How to Restore Default Location of Your Personal Folders in Windows 10
You can change the location of the folders in your personal folder (such as Documents and Pictures) by redirecting them. For example, if you have a large number of files in your My Documents folder, you might want to store the files on a different hard drive or on a network to free up space on your primary hard drive.
When you redirect a folder to a new location, you change where the folder, as well as the files in the folder, are stored. However, you'll still be able to access the folder the same way you did before you redirected it.
This tutorial will show you how to restore your personal folders back to the default location in your C:\Users\(user-name) profile folder in Windows 10.
This does not include the OneDrive folder. See this instead: How to Change the Location of your OneDrive Folder in Windows 10
Contents
- Option One: To Restore Default Location of Your Personal Folders in Properties
- Option Two: To Restore Default Location of Your Personal Folders using a BAT file
EXAMPLE: Your Personal Folders
1 Open File Explorer, copy and paste shell:UsersFilesFolder into the address bar, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
If you don't see the folder here, then type the shell command below for the folder into the address bar, and press Enter to open the current location of the folder no matter where it may be located to find it.
Personal Folder Shell Command 3D Objects shell:3D Objects Contacts shell:Contacts Desktop shell:Desktop Documents shell:Personal Downloads shell:Downloads Favorites shell:Favorites Links shell:Links Music shell:My Music Pictures shell:My Pictures Saved Games shell:SavedGames Searches shell:Searches Videos shell:My Video
2 Right click or press and hold on the personal folder (ex: Pictures) you want to restore the default location for. (see screenshot above)
3 Click/tap on the Location tab, and click/tap on the Restore Default button. (see screenshot below)
4 Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)
5 If prompted to create a folder at the default location, click/tap on Yes. (see screenshot below)
6 When prompted to move all files from the old location to the new default location, click/tap on Yes. (see screenshot below)
7 After a few moments the folder's properties will automatically close when successfully moved. (see screenshot below step 4)
1 Do step 2 (3D Objects), step 3 (Contacts), step 4 (Desktop), step 5 (Documents), step 6 (Downloads), step 7 (Favorites), step 8 (Links), step 9 (Music), step 10 (Pictures), step 11 (Saved Games), step 12 (Searches), or step 13 (Videos) below for what personal folder your need to restore the default location of.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 14 below.
Restore_3D-Objects_Default_Location.bat
Download
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 14 below.
Restore_Contacts_Default_Location.bat
Download
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 14 below.
Restore_Desktop_Default_Location.bat
Download
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 14 below.
Restore_Documents_Default_Location.bat
Download
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 14 below.
Restore_Downloads_Default_Location.bat
Download
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 14 below.
Restore_Favorites_Default_Location.bat
Download
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 14 below.
Restore_Links_Default_Location.bat
Download
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 14 below.
Restore_Music_Default_Location.bat
Download
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 14 below.
Restore_Pictures_Default_Location.bat
Download
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 14 below.
Restore_Saved_Games_Default_Location.bat
Download
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 14 below.
Restore_Searches_Default_Location.bat
Download
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 14 below.
Restore_Videos_Default_Location.bat
Download
14 Save the .bat file to your desktop.
15 Unblock the .bat file, and run the .bat file.
16 You will now notice your screen temporarily go black as a command prompt opens and closes as explorer is restarted to apply the registry changes. (see screenshot below)
17 Copy any files you wanted from the incorrect folder location into the restored default folder location.
18 If you like, you can delete the incorrect folder (not restored default folder).
19 When finished, you can delete the downloaded .bat file(s) if you like.
That's it,
Shawn
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