Wrong Location(?) of Documents folder and OneDrive problems Win 10

diziet · 09 Feb 2021

Hi all,

MS Windows 10, Version 2004 (OS Build 1904.746)

Hoping someone can help me solve a frustration I'm having... I installed Win 10 just around a year ago and I'm sure I somehow managed to move the location of my documents folder. Not much of a problem as it still works. However I've started using OneDrive to try and sync files.

At the moment my 'Documents' folder is in the 'Users' folder. There is no folder with my username on it and when I try to create one nothing happens.
C:\\User\Documents

After installing onedrive it appears inside my 'Documents' folder.
C:\\Users\Documents\Onedrive

I have files saved in Onedrive but up until now I've not used the app to sync files.

Now, I have the set of files saved in 'Documents' and the different set of files in onedrive meaning I can't sync the two.

How can I move my documents folder to the correct place to get everything working properly?

**UPDATE - It actually appears as if my Documents folder and "username" folder are the same thing! ***

Thanks

Try3 · 10 Feb 2021

This can all be fixed. Please do these checks and post the results.

1 Check what Windows thinks your username is

Right-click on the Start button,
select Windows PowerShell,
enter the command

Code:

whoami

- It will respond in the format ComputerName\UserName

- If you are using an MSAccount-linked user account this username will often be the first five characters of your email address or the Full name registered for your MSAccount.

2.1 In File explorer, browse to C:\Users and check whether or not there is a folder named after your username as reported by whoami
2.2 If not, browse to C:\Users\Documents then, with that folder selected, click in the File explorer address bar to display the path slightly differently. Does it now show your username? If it is not precisely C:\Users\Documents then please post the results.

3 Please run RegEdit [C:\Windows\regedit.exe]. It would take a long time to explain what I'm looking for here and I'd no doubt end up asking you to post these screenshots anyway so you might as well do that now and I'll review them for you.

3.1 Paste this into its address bar to get straight to the relevant key

Code:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

and take a picture of the right-hand side of the window after you have dragged the column dividers around to make sure all entries are shown in full. Post this screenshot and label it 3.1 User Shell Folders so it cannot get mixed up.

3.2 Paste this into its address bar to get straight to the relevant key

Code:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders

and take a picture of the right-hand side of the window after you have dragged the column dividers around to make sure all entries are shown in full. Post this screenshot and label it 3.2 Shell Folders so it cannot get mixed up.

Denis

Whenever you want to post diagrams of any kind, refer to any of this set of guidance articles. Just select the appropriate tool for any particular job.

Take a screenshot - TenForumsTutorials
Take a screen snip with Snip and Sketch - TenForumsTutorials
Steps Recorder - TenForumsTutorials

and A basic guide to using the Snipping tool - TenForums
and, for photos, How to tidy up computer screen photo - TenForums

How to upload and post screenshots and files - TenForumsTutorials
How to remove a screenshot or image from a TenForums post - TenForumsTutorials

How to post a screenshot of Disk management - TenForumsTutorials

diziet · 10 Feb 2021

Thanks so much Denis! I did have a look in my registry last night but I'm not that confident in knowing what it was telling me!

In response to your instructions...

1. Done and got my username. The computer is linked to my microsoft account but I used a different username

2.1 No folder named after whoami (screenshot included for clarity)

2.2 Just displays as C:\\users\documents

3.1 Screenshot added

3.2 Screenshot added

**I've also included a screenshot of part of my Documents contents that shows the Onedrive folder

Wrong Location(?) of Documents folder and OneDrive problems Win 10-2-user-documents.png

Wrong Location(?) of Documents folder and OneDrive problems Win 10-3.1-user-shell-folders.png

Wrong Location(?) of Documents folder and OneDrive problems Win 10-3.2-shell-folders.png

Wrong Location(?) of Documents folder and OneDrive problems Win 10-documents-contents.png

Thanks again for your help! Much appreciated

Try3 · 10 Feb 2021

Stoo,

1 Are you really telling me that these folders

are direct subfolders of C:\Users [rather than of C:\Users\Stoo]? I really hope that was a misunderstanding.

2 The Registry diagrams have already answered the main questions for me anyway but

is not what I meant to suggest you do. I mention this for your future reference because I can now see that my previous explanation was not quite what I had intended. Click in a blank area of the File explorer address bar not on any of the text currently showing [off to the right, say, as there's always blank space there] and you'll see what happens - it can be very useful.

Wrong Location(?) of Documents folder and OneDrive problems Win 10-where-click.png

This

Wrong Location(?) of Documents folder and OneDrive problems Win 10-unclicked.png

changes to

Wrong Location(?) of Documents folder and OneDrive problems Win 10-clicked.png

thereby confirming the real folder path and allowing you to copy the path to avoid typos.

