There is ONE My Documents folder for EACH USER having a folder under C:\Documents and Settings.

("default user" is a hidden user folder (so you may not see it if you don't "show hidden folders"), "Owner" is the name of MY user folder - you may have chosen a different name than "Owner", and you may have more than one user name in the Documents & Settings folder).  The "All Users" folder does not contain a My Documents folder.

The "My Documents" item that is listed, as you said, "at the top of the tree, HAS no path or location."  It is not a "real" folder.  It is not a "real" shortcut in the strict sense of the term.  It is a POINTER to the My Documents folder THAT BELONGS TO THE CURRENTLY LOGGED IN USER (so what it points to changes, depending on which user is logged in).  If you delete it, you COULD delete the REAL My Documents folder for the current user (or the only user, if there is only one), I don't really know what it might mess up - don't delete it.

The My Documents and My Picture items in the Start Menu are also pointers to the "real" My Documents folder FOR THE CURRENTLY LOGGED IN USER.  The real My Documents FOLDER that these pointers point to is in the location C:\Documents and Settings\<CurrentUserName>, where CurrentUserName is whatever name you have given yourself and/or any other users you may have set up.  

If you notice, when you right click on My Documents in the Start Menu, you are not given the option to delete this pointer - you may, through properties, choose HOW to display the folder pointed to (as a menu, as a list, or whether to display it at all).  Your choice is only whether to DISPLAY the pointer or not on the Start Menu, not to delete it.  Since you ARE offered the opportunity to delete when you right click on the My Documents pointer item at the top of the tree, my guess would be that what you are being offered is the opportunity to delete your REAL My Documents folder - I haven't tried it, and likely will not try it, and would not recommend that you do so.  If it actually did delete it, the My Documents folder itself would probably reappear when you rebooted - but it would be EMPTY - your files would be gone.  This is logical conjecture - if anyone wants to actually TRY it - I would love to hear the results.

You are safest always referencing the My Documents folder at the top of the tree.  In fact, right-click on this folder and drag it to your desktop or to your taskbar and create a shortcut there and you will always be only one click away from the correct My Documents folder.  

Good Luck
Anna Summers

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Carol 
To: [log in to unmask] 
Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2005 2:27 AM
Subject: Re: [PCBUILD] I figured out where those pics are going but


> No. The name of a file or folder includes the full path, so C:\My
> Documents is completely different than C:\Documents and Settings\User\My
> Documents

~~~~I understand that, but I'm noticing that when you save something into
certain files in certain folders, the item is also saved in the 'mirror'
files and folders in completely different paths.  For example, if I save a
picture to My Pictures in one of the above areas, it's also saved in the
other My Pictures in the other paths.  It's the same for deletions.  What
I'm asking is, is it possible that, if I delete the whole folder, will the
mirror folder also be deleted?

I guess I will just save copies and try it.  My only hesitancy is that I've
never seen an OS work that way before and therefore am sure I don't
understand what the ramifications could be if I play with it.  (Although, I
believe the folder I will be deleting is one that was created on the user
end and not by the OS, but I am not positive of that.)
Carol Hanson

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