Merge Document Folders

Bob,

I only hesitate about deleting DocumentsOld because its origin remains uncertain. That's why I suggested just emptying it.
- Either you or somebody else has at one time used that folder as the defined 'user folder' for 'documents' or they have used a procedure to make it look that way.
- It is this unknown that causes my hesitation.

If it was my computer, I'd make a full backup [a system image of the OS & a file backup of the E drive] and then try deleting it to see what happens. Probably nothing troublesome at all but I would worry until I saw it was all alright.

Denis

Bob,

After you have put E:\Documents in Quick access, you can then consider the additional steps in post #11

And this would also be a good time to review your backup planning.

Denis

Perhaps they 'relocated' the user folders to the E:\ drive so that the main drive would then be clear for reinstalling the OS.

I'll be ready for your questions about the additional steps in post #11 and your backup planning.

Denis

Bob,

I think I gave you some Macrium links before. If not, here they are

System imaging
Macrium Reflect is often recommended in this forum for making system images. Other utilities are available but this one is so commonplace that you can get plenty of help for it.

Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect - TenForumsTutorials
Macrium Software Macrium Reflect Free
Macrium USB - TenForums
Macrium Reflect KnowledgeBase - user guide [version-independent link]

It can also make bootable system images. This facility is called viBoot and it requires Win10 Pro.
Macrium viBoot - Macrium KB
Macrium viBoot - Create Virtual Machine using Macrium Image - TenForumsTutorials

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There are lots of choices for backing up files & folders and they do not normally require adding folders individually - they normally just want you to add the top-level folder / drive.

1 You can use a built-in facility called File history [Enable or Disable File History - TenForumsTutorials] that creates a backup on another disk every time you change one of your own files.
- This can be very convenient if you have a spare drive or an SD card reader in your computer that is normally unused. Just designate that as the File history target drive for the whole of your E drive.
- The tutorial does not mention that File history can also be set up and turned on/off at Settings, Update & security, Backup [including its More options then See advanced settings]
- Don't even bother finding out about a Windows 10 facility you might stumble across called Backup & restore [Windows 7] because MS recommend that it is not used any more [it was the MS imaging utility but Macrium is much better].
- Given that this uses a drive that is always connected, it could be attacked by hackers but its convenience is such that you are very unlikely to lose a file by accident.

2 You can use a backup utility provided by a professional software publisher.
- You'd need to search for these. Try a TenForums search first because the advice here is generally very good.
- I have not used anybody else's backup software since about 1995 when MS Backup annoyed me too much.

3 You can cobble together your own procedure for backing up your own files - they are, when all is said & done, just a set of file copies.
- This is what I do. I use RoboCopy.
- You could put together a set of RoboCopy commands in a batch file similar to that I posted for your file transfers. I think you would just want to work at the E:\ drive level rather than nominate individual folders.
- The target of your file backup should be an external drive that you only connect while you are backing up. That would be protected from hackers except for the short amount of time that it is connected for.
- I have two external backup drives. I back up to each of them every other week so that I would lose a maxiumum of a couple of weeks work even if a backup drive failed when I needed to restore.
- If you decide to do this I can help with deciding what 'switches' to include. That would save you having to study RoboCopy too much before being able to do this.

- - RoboCopy can be customised to, for example, omit specific folders if needed, and
- - can be set to just accumulate files on the target or to delete surplus files on the target [thus creating an exact mirror image of the source drive/folder].
- - can be set to create a complete mirror image of a drive/folder i.e. the whole of a drive/folder is RoboCopied to the target drive

4 You can also backup other elements.
- I routinely backup third-party drivers so I would have a full set ready to be restored if I reinstalled Windows.

- - See Backup and Restore Device Drivers - TenForumsTutorials
- - I only run this backup when I update drivers so it is quite irregular

- I routinely back up my Registry but this is probably going too far because I have never had occasion to restore anything from these backups, and

- - other people said I was going too far in a TenForums thread on the subject, and
- - Windows does not bother automatically backing up the Registry any longer.

Denis

Bob,

I was just adding some Macrium links to my last post as you were posting your last one.

Denis