I've accidentally replaced my User folder with my Pictures folder

Bree - So in this case it will be the Screenshots test that will reveal which situation the OP is in [Camera roll & Saved pictures are in D:\Pictures]. We'll have to wait to find out as the OP is in a different timezone. Denis

Try3 said:

Bree - So in this case it will be the Screenshots test that will reveal which situation the OP is in [Camera roll & Saved pictures are in D:\Pictures]. We'll have to wait to find out as the OP is in a different timezone. Denis

I understood the OP to have moved it to D:\Pictures first, then change their mind and intended to move it back to C:\Users\reece\Pictures, but actually selected C:\Users\reece instead, thus merging their Profile folder with their Pictures folder. At least, that's what I have recreated - and cannot find any way to undo it. As I said, I hope I have got it wrong...

PS: I think they may have just not changed the timezone in their profile to match the UK flag they have set as their location. New registrations always get a mid-US timezone as a default.

As we are discussing the System user folders, there are certain system files that actually make these folders "special"

For example the Pictures folder, and all the other User folders has a hidden system folder, all are named desktop.ini, but each contain a specific set of code lines that specify the way they are displayed and behave.

My Pictures folder has the following contents in it's Desktop.ini file, (up to date 1803 pro),

Code:

[.ShellClassInfo]
LocalizedResourceName=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-21779
InfoTip=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-12688
IconResource=%SystemRoot%\system32\imageres.dll,-113
IconFile=%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll
IconIndex=-236

There used to be a list of all these codes in one of @Brink 's tutorials that allowed a manual correction of the user folders when things have become "confused"

As these are system files they are only visible when the System and hidden flags are correctly set, this is easily done using the options to show "hidden files" and not "hide protected operating system files"

Bree said:

... that's what I have recreated - and cannot find any way to undo it ...

And in your test were the user shell folders all showing 'sensible' paths similar to those the OP posted a picture of?

Denis

Try3 said:

And in your test were the user shell folders all showing 'sensible' paths similar to those the OP posted a picture of?
Denis

No, not quite. I was missing the 5th & 6th entries (Camera Roll and Saved Pictures) - but it's all changed now as I'm making some progress on disentangling the mess I (deliberately) made. If you're right that won't be needed though. Otherwise I'll repeat the steps on a clean machine and make notes (too soon to post them, not quite sure yet which order the steps have to be).

Suggest: Restore default junctions.Make a backup first:

Then restore defaults using Win10DefaultJunctions.ntj file.

Junction Box download | SourceForge.net

Interesting tool, Callender. Thanks for pointing this out. Here's a link to the SourceForge download page for Junction Box.
--Ed--

Reece,

The first diagram does not appear to be C:\users\reece. If you paste C:\users\reece into File explorer's address then press the return key bar you ought then to see it displayed there as
> This PC > Windows (C:) > Users > reece {but it might show Pictures instead of reece}
but that is not what the first diagram shows.

Denis

Reece,

By the way, I think you want to delete or censor the first diagram because it gives away your surname & you indicated earlier on that you wanted to avoid doing that.

Denis