Reclaiming My Documents

[Guest TC]

I'm fed up with programs that put application data in My Documents.

 

I keep my files extremely well organized. All my data is stored in My

Documents in a folder structure that makes sense to me. I've used

Tweak UI to move "My Music", "My Pictures", and other Windows folders

out of My Documents and into the subfolder where I want them. I'm very

happy with my organization, and I don't want anything to disrupt it.

 

That's why it makes me mad when I install a new program and it creates

its own folder under My Documents. Until recently, I've managed to

keep My Documents fairly pure by reconfiguring, hacking, or

uninstalling programs that abuse it. Unfortunately, I've been fighting

a losing battle. More and more often, I'm encountering programs that

generate folders under My Documents, and don't let you move them. Two

recent examples are Microsoft Visual Studio and Microsoft SyncToy.

 

I haven't found a solution to this problem. I've tried replacing My

Documents with my own root folder, but I've found that Windows

Explorer won't let you replace My Documents (It is the one special

folder which always appears at the top of the folder list). I've also

tried hiding the errant folders, but they seem to become visible

unexpectedly in file dialogs and other places.

 

Has anyone found a good way to deal with this?

 

 

-TC

[Guest BillW50]

Re: Reclaiming My Documents

 

In news:19550e71-1d6e-4bcc-a46a-35a8be047c57@l64g2000hse.googlegroups.com,

TC typed on Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:25:12 -0700 (PDT):

> I'm fed up with programs that put application data in My Documents.

>

> I keep my files extremely well organized. All my data is stored in My

> Documents in a folder structure that makes sense to me. I've used

> Tweak UI to move "My Music", "My Pictures", and other Windows folders

> out of My Documents and into the subfolder where I want them. I'm very

> happy with my organization, and I don't want anything to disrupt it.

>

> That's why it makes me mad when I install a new program and it creates

> its own folder under My Documents. Until recently, I've managed to

> keep My Documents fairly pure by reconfiguring, hacking, or

> uninstalling programs that abuse it. Unfortunately, I've been fighting

> a losing battle. More and more often, I'm encountering programs that

> generate folders under My Documents, and don't let you move them. Two

> recent examples are Microsoft Visual Studio and Microsoft SyncToy.

>

> I haven't found a solution to this problem. I've tried replacing My

> Documents with my own root folder, but I've found that Windows

> Explorer won't let you replace My Documents (It is the one special

> folder which always appears at the top of the folder list). I've also

> tried hiding the errant folders, but they seem to become visible

> unexpectedly in file dialogs and other places.

>

> Has anyone found a good way to deal with this?

 

Well I made my own document folder and let those programs have the other

one. But it sounds like you don't like that idea. Another idea that you just

might not like either is making a C:\My Documents folder and don't add

anything to it yet. Then use Computer Management (compmgmt.msc) on an unused

partition and mount that drive/partition into that folder. So let's say that

drive/partition is drive E. Then your documents could be saved to either to

C:\My Documents or E:\ and it is all the same place.

 

--

Bill

Gateway Celeron M 370 (1.5GHZ)

MX6124 (laptop) w/2GB

Windows XP Home SP2 (120GB HD)

Intel® 910GML (64MB shared)

[Guest RMD]

Re: Reclaiming My Documents

 

On Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:25:12 -0700 (PDT), TC <golemdanube@yahoo.com>

wrote:

>I'm fed up with programs that put application data in My Documents.

>

>I keep my files extremely well organized. All my data is stored in My

>Documents in a folder structure that makes sense to me. I've used

>Tweak UI to move "My Music", "My Pictures", and other Windows folders

>out of My Documents and into the subfolder where I want them. I'm very

>happy with my organization, and I don't want anything to disrupt it.

>

>That's why it makes me mad when I install a new program and it creates

>its own folder under My Documents. Until recently, I've managed to

>keep My Documents fairly pure by reconfiguring, hacking, or

>uninstalling programs that abuse it. Unfortunately, I've been fighting

>a losing battle. More and more often, I'm encountering programs that

>generate folders under My Documents, and don't let you move them. Two

>recent examples are Microsoft Visual Studio and Microsoft SyncToy.

>

>I haven't found a solution to this problem. I've tried replacing My

>Documents with my own root folder, but I've found that Windows

>Explorer won't let you replace My Documents (It is the one special

>folder which always appears at the top of the folder list). I've also

>tried hiding the errant folders, but they seem to become visible

>unexpectedly in file dialogs and other places.

>

>Has anyone found a good way to deal with this?

>

>

>-TC

 

I have a folder named "My Documents archive" where I keep my own

particular idiosyncratic file system.

