Duplicate Downloads folder keeps appearing

dalchina said:

You're welcome. Actually you do have libraries-- your Downloads, Pictures etc are default library folders.

Ah, good point. What I meant was that I disable things like Media Player's, erm, "helpful" feature whereby it scans by entire PC looking for any media files and indexing them all. I don't need (or want) that, I am capable of managing my own media.

Does Windows do anything with those library folders? I mean ignoring things like Media Player's indexing?

Thanks again.

dalchina said:

I've never used Media Player's indexing, or even looked at it, so I'm guessing you can simply disable it. It used to be the case that Photo's album's feature had an annoying habit of intrusively indexing things.

One of the first things I do when installing Win10 is revert back to the old photo viewer. Was quick and simple, and didn't attempt to take over my PC.

dalchina said:

Windows indexing is another matter- set up and used appropriately and intelligently (it takes a bit of understanding, alas, hardly a consumer product) and that can of course index Documents, Downloads etc like any folder. That's not intrusive.

I hardly ever use it. I sometimes search in my Documents folder, but as that's on an SSD, I'm not sure that indexing wold help. My Download, Music and Pictures folders are each so well organised that I know exactly where to find what I want, and so never use the search feature.

Quite apart from the fact that I don't like the way search shows the results!

dalchina said:

What is intrusive, as I mentioned, is the clutter of folders added in those default library folders by a number of 3rd party programs when installed and /or used.

Thankfully I don't think I have any of those. I know what you mean though.

Thanks again.

dalchina said:

I find Windows indexing useful on occasion. For example, in a folder of files, some running to 450 pages, I wanted to find certain text. 1 search, and in a moment I had the relevant files.
More commonly I use a 3rd party fast search tool.
Just whatever seems more appropriate... but most 3rd party search tools don't index content....

Do you know, I don't think I even thought about searching content. I guess it depends on what kind of use you make of your PC, but it's not something I've ever really needed. I can see the power if you did though.

Thanks

MaloK said:

You can create a Hard link or a junction to replace the folder... It will always appear as existent and any unaware software will download to your new location without knowing it .

Just tried this and am a bit confused.

When I installed Windows, I used the Location tab of the Downloads folder's properties to change the location to D:\Downloads.

If I am to create a junction from C:\Users\Me\Downloads to D:\Downloads, I need to get rid of this. I tried deleting the Downloads folder, but that was going to delete all my files as well, so I cancelled that. I renamed it to Downloads2, and then tried creating a junction as follows...

Code:

mklink /j "C:\Users\Me\Downloads" "D:\Downloads"

That created a Downloads icon in C:\Users\Me, which works correctly. However, I'm left with Downloads2, which I can't delete.

What should I have done? Thanks again.

P.S. Not terrible, but a bit annoying, the junction created has an arrow in the bottom left of the icon, like a shortcut. Is there a way to get rid of this?

@Yossu

Why are you unable to delete Downloads2 ? If there is files in there move them to you new downloads before.

MaloK said:

Why are you unable to delete Downloads2 ? If there is files in there move them to you new downloads before.

Maybe I misunderstood, but Downloads2 is the original Downloads folder that Windows created when it was installed, and which I then changed the location to point to D:\Downloads. Today I renamed it to Downloads2 and ran the command I posted earlier, which created a junction to D:\Downloads. So now both Downloads and Downloads2 point at D:\Downloads.

They are both pointing at the same place, so where would I move the actual files in D:\Downloads? I don't want to touch that folder, I just want something called Downloads in my user folder that actually points to D:\Downloads.

Please can you explain, as I don't understand what you mean.

Thanks again.

Ok, Now I understand what happened,

First cut everything in your current downloads and paste it in a safe place. Delete every links you created, use the location tab to restore original download location.

Once done, create your Downloads directory in D: then use the location tab to move the folder to you new location.

At this point the download directory in C:\Users\user\Downloads will be removed.

Create your hard link from C:\users\user\Downloads to D:\downloads, verify if all is good...

Cut and paste back your files.