User profile issue after moving Downloads from C: to D:

(All below is on Windows 10)

Hello! I used Properties > Location > Move on “downloads” to move from C: to D:. However that led to “Downloads” then having the entirety of D: inside it. So I reverted it to C: doing the same method, which seemed to merge my user profile with “Downloads”. All the default folders were inside Downloads.

I managed to fix this using bat files and registry edits.

However now in C:\Users it still has “Downloads” and “public” instead of my user profile. Clicking on Downloads show it is my User Profile. All my directories seem to work fine and have the correct address of c:\users\jam_s\documents etc however it still shows as “This PC > OS (C:) > Downloads > Documents”

How can I make the folder in c:\Users show as my profile again and not as “Downloads”, and also fixing the visual paths? (I don’t understand how they have the right directory addresses but still appear as Downloads)

Please see below images:











I'd very much appreciate any assistance with this. From what I have described would my only issue be the (seemingly) cosmetic display of "Downloads" as my user profile folder? Or could I have potentially have broken anything else? Also why has this happened?

Thank you in advance

dalchina said:

Hello, I keep warning people how risky this deceptively simple procedure is, yet there are members who say they've never had a problem with it.

The tutorials on this contain a warning and advise users to create a system image (disk image) before using it. I asked for that to be added, as you can see:
Move Location of Downloads Folder in Windows 10


Did you do that? Do you use disk imaging routinely as is so, so often recommended here? E.g. Macrium Reflect (free)?

Quite a number of threads show how awkward it can be to correct this.

I'll only offer you this:
Restore Default Location of Personal Folders in Windows 10

Hope you sort it out.

Good afternoon, similar to that yes - however in my ignorance I didn't use a guide. Properties > Location > Move seemed a simple and problem free method that I didn't foresee these issues.

But in regards to the other link, I believe I have restored all my default locations of personal folders through bat files. However my issue is that in my users folder my user profile cosmetically still appears as "downloads".

All the addresses seem fine and go to c:\users\Jam_S - however in explorer it just looks as though it goes like this pc > os (c:) > downloads.

I could be wrong and broke more - but everything seems working fine EXCEPT the visual of "Downloads" in my Users folder, and in the explorer bar.

Thanks for your help anyway!

Open a PowerShell window to c:\Users\jam_s (or whatever folder is displaying the Downloads name in error) and copy & paste the following commands:

Code:

ri desktop.ini -force
(gi .).Attributes -= 'ReadOnly'

KeithM said:

Open a PowerShell window to c:\Users\jam_s (or whatever folder is displaying the Downloads name in error) and copy & paste the following commands:

Code:

ri desktop.ini -force
(gi .).Attributes -= 'ReadOnly'

This solved it, thank you very much.

Based on what I have said could I have caused any other problems? Or now that all the folders are in the right directories, and that folder is now identified correctly is that all that I could have broken?

AsapJam said:

This solved it, thank you very much.

Based on what I have said could I have caused any other problems? Or now that all the folders are in the right directories, and that folder is now identified correctly is that all that I could have broken?

You should be fine. It was just a display name imposed by a deskotp.ini file.