'My Documents' - duplicated files!

[moggie 939]

Since buying a new PC and setting it up I seem to have more than one 'My Documents' folder. When I try to save document to 'My Docs' , in the pulldown list I get: 1.My Docs 2.My Docs 3.My Docs I have to look each time to see which My Docs to use. it is always the last one on the list which is 'My Docs Desktop' which contains all my saved letter etc. I can't seem to be able to get rid of the other two which are not needed OR re- number 3. so I can eaily identify it when saving. I think it is something to do with my setting up when I got my new PC, but I don't want to mess this up as when I switch on it goes directly to Welcome Screen and all is ok. Any simple suggestions, or should I leave well alone and just check I have the correct desktop 'My Docs, each time I save? Incidentally, one of the other My Docs shows in the My Computer screen as 'My Docs Aministrator'! Thanks Moggie

[scaniavabis]

not sure this is the easiest way to sort it but it will certainly work.

Send the contents of the My Docs 3 if that's the one with everything in that you want to a new folder on your desktop called say "New Docs". Check contents of My Documents 1 and 2 to see if anything there you want that isn't in My Documents 3. If there is something you need to keep in there that's not in "3" send that to "New Docs" also.
Now delete all the "My Documents" folders you can find. It won't let you delete the original "My Documents" folder as it's a system folder.
That should leave you with just the one "My Documents"..cut and paste everything from " New Docs" into it, confirm replace it if asks what you want to do if there are duplicates in that folder. When happy delete "New Docs" folder from desktop. That should be it

[scaniavabis]

justb re-read your question, wherever I've said My Documents 3 substitute My Documents Desktop. When you said last in list I took the 1,2 and 3 to be the list, sorry

[ACtheTROLL]

Yes it will let you delete the system folder .....
so DON'T
you can only have one My documents (98/XP) ... or documents (vista) folder

on any O/s

right click each of the folders (My documents ... or documents) ... from the drop down menu select properties
the real system document folder will have a tab called "target" (and buttons to restore default, move and find target)

look in the target folder location ... this will show where your real documents folder is

then COPY and PASTE everything you want to keep to that folder
(drag and drop will MOOVE them ... )

if you get the "already exists" message ... you need to compare the documents to see if they are the same ... or different versions (vista will let you rename them)

once you are happy with everything THEN and only then should you delete the others


finally
scan ... please make sure you know what you are doing before giving advice .... especially when it can destroy someone's personal files

[scaniavabis]

AC read the answer properly....when happy etc etc... If they didn't have a Docs folder they wouldn't be too happy so presumably would have stopped there but they'd still have the new one he/she created themselves on the desktop so would have lost nothing. "destroy someone's personal files, not very dramatic then?

[scaniavabis]

Furthermore...
If someone isn't capable of the absolute basics in computing then I'm not at all sure that posting questions in a "technology" forum is the right course of action. Without these basic skills a trip to your local computer repair shop might be a better course of action.

[scaniavabis]

and still further....

question posted at 08.43 AB time
my answer 11.27 AB Time

If you'd be so kind AC as to let me know at what time you're likely to answer a question, then I'll wait till after you've done so.

Will that be ok with you?

[moggie 939]

Now now guys! Thanks to both of you anyway.

Scaniavabis - I am a male moggie! I did take in everything you said and thanks for coming back so quickly. I am quite competent with computers and understand when not to delete files without backing up.

I successfully transferred everything to my new PC and set it up without problems - however, I lost the plot with 'My Documents', but understand what you are saying an will sit down tonight and follow up on yr suggestions.

ACtroll - you have replied and helped me twice before over the past year. Thank you

Moggie

[ACtheTROLL]

moggie - please ignore this reply .... and sorry for hi-jacking the thread

scan
windows sets my documents (or documents) as a system variable ... so it's there ... and the my documents icon will point to it (even if the folder is not actually on the disc)

users can move or rename the folder ... and other users can share their folder and have it mapped on any number of desktops - it's also possible to create a number of shortcuts to the same folder ... (and these would be numbered) on the desktop of the machine ... but there is only one "home" folder ... %HOMEPATH%

when and if I answer a question ... or when and if you do isn't an issue ... the issue is giving the correct answer ... or at least a non distructive one
>>>>Now delete all the "My Documents" folders you
>>>>can find. It won't let you delete the original
>>>>"My Documents" folder as it's a system folder.
(we are all wrong sometimes) - or if you are not sure ... say so .... if no-one answers a question ... I'll sometimes give my best guess ... but I always try to make it plain that that is what I'm doing.

the folder itself is in the documenst and settings folder .... but that doesn't identify which Icon appears on the desktop

so I did read the question ... i didn't cover every eventuality ... but I did try to ensure that moggie didn't need to do more than a couple of clicks and couldn't accidentaly delete files

[moggie 939]

Thanks to both of you! Now - I have moved everything into my new desktop my docs folder and there is nothing left in the other two folders which still show when I scroll down when saving.

One folder says documents administrator and other just documents.

Have tried to delete these two folders but can't understand how to do this.

Tried doing it by right click and no option to delete. Also went into start, search,files and folders and found them there.

Rt clicked on each, but when pressed delete got a box saying 'can't delete - system folder'!!

What am I doing wrong? Shall I leave them? At least I now kno which of the threee is the correct desktop folder - so I know where to 'save to'

Thanks again

Moggie