Two "My Documents" Folders - Oops!!!

[jayro]

Ok.....I messed something up!

Somehow, while dragging and dropping a file ( I wasn't payin' enough attention while doin' so) I managed to end up with two (2) "My Documents" folders. The second one being a subfolder of the first. This makes no sense whatsoever to me...... but it's there.

When I click on the "+" next to "My Documents" in the Explore Tree, just like you'd expect, it expands to show the sub-folders contained therein. However, one of these subfolders is named "My Documents". Contained in this "sub-folder-My Documents" are a number of individual files that used to be in the original "My Documents" folder.

Trying to delete this second My Documents folder, as one would expect, results in a WINDOWS message that says it can't be deleted as it is a system folder and is required by WINDOWS.

Now what? Is there a way to get rid of this sub "system folder"?
I have been able to move the contents of it back to the main My Documents folder where they were originally but the empty folder is still there, just pissin' me off!!! LOL

Who's got the fix for this? Anyone? THANKS! Go TEAM!

[Alfons]

Have you tried Renaming the one you don't want & then deleting it?

[jayro]

I just renamed it to "Not My Documents" but it's still considered a SYSTEM file necessary for WINDOWS operation and delete was denied. So I guess that options is a "no go".

[AnnMarie]

Hi jayro - it can be deleted in DOS with the deltree command but I dont have enough experience working in DOS to confident that any "help" that I would offer would not delete your OS :D

Why dont you post the full file path and I'm sure that someone will come to the party :)

[Dashwood95]

Deletes a directory and all the subdirectories and files in it.

To delete one or more files and directories: DELTREE [/Y] [drive:]path [[drive:]path[...]]

/Y Suppresses prompting to confirm you want to delete the subdirectory.
[drive:]path Specifies the name of the directory you want to delete.

Note: Use DELTREE cautiously. Every file and subdirectory within the specified directory will be deleted. Once deleted you cannot recover the information.

EXAMPLES

deltree c:\windows\fake010 = Deletes the fake010 directory and everything in it.

[jayro]

When I click on MS-DOS Prompt in the START/Programs menu I get a DOS window that shows as follows:

C:\WINDOWS>_

with the "_" flashing.

What do I type at this location?

" deltree C:\My Documents\My Documents " (sans quotes) ?????

This is the "full MS-DOS path" shown in the title bar of Exploring - when I click on the sub-folder in question. i.e. - when I click on this second folder named My Documents located within the first folder named "My Documents".

Or do I type

" deltree C:\My Documents " (sans quotes) ?????

DOS confuses me so I just want to bounce this of you to be sure before doing anything here. Thanks.

[smurfy]

Hi Jayro.

Couple of things,
1) Opening MSDOS prompt from within Windows will not work. (You are still technically in Windows).

2) You will be limited to 8.3 file names.

So, in full, step-by-step...

Shut down and restart.
Press F8 as system boots to get Windows Startup Menu. Select Command Prompt only
Once at DOS prompt you'll need to navigate to the My Documents folder.

Like this:

CD \ [ ENTER ]
This will get you to...
C:\>_
Then
CD MYDOCU~1 [ ENTER ]
Should see...
C:\My Documents>_
rd mydocu~1 [ ENTER ]

Type
DIR/W/P [ ENTER ] and check the list for a [MYDOCU~1] entry.
Press CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart your PC.

Note 1, I was unable to duplicate the System Folder so just created a "normal" My Documents sub-folder to test this.
Note 2 - rd command (Remove Directory) will only work if directory is empty. Otherwise Deltree will be needed (RD is safer).
Note 3. If it's still called "Not My Documents", you need to type
rd notmyd~1

[jayro]

Smurfy!

You Blue-Bottomed son-of-gun, you!

Worked! Everything's just ducky in My Documents. WooHoo!

Thanks.

[jayro]

Ok. Smurf-meister,

Get this. Like I said.... followed your instucts. and they worked fine.... No more second "My Documents" sub-folder within the main "My Documents" folder. Problem solved? Yeah..... I thought so too.

