Moving the 'My Documents' folder (and others) to a different hard disk

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  1. Posts : 386
    Windows 10 Pro (x64) 22H2 (OS Build 19045.3996)
    Thread Starter
       #21

    Compumind said:
    @ArthurDent -

    Please refresh my memory (pun intended) - what is the size of your boot SSD?

    Hi Compumind

    Only 240GB. The disk I intend to use for data, etc is 5TB (now sanitised - took 23hrs!)

    Sorry I took so long to reply, just spent the last 5 hours in the garden mixing concrete and putting in a small retaining wall for a path!

    Art
      My Computers


  2. Posts : 18,044
    Win 10 Pro 64-bit v1909 - Build 18363 Custom ISO Install
       #22

    Hello @mngerhold,

    mngerhold said:
    You could, then, add shortcuts to your new (but not re-located) folders into the Quick Access list.
    Don't you mean add the re-located folders shortcut to the Quick Access list?
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 1,218
    W10-Pro 22H2
       #23

    Paul Black said:
    Hello @mngerhold, Don't you mean add the re-located folders shortcut to the Quick Access list?
    No, I deliberately wrote that as he hasn't relocated anything (the original folders are still there in their standard location), he has just created new ones (well, that is what I meant to suggest!).
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 18,044
    Win 10 Pro 64-bit v1909 - Build 18363 Custom ISO Install
       #24

    mngerhold said:
    No, I deliberately wrote that as he hasn't relocated anything (the original folders are still there in their standard location), he has just created new ones (well, that is what I meant to suggest!).
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 386
    Windows 10 Pro (x64) 22H2 (OS Build 19045.3996)
    Thread Starter
       #25

    Thanks @mngerhold

    You are correct.

    As it currently stands, the 5TB drive I intend to use for data is formatted but completely blank.

    Art

    - - - Updated - - -

    Okay,

    So I've partitioned the 5TB Data disk into two drives W: for Windows and L: for Linux documents:

    Moving the 'My Documents' folder (and others) to a different hard disk-disk-management-w-l-drives-.jpg

    I have populated the W: Drive with a selection of folders:

    Moving the 'My Documents' folder (and others) to a different hard disk-w-drive-folders.jpg

    All I have to do now is get the location of each folder on C: drive (circled in orange):

    Moving the 'My Documents' folder (and others) to a different hard disk-folder-relocation.jpg

    ... pointing at the relevant folder in W: drive. That's all I have to do?

    For the above example, change C:\Users\username\Documents to W:\My Documents - or would I have to change the path to W:\Users\username\My Documents ?? I'm guessing the latter.
    (see note below about this particular folder on C: drive)

    In the case of some folders (like Documents), despite this being a brand-new installation of Windows, there are still some items that need to be moved.

    Is it simply a matter of <select item> , 'cut', <paste item> for these?

    I had around 23 images in C:\Users\username\Pictures\Saved Pictures, which I copied to W: drive. I then checked that they were in the W: drive folder and then deleted the pictures from C: yet there are now NO pictures in W: - did I simply copy shortcuts so when deleted from C: they also vanished from W:??

    Art
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Moving the 'My Documents' folder (and others) to a different hard disk-disk-management-w-l-drives-.jpg  
    Last edited by ArthurDent; 01 Jul 2020 at 12:21.
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 1,218
    W10-Pro 22H2
       #26

    ArthurDent said:
    For the above example, change C:\Users\username\Documents to D:\My Documents - or would I have to change the path to D:\Users\username\My Documents ?? I'm guessing the latter.
    You don't need to type anything - just click the 'move' button, which will open a folder-selector window, and select your new location (you have an option to move existing files). I already said the path name does not have to match - you can just use 'Move' to point to your new 'My Documents' folder on W: (where does D: come in now?).

    ArthurDent said:
    In the case of some folders (like Documents), despite this being a brand-new installation of Windows, there are still some items that need to be moved. Is it simply a matter of <select item> , 'cut', <paste item> for these?
    I don't know which items you mean - but for the folder re-location described previously, no cut & paste is required.

