[SOLVED] Moved Desktop

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kkilgore

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I was trying to free up space on my 250GB 'C' drive and stupidly moved my Desktop folder from C-->User-->(my computer name) to my F drive (a second internal hard drive) by clicking on Properties and using the 'Location' option. But I started encountering problems - no 'desktop' option in My Computer, a bunch of new folders on my actual desktop, etc. So I tried moving it back to its original location using the 'move to' option at the top of the F window. My C drive started filling up rapidly so I stopped the process at around 3.5 GB. When I click on a folder on the desktop I get this path: This PC > F:\ > Desktop > (folder name)

Now everything is screwed up. My C drive is virtually filled, and F is operating as my desktop. I can't find files and folders that normally I could access from My computer -->Desktop, because that path no longer exists. I tried to do a system restore, but my restore points are gone. I then went to F-->Properties-->Location and selected 'restore default location' but encountered the message: 'Failed to build the list of regular subdirectories under F\System Volume Information. Access is denied.' Obviously, I am not a computer expert, and I don't know anything about roots, etc. but I am really desperate for some advice as to how to proceed.

I believe my best course of action is to do a repair install using an in-place upgrade; however, this requires more than 8 GB additional space in my Windows drive. The frustrating part is that I can't seem to increase space in the C drive. When I move a large folder to another drive, the C drive space doesn't increase - it's stuck at around 3.5GB. I'm afraid this has something to do with trying to relocate the desktop after I had moved it. What to do?
 
Solution
Colif
The settings for your desktop and where all the folders are located are in the registry, rebuilding windows wouldn't change the locations your user is set to use.

How much space on the hdd? I would still copy anything you don't need on C onto it, as I feel the most logical answer to all this is fresh install. Windows is mixed up, and there is no simple remedy to it when its messed up like this. But you should be able to save as much as possible so that rebuild doesn't take as long. I don't put anything on my boot ssd except what needs to be installed with windows, so I have a 250gb ssd with 165gb free still. Everything else is on hdd.

You could try making a new local account -...
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Colif

Colif

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repair install wouldn't fix it, its more for fixing windows problems, not user settings.

Have you tried system restore?
type "restore" then open "create a restore point"
create a new Restore Point now for C-drive
then open the newest restore point that is prior to the problem happening (if you have one)

if you can roll the system back to before you made the original desktop change, it might fix it.

what you should have done when trying to move desktop back was reset defaults instead of move. As move includes a bunch of hidden folders you didn't intend to include. It is a hazard of making an entire hdd your desktop.
 
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kkilgore

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I was under the impression an in-place upgrade would re-create my Desktop.

I couldn't find any restore points - I think I lost them when I made the change. When I went to my backups in Settings, I found a backup that appeared to have created after I screwed things up. I created a new restore point as you suggested, but that's the only one available.

I realized that about the reset defaults too late.
 
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Colif

Colif

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The settings for your desktop and where all the folders are located are in the registry, rebuilding windows wouldn't change the locations your user is set to use.

How much space on the hdd? I would still copy anything you don't need on C onto it, as I feel the most logical answer to all this is fresh install. Windows is mixed up, and there is no simple remedy to it when its messed up like this. But you should be able to save as much as possible so that rebuild doesn't take as long. I don't put anything on my boot ssd except what needs to be installed with windows, so I have a 250gb ssd with 165gb free still. Everything else is on hdd.

You could try making a new local account - https://support.microsoft.com/en-au...-create-a-local-user-or-administrator-account
make it admin
copy contents of your current users folder in C:/users folder onto the new user folder - this gives it the same access. I don't know if it copies folder locations or not.
try logging in and see if its still the same.

this won't fix the lack of space problem. You might need to remove the old user to get that space back.
 
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kkilgore

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I have 400GB space on the F drive (500GB). I'll try again, but I had trouble last night trying to move C drive folders, such as Program Files.

Your new local account idea - I set this up on the F Drive or an external drive (or it doesn't matter)?

If I do the fresh install, I can just move everything I copied from C to F onto the C drive after the install?
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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kkilgore said:
I have 400GB space on the F drive (500GB). I'll try again, but I had trouble last night trying to move C drive folders, such as Program Files.

Your new local account idea - I set this up on the F Drive or an external drive (or it doesn't matter)?

