Default Documents/Music/Pictures/Videos folder alternatives?

Mortiferon · 19 Aug 2018

For those of us finally fed up with the colossal mess applications have made of them (particularly “Documents”). And also for those of us still with just the “C:\” drive to work with.

I’ve long heard that it’s simply not viable to use a new “Local Disc C:\” folder for such purposes, for incessant nagging of permissions and now UAC. Also even that many applications can't work with files coming from/going to there for those very same reasons. Or Is this still true? Is there a way to make it work, anyway?

And, apparently, it is also a bad idea to simply just nest a folder within “Desktop” (as, for some inexplicable reason, it’s not protected from restore operations; I do manually backup my stuff to external drives, but...). Which is exactly what I’d first thought to resort to... dammit!

Also much to my consternation, there’s no ability whatsoever to add new “This PC” nor “User” folders. Surely there’s a rational, even good, explanation for this but it still rankles.

So if none of those are in fact viable, then what can we actually do?

I’m worn clean out of wading through dozens of extraneous applications junk folders to find and use my actual personal files. And I know I’m pretty far from alone in that. And “Libraries” isn’t really a solution; I do work with the actual files, for my manual backups and such.

I’d also prefer to not have to buy a new internal drive (not until I actually need one to pair with the wee M.2 drives). It’s frankly beyond the pale that that should even be necessary to have just *one* little corner with *only* my personal files, and that’s legitimately clean and organized (not merely ‘emulated’ that way, via “Libraries” etc).

As I’m sure MS will never get around to implementing anything like this (say, a secular: user account name/My data/“My Documents/My Music/My Pictures/My Videos”, sort of like it was before), and that app devs would just abuse it all over again even if they did... what’s our recourse? Or, is there even one to be had at all?

dalchina · 19 Aug 2018

Hi, no-one's forcing you to use the default library folders at all. However, as you say, many programs you install will insist on filling them with THEIR folders.

You can:
- create your own folders- whether that be on C: (not a good idea) or on another disk or partition - separate from the OS- better idea.
- create your own libraries
- add your folders to a library

I have almost no personal data on C: - it's on a second disk.

Create New Library in Windows 10
Include Folder to Library in Windows 10

My suggestion: leave the default libraries alone on C: (and don't try relocating them- people get into real difficulties doing so).

Really simple (where you're the only user): Create a set of folders on another disk/partition
My Documents
My Music
My Videos

etc
(or whatever you want to call them)
and use those.

If you wish to use the library structure (and the permissions benefits) then the tutorials above may help.

Plenty more on libraries if you search
Windows 10 Tutorial Index

Barman58 · 19 Aug 2018

@Mortiferon

If I read your post correctly it's the default folders that you have an issue with rather than the libraries

Assuming this is true there is a way that may work for you that actually takes over the Libraries folder system for your purpose

First thing to do is Backup your system and files to be safe

then create an area, wherever you prefer for your files. This can be a set of folders in an existing location or create a new folder, and create a subfolder for each type of file you wish to segregate, either you can separate by the windows setup or your own.

Create a new Library called My Files, or a more specific name, and add the folders that contain the content that you wish to keep together. Now when you want to access your files you can simply use the My Files Library to access your files. You can make as many libraries as you wish, to meet your requirements.

Also if you decide to follow Windows guidelines for libraries you could remove the existing shortcuts in the libraries and then add the folders of your files as above

If you have folder that an application has added that you actually need you can simply add it to one of your libraries

Also backups should include the personal folders rather than the libraries

In day to day use you just need to use the libraries rather than the folders, and you control what appears in your libraries Not the application developers or even Microsoft

edit
Post crossed with above

Mortiferon · 20 Aug 2018

Ah, so it really isn't possible to keep a clean base file structure as I'd like (*on OS drive). That's really unfortunate.

I'll consider "Libraries". But I presume they'd have to be set up all over again... think that's why I initially didn't bother with them. Didn't see much point to an emulated solution that can't be backed up as-is, itself. You know, itself, not a whole-shebang image or such like that.

As I'm eventually going to be moving to M.2 SSD (closer than not to 2020), and a 250GB, I'll likely need to move/redirect these to the secondary internal (so all this apps junk doesn't take most of what's left after applications proper). Are there really so many problems with that? Is it user-error, not doing it properly, or a fault with the OS (a bug etc.)? For now, just curious.

And thank you both for the information, I appreciate it.

dalchina · 20 Aug 2018

I'll consider "Libraries". But I presume they'd have to be set up all over again...

- all over again? Have you read the tutorials?

clean base file structure as I'd like (*on OS drive).

You can set up your own folders wherever you like- within reason.

And all can be backed up. Don't really understand your thinking, sorry.

