New Windows 10 Laptop - want to move 'Documents' folder to D: Drive

Have a look here at moving the documents folder Move Location of Documents Folder in Windows 10 . To download to the D drive create a folder on it and set the location to download in your browser setting.

Art,

ArthurDent said:

Finally, for now (!) do I have to manually move the existing documents, photos, etc from C: to D:

Not offically, but I do so. I create the new folder first then manually move the existing content into it and only then use the relocation procedure [it only went wrong once letting Windows handle the movement but it was so awkward recovering that I always do it this way nowadays].

There are separate TenForumsTutorials for each of these.

Desktop Folder - Move Location in Windows 10

Documents Folder - Move Location in Windows 10

Downloads Folder - Move Location in Windows 10

Favorites Folder - Move Location in Windows 10 - This refers to IE Favourites so don't bother if you use other browsers

Game DVR Captures Folder - Move Location in Windows 10

Music Folder - Move Location in Windows 10

Pictures Folder - Move Location in Windows 10

Searches Folder - Move Location in Windows 10

Videos Folder - Move Location in Windows 10

I cannot find an equivalent tutorial for your Screenshots folder but relocating this follows the same pattern - right-click on the folder, select the Location tab, put your new path in the input box.
- You'll initially find your Screenshots folder in its default location as a subfolder of your Pictures folder - it is only created when you first use Screenshots so make one now if you have not done so already.

Denis

Remember, if not exist in D, ckeck C, some stuff forcibly uses C, regardless of user setups.

Roland's warning is spot on. Some applications or shortcuts are too stupid to do things properly. I keep a shortcut to my C:\Users\%UserName% folder and look in it every so often to check.
- There is no excuse for them as all the relocated user folder addresses are available in the Registry and that is where they should always look.
- The Registry key concerned is mostly easy to interpret but not completely. Some folder locations are given meaningful labels but others are not. So it would always be best to search this forum for guidance before fiddling.
- Registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
- You could also use these Registry keys to manually relocate user folders if, like me, you had made a pig's ear out of doing it the proper way or if, like me, you had deliberately relocated more than one user folder to the same location [my Desktop, Downloads & Screenshots folders, for example, are all in the same place].

And also note that references in batch files, command line use or guidance on using File explorer might use an address such as C:\Users\%UserName%\Desktop but whether that finds the correct folder or not varies. Desktop is a particular pig in this respect.

When you have completed relocations, open each common application then use its New... procedure to create a file in what you intend to use as the 'normal' folder. And save a file in what you intend to use as the 'normal' folder. Most applications will then offer you this folder when you next use it. Some applications can also let you specify a 'default' folder in their options.

Denis

If you are using the Location tab, please be aware you can make bad mistakes quite easily which are to all intents and purposes almost impossible or at best technically difficult to recover from. (See example reports and threads on this).

Take note of the warning at the start of the tutorials I asked to have added about creating an image before doing this. That's referred to as a system image- better known as disk imaging.

Create a full disk image of Windows (this is recommended time again tirelessly by tenforums members as something to be done routinely anyway) e.g. using Macrium reflect (free/paid) + large enough external storage for image files.


Personally I wouldn't relocate folders like this. I create my own folders on the secondary drive, then add them to libraries as necessary and appropriate- or create new libraries (tutorials available).

The choice, as they say, is yours.

idgat said:

You don't even have to create a (new) target folder. Go to C:\ drive > Users > (username folder) > Documents. Right click > Location > change the current (default directory) from C:\Users\(username)\Documents to D:\Documents. Click OK.

Windows will ask if you want to create the folder (Yes), and then if you want to move all the contents (which, of course, you do).

Recommended to do the same for Desktop, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos

Moving these folders is an excellent idea. Much easier to set up backup, and obviates the need for (particularly inexperienced) users to be foraging around in the same "area" as the OS and program files are installed.

Also a common practice now that many devices come installed with a (smaller) SSD for OS and programs, and a (larger) HDD for personal data. Unfortunately, the user has to be knowing and do it manually.

And you can change the directory at which Windows/File Explorer opens (i.e. automatically open at the D:\ drive). Create a new desktop icon - right click on Desktop > New > Shortcut > Browse > navigate to C:\Windows > select explorer.exe > OK > while the setup window is still open, add (space)/n,(space)/e,(space)D:\ > Next > change the icon label to be more descriptive (than explorer.exe - say, Windows Explorer e.g.) > Finish. Right click on the new icon, and in Run:, change that to Maximise (this ensures the window opens full sized so your not scrolling around a small window looking for your files and folders).

Depending on where you want the icon, right click again > Pin to Start and/or Pin to Taskbar

Yes I know but each to their own. I'm with @dalchina here and always kept it simple.