Today.... I was browsing to add an attachment to an email. Well, the attachment was a photo.jpg, which was in "My Pictures", which is in "My Documents", right? (the main My Documents). Well, when I clicked on My Documents in the browse window..... to get to My Pictures and add the .jpg attachment to the email...... guess what was in there (in the main My Documents folder displaying in the ADD ATTACHMENT, browse window, that is) along with the My Pictures folder and all the others? Yup, just as you're thinkin'....... the sub-folder, "My Documents." I had confirmed there was NO sub folder named My Documents in Windows Explore just moments earlier so I was surprised to see it now, during adding the attachment Checked Windows Explorer again hoping this was just some annomoly...... but nope! There it was again. A second "My Documents' folder..... right where I'd last saw it. In the main My Documents folder. I went into DOS again and got rid of it. Same as before.....I went to browse to add the attachment to my emai and there it was again. I removed it in DOS again....so it's not currently on my system.... but I'm expecting that to change, soon as I open the Add "_____________" as an attachment, browse window in OE.

This is getting far too weird, is it not? I can't figure it out or follow it, that's for sure. Hoping you have a word as to what to do to get rid of a second "My Documents" folder permanently. So far, I can only rid my system of it until I browse to add an attachment to an email. Aaarrrrrgggghhhh!!!!!! LOL

thanks again Smurphy!

Jay

[smurfy]

???
:D

Well, let's think about this some more.
Does this folder show up in ALL "Open/Save dialogue boxes or just Outlook (Express??).

I take it you have all hidden files and folders viewable (View>Folder Options from 'My Computer')

Is it actually visible in DOS
Go back into DOS and follow same steps but...
CD \ [ ENTER ]
This will get you to...
C:\>_
Then
CD MYDOCU~1 [ ENTER ]
Should see...
C:\My Documents>_
NOW Type
DIR/W/P [ ENTER ] and check the list for a [MYDOCU~1] entry.
Now definitely use DELTREE
Deltree mydocu~1 [ ENTER ]

[jayro]

Thanks for the reply Smurph,

Well, as asked, I checked and the "sub" My Documents was in the "Save As" window as well as the "Browse" window I accessed when adding an attachment in Outlook Express. I went into My Documents (in DOS) and of course it was there as a sub-folder of My Documents as well. I did the DELTREE MYDOCU~1 this time and and it was gone afterwards. After the delete in DOS I checked the Save As window in WIN 95 for the sub folder My Documents and there it was again. Larger than life. I looked in EXPLORE moments earlier and it wasn't in the main My Documents folder, but, as I expected, it was after looking in the Save As function. It seems those windows, (Save As & Browse) are where this problem resides and what generates placing a My Documents subfolder back in the Explore tree.

I am getting the impression this is getting to be a "live with it" situation. Say it ain't so Smurph!!! Say it ain't so :-s LOL

Thanks for any other ideas you may have..... but if there's none, c'est la vie, right? Or is that "c'est la fênnetre? LOL

[jayro]

Hey Y'all......

Found the answer to my "Double My Documents" problem. Just thought I'd add here for the benefit of anyone that reads this thread. Here it is.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++==== ==========================================

Ended up at microsoft and searched for some information having to do with system folders. Located something that led me into the Registry via REGEDIT and found the the following:

HKEY_CURRENT _USER
Software
Microsoft
Windows
Current Version
Explorer
Shell Folders

and

HKEY_CURRENT _USER
Software
Microsoft
Windows
Current Version
Explorer
User Shell Folders

Therein was the problem, staring me right in the face. In the "Personal" entry in the right pane of Shell Folders was C:\My Documents\My Documents. Also, in User Shell Folders under "Personal" was C:\My Documents\My Documents

Hilighting each "Personal" entry in the Name column and Modifying the Data to read C:\My Documents seems to have done the trick.

I have no idea how I managed to get things screwed up like this because what happened, happened while I was in Windows.... using Explore..... and you can't make changes like this, in Explore, if I understand things correctly.

At any rate, it's fixed and thought I'd enter the fix here in the forum for the benefit of anyone that comes along and reads this thread.

ciao!

jayro

[smurfy]

Great work jayro :)

[jtdoom]

hi

glad to hear it's solved.

why not minimise the risk of this accidental move/copy happening again?

one can use tweakui
mouse settings
you have two values there
2
2

change the second 2 to 8 (or even 12 on large screens)
(its the number of pixels the mouse has to move with button down before the file gets dragged. And it avoids a accidental move while doubleclicking...)

[jayro]

Sounds like a mighty fine suggestion, I must say. That's how it happened to, I'm sure.....don't think I could duplicate that move again though, if my life depended on it..... shat like dat only happens when you don't want it to, ya know!? LOL

thanks again,

jayro