 

Things go initially into "My Documents" and every fortnight or so I

move everything into the archive folder files.

 

I also copy the archive file to another drive so it is safely backed

up too.

 

Works for me. :)

 

Ross

[Guest Gerry]

Re: Reclaiming My Documents

 

TC

 

I share your frustration. Your post just might stir me up enough to try

to work out a solution.

 

In my situation I use Sage, an Accounts Package, to send data to Excel

2000. The data is put into a template, which if renamed and saved is

placed in My Documents. However, you can change the Default Location for

the template in Excel by selecting Tools, Options, General, Default File

Location. Similarly in Word 2000 the option to change can be found at

Tools, Options, File Locations.

 

--

 

 

 

Hope this helps.

 

Gerry

~~~~

FCA

Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

TC wrote:

> I'm fed up with programs that put application data in My Documents.

>

> I keep my files extremely well organized. All my data is stored in My

> Documents in a folder structure that makes sense to me. I've used

> Tweak UI to move "My Music", "My Pictures", and other Windows folders

> out of My Documents and into the subfolder where I want them. I'm very

> happy with my organization, and I don't want anything to disrupt it.

>

> That's why it makes me mad when I install a new program and it creates

> its own folder under My Documents. Until recently, I've managed to

> keep My Documents fairly pure by reconfiguring, hacking, or

> uninstalling programs that abuse it. Unfortunately, I've been fighting

> a losing battle. More and more often, I'm encountering programs that

> generate folders under My Documents, and don't let you move them. Two

> recent examples are Microsoft Visual Studio and Microsoft SyncToy.

>

> I haven't found a solution to this problem. I've tried replacing My

> Documents with my own root folder, but I've found that Windows

> Explorer won't let you replace My Documents (It is the one special

> folder which always appears at the top of the folder list). I've also

> tried hiding the errant folders, but they seem to become visible

> unexpectedly in file dialogs and other places.

>

> Has anyone found a good way to deal with this?

>

>

> -TC

[Guest TC]

Re: Reclaiming My Documents

 

On Aug 14, 12:24 am, "Gerry" <ge...@nospam.com> wrote:

> TC

>

> I share your frustration. Your post just might stir me up enough to try

> to work out a solution.

>

> In my situation I use Sage, an Accounts Package, to send data to Excel

> 2000. The data is put into a template, which if renamed and saved is

> placed in My Documents. However, you can change the Default Location for

> the template in Excel by selecting Tools, Options, General, Default File

> Location. Similarly in Word 2000 the option to change can be found at

> Tools, Options, File Locations.

>

> --

>

> Hope this helps.

>

> Gerry

> ~~~~

> FCA

> Stourport, England

> Enquire, plan and execute

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>

> TC wrote:

> > I'm fed up with programs that put application data in My Documents.

>

> > I keep my files extremely well organized. All my data is stored in My

> > Documents in a folder structure that makes sense to me. I've used

> > Tweak UI to move "My Music", "My Pictures", and other Windows folders

> > out of My Documents and into the subfolder where I want them. I'm very

> > happy with my organization, and I don't want anything to disrupt it.

>

> > That's why it makes me mad when I install a new program and it creates

> > its own folder under My Documents. Until recently, I've managed to

> > keep My Documents fairly pure by reconfiguring, hacking, or

> > uninstalling programs that abuse it. Unfortunately, I've been fighting

> > a losing battle. More and more often, I'm encountering programs that

> > generate folders under My Documents, and don't let you move them. Two

> > recent examples are Microsoft Visual Studio and Microsoft SyncToy.

>

> > I haven't found a solution to this problem. I've tried replacing My

> > Documents with my own root folder, but I've found that Windows

> > Explorer won't let you replace My Documents (It is the one special

> > folder which always appears at the top of the folder list). I've also

> > tried hiding the errant folders, but they seem to become visible

> > unexpectedly in file dialogs and other places.

>

> > Has anyone found a good way to deal with this?

>

> > -TC

 

Thanks for the replies. I think I'll just have to settle for a less-

than-ideal solution, and replace My Documents with my own root folder.

Is there any way to make file dialogs default to the folder I choose?

 

-TC

[Guest BillW50]

Re: Reclaiming My Documents

 

In news:ae2f19de-15c3-4afc-8ee0-5aecdd97f40b@26g2000hsk.googlegroups.com,

TC typed on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:16:49 -0700 (PDT):

> On Aug 14, 12:24 am, "Gerry" <ge...@nospam.com> wrote:

>> TC

>>

>> I share your frustration. Your post just might stir me up enough to

>> try to work out a solution.

>>

>> In my situation I use Sage, an Accounts Package, to send data to

>> Excel 2000. The data is put into a template, which if renamed and

>> saved is placed in My Documents. However, you can change the Default

>> Location for the template in Excel by selecting Tools, Options,

>> General, Default File Location. Similarly in Word 2000 the option to

>> change can be found at Tools, Options, File Locations.

>>

>> TC wrote:

>>> I'm fed up with programs that put application data in My Documents.

>>

>>> I keep my files extremely well organized. All my data is stored in

>>> My Documents in a folder structure that makes sense to me. I've used

>>> Tweak UI to move "My Music", "My Pictures", and other Windows

>>> folders out of My Documents and into the subfolder where I want

>>> them. I'm very happy with my organization, and I don't want

>>> anything to disrupt it.

>>

>>> That's why it makes me mad when I install a new program and it

>>> creates its own folder under My Documents. Until recently, I've

>>> managed to keep My Documents fairly pure by reconfiguring, hacking,

>>> or uninstalling programs that abuse it. Unfortunately, I've been

>>> fighting a losing battle. More and more often, I'm encountering

>>> programs that generate folders under My Documents, and don't let

>>> you move them. Two recent examples are Microsoft Visual Studio and

>>> Microsoft SyncToy.

>>

>>> I haven't found a solution to this problem. I've tried replacing My

>>> Documents with my own root folder, but I've found that Windows

>>> Explorer won't let you replace My Documents (It is the one special

>>> folder which always appears at the top of the folder list). I've

>>> also tried hiding the errant folders, but they seem to become

>>> visible unexpectedly in file dialogs and other places.

>>

>>> Has anyone found a good way to deal with this?

>

> Thanks for the replies. I think I'll just have to settle for a less-

> than-ideal solution, and replace My Documents with my own root folder.

> Is there any way to make file dialogs default to the folder I choose?

 

You mean through Explorer? Or through other means? Like through a shortcut?

Or you can make a folder on the desktop and that pops up in Explorer and it

is only another click or two to get there.

 

--

Bill

Black Asus EEE PC 4GB 2GB SoDIMM Adata 16GB

Windows XP SP2 and Xandros Linux

[Guest Gerry]

Re: Reclaiming My Documents

 

TC

 

Please read my earlier post.

 

 

--

 

 

 

Hope this helps.

 

Gerry