Don't bother trying to relocate folders via the Location tab. People get into difficulties when they make mistakes with this. Read some of the threads. The last case took some days with an expert user here on a spare system sorting out a problem MS stated in the error message couldn't be sorted out.

xTL · 21 Aug 2018

Hi Mortiferon

@ C:\Users\username\foldername. ( your user )
( Mine is C:\Users\Mike )
Right click Documents, Pictures, Music, Video, > Properties > Location

Default Documents/Music/Pictures/Videos folder alternatives?-yerdfcg.png

Here you can change the default location of docs, music, pics, vids, to any other location you choose.

( Mine looks different because i change the name & icon on it. )

dalchina · 21 Aug 2018

Yes you can do that, but that's not really going to help with those being filled with folders created by installed programs - the clutter.

the colossal mess applications have made of them

post #1

Nor is it particularly safe, inasmuch as a slight slip when doing that can produce a long thread here sorting it out.

rafaelpernia · 22 Sep 2019

dalchina said:

Hi, no-one's forcing you to use the default library folders at all. However, as you say, many programs you install will insist on filling them with THEIR folders.

You can:
- create your own folders- whether that be on C: (not a good idea) or on another disk or partition - separate from the OS- better idea.
- create your own libraries
- add your folders to a library

I have almost no personal data on C: - it's on a second disk.

Create New Library in Windows 10
Include Folder to Library in Windows 10

My suggestion: leave the default libraries alone on C: (and don't try relocating them- people get into real difficulties doing so).

Really simple (where you're the only user): Create a set of folders on another disk/partition
My Documents
My Music
My Videos

etc
(or whatever you want to call them)
and use those.

If you wish to use the library structure (and the permissions benefits) then the tutorials above may help.

Plenty more on libraries if you search
Windows 10 Tutorial Index

Hi Dalchina. I have the opposite problem and I'm sure i'm not alone in this. My new rig has two disks. a solid state C for the OS and a D disk for Data. I agree with you and specially with mortiferon in that I want to decide my personal folder structure. I've been doing it for many years and I wont put anything personal on the C drive... BUT... I find it frustrating that I cant use some windows features like the folder shortcuts besides the start menu or the sync to one drive... any of these things work for Non-C folders. Windows 10 already has duplicate folders which is annoying, pictures under My PC and other under Libraries. having a third pictures folders with MY pictures seems utterly ridiculous.
Is there a way to solve this? redirect those folders to my D ones?

Thanks

x509 · 23 Sep 2019

rafaelpernia said:

Hi Dalchina. I have the opposite problem and I'm sure i'm not alone in this. My new rig has two disks. a solid state C for the OS and a D disk for Data. I agree with you and specially with mortiferon in that I want to decide my personal folder structure. I've been doing it for many years and I wont put anything personal on the C drive... BUT... I find it frustrating that I cant use some windows features like the folder shortcuts besides the start menu or the sync to one drive... any of these things work for Non-C folders. Windows 10 already has duplicate folders which is annoying, pictures under My PC and other under Libraries. having a third pictures folders with MY pictures seems utterly ridiculous.
Is there a way to solve this? redirect those folders to my D ones?

Thanks

+1, no +2 to what rafaelpernia said here. I have the same issue. Unlike the OP, I have multiple separate partitions to store my "real" data.

C - Windows and applications only. NOTHING ELSE.
D - general data
E - photos, music, books, videos, etc.
F - software downloads and related material

The SSD in both my desktop and laptop is big enough to hold both C and D partitions. E and F require large amounts of storage, so I use a 4 TB HDD for those partitions.

To the OP: You can use any partition editor you like to partition the M.2 drive if there is enough space. Just keep your data files in Drive D or above

dalchina · 23 Sep 2019

rafaelpernia said:

Hi Dalchina. . BUT... I find it frustrating that I cant use some windows features like the folder shortcuts besides the start menu or the sync to one drive... any of these things work for Non-C folders. Windows 10 already has duplicate folders which is annoying, pictures under My PC and other under Libraries. having a third pictures folders with MY pictures seems utterly ridiculous.
Is there a way to solve this? redirect those folders to my D ones?
Thanks

Hi, there's this:
Sync Any Folder to OneDrive in Windows 10
which tries to help overcome the curious limitation of OneDrive in not giving a free choice of folders to sync.

Personally I'd be looking at a more flexible fully featured non-MS tool for cloud sync. It does seem that when MS creates tools above and beyond the basic scope of the O/S they tend to do their customers a disservice.

Considering the default library folders- yes, you can relocate them (Properties, Location tab) and whilst some are happy to do this, I'd personally not choose to
a. It's all too easy to make a horrible mess of things when doing this - threads bear witness to this
b. you're still left with programs filling these folders with their folders when installing them