If I do the fresh install, I can just move everything I copied from C to F onto the C drive after the install?
Click to expand...
You can't simply move the Program Files folder.
Every application therein WILL die.


kkilgore said:
If I do the fresh install, I can just move everything I copied from C to F onto the C drive after the install?
Click to expand...
And no.
 
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kkilgore

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Believe me, I wish I could. In fact, I don't store any photos, videos, music files (I'm a musician), or the like on C drive - I have two external HDs for that, as well as the partitioned D drive and the second internal HD (F). I'm just scratching my head trying to figure out what is using the 220+GB of space in C. Apparently, a lot is attributed to Program Files (6.5 GB) and Program Files x86 (10.6GB) and Windows (9GB) and Users (78 GB) - other than that, I don't see what's using the space. When I stupidly tried to move back the Desktop Folder, instead of using the default reset, the C: drive space started disappearing - I don't know how this happened, whether I was copying back files from F: (where I sent the desktop folder) onto itself, thus adding to the User folder. I don't know. So if you can give me an idea as HOW to get space on the C drive, I'm all ears.
 
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kkilgore

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I ended up uninstalling some programs that I hadn't been using, as well as Avast, and now how almost 20 GB of space. Where do you see the zip files?

Once I clear up space, what's your opinion on my trying a repair install using an in-place upgrade to get back my true desktop? Someone says this will work, someone else tells me it won't.

And what about a registry repair program?

By the way, thanks a lot for your help.
 
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kkilgore

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Can't find those .zip files anywhere - bizarre.

Update - via the iZArc program, I have a path for the temporary files at Users\[my name]\AppData\Local|Temp, but this path isn't available in Users. I searched for AppData and found it in Users.default migrated, but there was nothing in there.
 
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K

kkilgore

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Colif said:
repair install wouldn't fix it, its more for fixing windows problems, not user settings.

Have you tried system restore?
type "restore" then open "create a restore point"
create a new Restore Point now for C-drive
then open the newest restore point that is prior to the problem happening (if you have one)

if you can roll the system back to before you made the original desktop change, it might fix it.

what you should have done when trying to move desktop back was reset defaults instead of move. As move includes a bunch of hidden folders you didn't intend to include. It is a hazard of making an entire hdd your desktop.
Click to expand...

Since freeing up some space on the C drive (20GB), things seem more normal. I probably know the answer to this question, but if I try again to go to F (where the desktop folders were moved) Properties - restore default, will that overload the C drive (assuming it works and I'm not blocked), or will it simply recreate the proper desktop path?
 
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Colif

Colif

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kkilgore said:
I probably know the answer to this question, but if I try again to go to F (where the desktop folders were moved) Properties - restore default, will that overload the C drive (assuming it works and I'm not blocked), or will it simply recreate the proper desktop path?
Click to expand...

if you restore the defaults, don't agree to let it move contents. That is what makes it want to move so much. you are going to have to recreate the shortcuts on the desktop

Alas Wiztree doesn't make it easy, you can't click on the .zip link and be shown what it makes up. II installed it to see if you could. Simplest way to find all the .zip files on C drive would be do a search in File Explorer, they likely are in download folder.
 
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K

kkilgore

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Colif said:
Alas Wiztree doesn't make it easy, you can't click on the .zip link and be shown what it makes up. II installed it to see if you could. Simplest way to find all the .zip files on C drive would be do a search in File Explorer, they likely are in download folder.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I did last night and found the files in 'Backup Files' folders. I'm assuming that iZArc automatically saves the archived material. At any rate, I deleted them and added 48GB to my C drive, what I wanted to accomplish when this whole mess started. True, I screwed up my computer in the process, but at least I added space. When I get the courage, I'll try that restore default - the last time I tried it, I was blocked, with the message: 'failed to bild the list of regular subdirectories under F:\ System volume Info. Access is denied.' I don't expect it to be different this time, unless the fact that I now have space in the C drive makes it possible.
 
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Colif

Colif

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Oh, I think its a popup that shows after you select reset to defaults.

Pretty sure anyway, often people accidentally make an entire hdd the folder for Documents and to fix it you reset the defaults and select not to move contents as otherwise it will try to move everything on the hdd as well, and that doesn't work out well. As you found.
 
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