3 As you suspected, you 'relocated' your Documents folder to C:\Users. The fix is easy but you should move files around manually to get them where you want to ensure they do not go missing during the fix.
3.1 In C:\Users\Stoo create a subfolder C:\Users\Stoo\Documents
3.2 Move around those of your own current subfolders of C:\Users\Stoo that you want within C:\Users\Stoo\Documents

- Do not move any folders the system or an application created such as that Edge backups one or the NCH one.
- So you are likely to end up with C:\Users\Stoo\Documents\Native Instruments and others
- Double-check what you've done. You cannot rely on Windows moving anything for you.

3.3 Now click in a blank area of the File explorer address bar to show C:\Users\Stoo\Documents then right-click Copy to get the path into the Clipboard.
3.4 Run Regedit again & go to User shell folders again

Code:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

3.5 Double-click on the entry Personal [which means Documents] and a dialog box will open up into which you can paste C:\Users\Stoo\Documents. Then click OK.
3.6 Job done.

4 I can also see that your Pictures folder & Desktop are in your OneDrive folders. You can adopt the same approach to them

- create the folder you do want [such as C:\Users\Stoo\Desktop]
- move everything to where you want it [again assuming that anything you do not put where you want it will get lost in the transition]
- Paste that path into the User shell folders entry for Desktop.
- Pictures is slightly different. Paste the new path into the User shell folders entry for My pictures and also into that one second from the top

Wrong Location(?) of Documents folder and OneDrive problems Win 10-diz-pictures.png

QEFD,
Denis

diziet · 10 Feb 2021

Thanks Denis, your help is really appreciated and easy to follow!

1. No They are in the following: C:\Users\Stoo

2. Here is the result of clicking in Explorer like you suggested: C:\Users\Stoo

3.1 Done - In Explorer this is displayed as Local Disk(C:) > Users > Documents > Documents and when clicking in the address bar as: C:\Users\Stoo\Documents

3.2 Done

3.3 Done

3.4 Done

3.5 Done

3.6 Job not done unfortunately. On restarting everything is exactly the same! Except there is now a 'User Shell Folders' file displayed in 'Quick Access'

Here is what is displayed when navigating to my C Drive:

Wrong Location(?) of Documents folder and OneDrive problems Win 10-c-drive.png

And what is displayed when then navigating to the 'Users' folder:

Wrong Location(?) of Documents folder and OneDrive problems Win 10-users.png

I then click navigate to Documents and get this:

Wrong Location(?) of Documents folder and OneDrive problems Win 10-documents.png

Where you can see the 'new' documents folder I created.

Nowhere do I get the option to navigate to a folder called Stoo - it is only displayed when I click in the address bar of Explorer.

I wish I could remember what I did way back!

Try3 · 10 Feb 2021

Please post the Registry diagram of User shell folders again
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

Denis

diziet · 10 Feb 2021

Try3 · 10 Feb 2021

I've just seen your latest Registry diagram. So everything seems to be where you want. With all folders in the right place [as read when clicking in the address bar] but otherwise appearing to have the wrong names [which are known as 'Display names'], correcting these seems to be the next step.

Just by way of example, I have ignored some rules and 'relocated' my Desktop, Downloads & Screenshots folders to the same place [my Desktop] so it can appear with any of those 'Display names'. Everything works correctly but it can get confusing when I'm looking for "Desktop" and cannot see it because it has decided to display as "Downloads" this morning.

The forum member who best understands how to correct Display names is KeithM. See his post at
user folder display names [KeithM post #9] - TenForums
We can work through that guidance now that everything is actually in the right place. I'll have to study it as well because I have never had to use that guidance before.

Please can we deal with one red herring first? Remove [i.e. unpin] that User shell folders entry from your Quick access then drag & drop C:\Users\Stoo\Documents onto it. Whatever name it adopts has got to be less confusing than User shell folders.

I'm about to be tied up for several hours. Can I suggest that you study Keith's guidance so we can discuss the way ahead when I'm back. Naturally, I'm hoping that you'll find it so simple you won't have any questions at all but I will help if it is not clear to you.

Denis

diziet · 10 Feb 2021

Denis, I truly appreciate the help you've given me on this! I've had a look at the renaming suggestions but nothing really seems to work the folder C:\Users\Stoo still appears as the default documents folder. It's possible I'm not changing the correct registry entries. I'll wait until you're in a position to help again before I go and potentially do serious registry damage!

Try3 · 10 Feb 2021

Stu,

Just a thought but I hope it is a waste of time - browse to
C:\Users\Stoo\Documents
and right-click on it then select Properties. It should have a Location tab [which should point to itself C:\Users\Stoo\Documents].

Check C:\Users\Stoo as well. It should not have a location tab.

If these checks are correct they are further confirmation that all we are talking about is correcting Display names.

Back in a couple of hours,
Denis