'Videos' folders that all show on the 'D' drive in properties. This is exactly how I want it in my new laptop.

Underneath those folders under the heading 'Devices and drives,' show the amount of space I have left on Local Disk 'C' & Storage Drive 'D'.

On my new laptop, my 2 objectives are,

1. To put all my personal files and folders on the D drive.
2. To have personal folders shown in their separate folders in the
navigation pane on the left hand side as described above.

On my new laptop, I have too many folders on the left-hand side. Some are duplicated folders for example, I will have 2 Documents & 2 Downloads folders. Some folders are within other folders that include a complete new set of Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures & Videos folders.

I know I can drag certain folders into other folders. I want to make sure I am dragging into the correct folder, the one that when I save a document for example, then it will go into that folder.

I'm afraid to delete any folders that I may not need in case these folders are needed.

I want to get back to showing exactly as my other laptop shows as explained above.

I hope I've explained myself clearly and you understand what I'm trying to say. I'm sure that it is easier than I am making it out to be but I just want to be clear and sure before I go deleting folders that may be of importance.

I appreciate any help on this with step-by-step instructions if possible.

Thanks

HB

 

[Heathsideboy]

Please, can anyone help me with this???

Thanks

HB

 

[Heathsideboy]

Any help from anyone please?

 

[wegmand]

Any help from anyone please?

I think I accomplished what you want when I set up my computer.

First, create a Documents folder on the D: drive (D:\Documents). Make sure to move all pertinent document files & folders into it, clearing out the 'Documents' folder that Windows 10 created under the C: drive (C:\Users\username\Documents).

Next, go to the D: drive, and right-click on that D:\Documents folder, select "Include in library", and click on 'Documents' from the list.

This will map the D:\Documents to the 'Documents' library and it will probably appear as though you have 2 'Documents' libraries. To avoid confusion, you can right-click the original 'Documents' entry, select Properties, the General tab, and just edit the name to something else like "Documents old".

Simply repeat these steps with Music, Videos, Pictures, etc.

 

[Trouble]

What I have done in the past and continue to do to this day, whenever I perform a clean install of Windows.....
I have my profile data structure created (and maintained) on my D:\ drive to look the same as it does in my profile folder on C:\Users\MyUserName so on my D drive I have
D:\Users\MyUserName
And in that container I have

With that in place I then go to my profile folder C:\Users\MyUserName
And for each sub container above
I right click and choose properties and from there I use the "Location" tab and the "Move" button to relocate the contents to the data structure I created on my D drive

I've been using the same technique since converting over to smaller SSD drive for my OS a few years back.

NOTE: Since that is now the location of your critical data you'll want to include that in any backup schema you may have.
It helps when recovering a problem OS drive, in that you don't have to worry about restoring your data from a backup, just changing the pointers again (back to your data structure on D:\) after you resurrect your Operating System.

 

[Heathsideboy]

Okay guys, thanks for your help and I’m sorry for replying a little late.

Things have got a little worse. I managed to create a new folder on the D drive and I put my documents from the C drive in there as suggested.

When I looked inside my Downloads folder, the downloads in it had disappeared. So I may have accidentally merged this folder with My Documents folder or deleted it altogether by accident. This folder also had all My Documents in it. In fact it was a complete duplicate of My Documents folder. Since emptying all my documents to the D drive, both documents folders shown on the screenshot are now empty and the Downloads folder is nowhere to be seen.

If you look at the screenshot, you can see that there are 2 documents folders but one of them has the down arrow icon that is normally associated with the Downloads folder.

Can you tell me how I can get the Downloads folder back so that it is not a duplicate of the documents folder please?

Thanks

 

[Heathsideboy]

What I have done in the past and continue to do to this day, whenever I perform a clean install of Windows.....
I have my profile data structure created (and maintained) on my D:\ drive to look the same as it does in my profile folder on C:\Users\MyUserName so on my D drive I have
D:\Users\MyUserName
And in that container I have
View attachment 4652

With that in place I then go to my profile folder C:\Users\MyUserName
And for each sub container above
I right click and choose properties and from there I use the "Location" tab and the "Move" button to relocate the contents to the data structure I created on my D drive

I've been using the same technique since converting over to smaller SSD drive for my OS a few years back.

NOTE: Since that is now the location of your critical data you'll want to include that in any backup schema you may have.
It helps when recovering a problem OS drive, in that you don't have to worry about restoring your data from a backup, just changing the pointers again (back to your data structure on D:\) after you resurrect your Operating System.

Trouble,

Can I just ask that when you have put all your files & folders on the D drive location, do you still leave copies of them on the C drive or do you deliberately take them off the C drive permanently to put on the D drive?

Thanks

HB

 

[Trouble]

Yes, I leave the data structure in place in C:\Users\MyUserName.
I only change the pointers to D:\Users\MyUserName by using the individual property dialog box of each container, then the Location tab and the Move button, which effectively relocates the existing contents to the new location and that is all.
As far as I know, that particular technique is in general use and vaguely supported.
NOTE: Microsoft does not support and in fact warns against moving or relocating the whole user profile folder by any means or method and suggests that, doing so can impact your ability to "service" you installation, which I believe means that it will impact your ability to install updates or graduate to the next "upgrade"
NOTE2: I've never had any such problem(s) using the method I use, as I leave the original data structure in place, it's just empty.....
As in C:\Users\MyUserName\Documents has noting in it (as an example) because it is now actually located at D:\Users\MyUserName\Documents.

 

[Comp Cmndo]

How to Change the Location of User Folders in Windows 10

 

[Heathsideboy]

Thanks everybody. I think I've grasped it now

HB