~~~~

FCA

Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

TC wrote:

> On Aug 14, 12:24 am, "Gerry" <ge...@nospam.com> wrote:

>> TC

>>

>> I share your frustration. Your post just might stir me up enough to

>> try to work out a solution.

>>

>> In my situation I use Sage, an Accounts Package, to send data to

>> Excel 2000. The data is put into a template, which if renamed and

>> saved is placed in My Documents. However, you can change the Default

>> Location for the template in Excel by selecting Tools, Options,

>> General, Default File Location. Similarly in Word 2000 the option to

>> change can be found at Tools, Options, File Locations.

>>

>> --

>>

>> Hope this helps.

>>

>> Gerry

>> ~~~~

>> FCA

>> Stourport, England

>> Enquire, plan and execute

>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>>

>> TC wrote:

>>> I'm fed up with programs that put application data in My Documents.

>>

>>> I keep my files extremely well organized. All my data is stored in

>>> My Documents in a folder structure that makes sense to me. I've used

>>> Tweak UI to move "My Music", "My Pictures", and other Windows

>>> folders out of My Documents and into the subfolder where I want

>>> them. I'm very happy with my organization, and I don't want

>>> anything to disrupt it.

>>

>>> That's why it makes me mad when I install a new program and it

>>> creates its own folder under My Documents. Until recently, I've

>>> managed to keep My Documents fairly pure by reconfiguring, hacking,

>>> or uninstalling programs that abuse it. Unfortunately, I've been

>>> fighting a losing battle. More and more often, I'm encountering

>>> programs that generate folders under My Documents, and don't let

>>> you move them. Two recent examples are Microsoft Visual Studio and

>>> Microsoft SyncToy.

>>

>>> I haven't found a solution to this problem. I've tried replacing My

>>> Documents with my own root folder, but I've found that Windows

>>> Explorer won't let you replace My Documents (It is the one special

>>> folder which always appears at the top of the folder list). I've

>>> also tried hiding the errant folders, but they seem to become

>>> visible unexpectedly in file dialogs and other places.

>>

>>> Has anyone found a good way to deal with this?

>>

>>> -TC

>

> Thanks for the replies. I think I'll just have to settle for a less-

> than-ideal solution, and replace My Documents with my own root folder.

> Is there any way to make file dialogs default to the folder I choose?

>

> -TC