    ArthurDent said:
    I had around 23 images in C:\Users\username\Pictures\Saved Pictures, which I copied to D: drive. I then checked that they were in the D: drive folder and then deleted the pictures from C: yet there are now NO pictures in D: - did I simply copy shortcuts so when deleted from C: they also vanished from D:??
    Do you mean W:, rather than D:? If you relocated your 'pictures' folder as above, this should not happen. There should be no link between the old and new locations. Those who advised against re-location will by now be saying 'I told you so...'. If you copied files from original to new location, separately from re-locating the folders, then who knows what you did. Without being able to resolve that, the Recycle Bin should be your friend now.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 16,781
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #27

    Art,

    I think your deletion problem is because you were not looking at "the pictures from C:" at all but were looking at a shortcut to the new location. Were you looking at these?



    Despite their appearance, these are not folders but shortcuts to your Pictures etc folders so they are just another way of viewing your now-relocated folders.
    You can stop these icons appearing, as several of us have done, using Add or Remove Folders from This PC - TenForumsTutorials

    Denis
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 386
    Windows 10 Pro (x64) 22H2 (OS Build 19045.3996)
    Thread Starter
       #28

    mngerhold said:
    You don't need to type anything - just click the 'move' button, which will open a folder-selector window, and select your new location (you have an option to move existing files). I already said the path name does not have to match - you can just use 'Move' to point to your new 'My Documents' folder on W: (where does D: come in now?).

    I don't know which items you mean - but for the folder re-location described previously, no cut & paste is required.

    Do you mean W:, rather than D:? If you relocated your 'pictures' folder as above, this should not happen. There should be no link between the old and new locations. Those who advised against re-location will by now be saying 'I told you so...'. If you copied files from original to new location, separately from re-locating the folders, then who knows what you did. Without being able to resolve that, the Recycle Bin should be your friend now.
    Yes, you are correcct, my head was still back 24hrs ago when the data drive had been called D:

    I have split it into two now W: and L: as earlier in the post.

    Just shows you - I read the post in preview before posting yet didn't see the discrepancy.

    Sadly the Recycle Bin won't help - I used <shift> + <delete> rather than just <delete>

    Regarding 'who knows what you did', I think Denis has the answer in the post after yours!

    [rant]Why Microsoft have to change things to something more confusing is beyond me![/rant]

    Art

    - - - Updated - - -

    Try3 said:
    Art,

    I think your deletion problem is because you were not looking at "the pictures from C:" at all but were looking at a shortcut to the new location. Were you looking at these?



    Despite their appearance, these are not folders but shortcuts to your Pictures etc folders so they are just another way of viewing your now-relocated folders.
    You can stop these icons appearing, as several of us have done, using Add or Remove Folders from This PC - TenForumsTutorials

    Denis
    Yep - think that's what I did.

    Looked in the wrong place then used permanent delete so the items aren't in the Recycle Bin.

    Art
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 5,048
    Windows 10/11 Pro x64, Various Linux Builds, Networking, Storage, Cybersecurity Specialty.
       #29

    @ArthurDent -

    It's important to know the configuration which you had created and all the permutations with shortcuts, folders and partitions.
    It can get a bit tricky so it's a good idea to create a "cheat sheet" with the information on how you structured everything.

    Strictly, IMHO...

      My Computer


  10. Posts : 386
    Windows 10 Pro (x64) 22H2 (OS Build 19045.3996)
    Thread Starter
       #30

    Compumind said:
    @ArthurDent -

    It's important to know the configuration which you had created and all the permutations with shortcuts, folders and partitions.
    It can get a bit tricky so it's a good idea to create a "cheat sheet" with the information on how you structured everything.

    Strictly, IMHO...

    Sorry Compumind.

    Can you be a bit more specifc as to what you mean?

    Art
      My Computers


 

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