Windows 10: My desktop folder recently "duplicated" itself, looking for a way to resolve this.

Hi, yesterday my Desktop folder on my windows 10 machine HP compaq 6300 seemed to have "duplicated itself", I'll provide a screenshot so you can see for yourself. I'm unsure why this occurred and I have tried several things already such signing out of windows and restarting, but this issue still seems to persist. To be totally honest I'm not entirely sure how this happened in the first place. I'm hoping you can provide any information what so ever. I'm open to provide any additional details if needed.Sorry for all the excess files this drive is a bit of a mess.Thanks- Thomas Sova

:)

 

Resolved duplicate system folder issue

Denis,
I apologize for taking so long to respond. I went through each suggested step. 1 - I agree with finding the address being easier your way, and will look into changing that. 2 - I put the system files into the Quick access column as you suggested, but actually after I completed step 3. I removed the "desktop" system folder per the instructions, and found that I had a second desktop sys folder still--the one with the downloads arrow as an icon. I ran the removal program a second time, but it would not remove it. My feelings are that I now have just one functioning desktop sys folder, but only with the wrong icon. I tried to change it, but there was no option in Properties. This takes care of step 5 - I did the same with the downloads sys folder and removed and reinstalled it, just in case the desktop and downloads folders were connected somehow. It restored the correct downloads sys folder in the Users folder and it let me put it in the Quick access bar, but, oddly enough, it wouldn't show up in This PC. Really, not a problem. Yes, in Properties, it has a Locations tab that leads me back to the Users folder. I've never in 30 years of working with netbooks, laptops, and PC's had this problem. Odd. I'm good with this fix thus far and maybe will look into getting that icon fixed. Thank you immensely for helping me get rid of the double desktop folder. That was confusing. Thanks again. Cindi
KeithM,
With all of the things that Denis had me try and what you see that I am left with now, do you have and suggestions for my one remaining issue of the downloads icon on the desktop folder? If not, please accept my sincere gratitude for your suggestions and time. This was one I'd never experienced before. Thank you very much. Cindi

 

Resolved duplicate system folder issue

Cindi,

No. User folder(s)

2 And I can see in your diagram that you have put Documents, Desktop & Pictures there. It is entirely up to you but, since this discussion has been about your C:\Users\%UserName%\Downloads folder, I was surprised to see that you had not dragged that to Quick access as well.
- Oh, I see lower down in your post that you have done so but must have taken that screen picture beforehand.

That's not odd. I suggested use of Quick access as a workaround precisely because you might not have resolved the problem of what gets shown in ThisPC.

You are going to be lucky not to have made things worse with that deletion. You should never delete a user folder. You should only ever relocate it.

You did not check what I suggested. You checked your Desktop folder instead.
Please go to C:\Users\%UserName%\Downloads, right click on it & select Properties. The Properties dialog should have a Location tab in it. Does yours? If so, what location [address/path] does it show?
- If there is no location tab, repeat the steps at post #21 to display all the user folder paths in the Registry.
- This time, please follow the instructions to widen the columns so the whole of the text can be seen. You can maximise the RegEdit window as well then just crop the diagrams to cut out blank / irrelevant areas to make them easier to read in your posts.

In future posts, please limit each paragraph to one topic. Start new topics in new paragraphs. It makes posts far, far easier to understand.

All the best,
Denis

 

Resolved duplicate system folder issue

Hi Denis,

I apologize for the delay. Life gets in the way sometimes. I wanted to respond to your last post.

said:
… system files … system folder … sys folder

No. User folder(s)


Denis, thank you for clarifying. I was using a shortcut term, but should have said User folders.






said:
put it in the Quick access bar, but,oddly enough, it wouldn't show up in This PC


That's not odd. I suggested use of Quick access as a workaround precisely because you might not have resolved the problem of what gets shown in ThisPC.

Thank you Denis, it is a good temporary work around. I just wanted to make sure that it was still a known problem that the Downloads folder wasn't showing up in ThisPC yet. I understood your intent.
Just some extra information about that Downloads folder, it kept appearing and disappearing from the Users folder, which caused me to think that I might have a corrupt file problem. I ran SFC and the report came back stating that it had fixed a corrupt file issue. The Downloads folder stopped disappearing and reappearing in the Users folder after that.






said:
[This takes care of step 5 - I did the same with the downloads sys folder and removed and reinstalled it


You are going to be lucky not to have made things worse with that deletion. You should never delete a user folder. You should only ever relocate it.


Denis, I apologize for any confusion, but this was done at your suggestion. If you remember this from your post below. I probably didn't make myself clear when I said that I "I removed the "desktop" system folder per the instructions", and also the Downloads folder. What I meant was that I followed the link that you provided for Adding/Removing Folders and it worked as far as deleting the "extra" Desktop folder. The remaining issue is that the Desktop folder still has a Downloads icon.
"3 The proper solution.
- I have no more suggestions to offer but KeithM might well have.
- Because I ditched those ThisPC entries years ago, I have no useful experience of resolving problems with them.
- I think that my earlier suggestion is worth a try but cannot be certain that it will help."

Try3 said:
What I suggest is that you remove them all and then, assuming that you want them there, put them all back again. The act of putting them back might restore them to their proper values.
Add or Remove Folders from This PC - TenForumsTutorials [Its Method 1 seems, to me, to be the more appropriate choice]So what I am suggesting is that you
Remove Folders from This PC
and then
Add Folders from This PC.







said:
Yes, in Properties, it has a Locations tab that leads me back to the Users folder


You did not check what I suggested. You checked your Desktop folder instead.
Please go to C:\Users\%UserName%\Downloads, right click on it & select Properties. The Properties dialog should have a Location tab in it. Does yours? If so, what location [address/path] does it show?
- If there is no location tab, repeat the steps at post #21 to display all the user folder paths in the Registry.


Denis, I checked the Downloads folder, right clicked, and selected Properties. It does have a Location tab, which does direct me back to the User folder with all of the rest of the System files in it. I think we are good there.

I did find a help forum that successfully guided me to add a Customize Tab--which was missing. I clicked to change the icon, but it shows that I already have the correct icon, so I can't change it using the suggested method by Microsoft.

Thank you again for your help. It seems that this fix is not as straight forward as we thought originally, since the Downloads folder was corrupted to some degree. I hope that my formatting above made my post more understandable and easier to read. I greatly appreciate your help. Cindi






- - - Updated - - -

Keith,
Thank you for the clarification about PowerShell. No, I had not used PowerShell before. I found it though and you can see the results in the snip below. Thank you immensely for your patience in with this issue.




Your second question:

"Other than that, from the Address bar in your other screenshots, it looks like the folder under This PC is your Desktop folder & the Downloads folder has been removed or hidden from This PC, was that something Denis had you do?"

No, it has been a problem from the beginning. We have just been focusing on one problem at a time. I have been stating regularly that the Downloads folder isn't showing up in ThisPC. SFC found a corrupted file with the Downloads folder, and it now has stopped appearing and disappearing in the Users folder, but is still missing from the ThisPC. Thank you again in advance for anything that you can see that can be done to fix either of my remaining issues.