Windows 10: Restore Default Locations of “Documents” in “Users” & “This PC”

Being new to both Windows 10 and OneDrive, somehow I managed to change the “Location” of my “Users” (and therefore also the “This PC”) “Documents” folder to the OneDrive “Documents” folder.
So while in File Explorer if I right-click either the “Users” “Documents” or the “This PC” “Documents” and select Properties and then the Location tab, it says this is the path:
C:\Users\<UserNamer>\OneDrive\Documents
But that is NOT where I want documents I create stored on my hard drive.
When I select the “Restore Default” it says the new location will be this path:
C:\Users\<UserNamer>\Documents
And THAT is where I want them stored
When I click “OK” a dialogue box opens and asks:
“Do you want to move all the files …” with the default “Yes” highlighted
I click “Yes”
And then a second, ominous dialogue box opens and asks
“Do you want to redirect folder “Document” into another system folder “Documents” located at “C:\Users\<UserNamer> \Douments”? If you proceed with redirection, you will not be able to separate them or restore default location.
“Do you still want to proceed with redirection?”
With the default “No” highlighted
I select “No” (although I think that’s actually what I want to do)
And I’m back to square one with the same old “corrupted” path.
I did create a folder I titled “Documents – Holding” in OneDrive, and moved the few folders that were in the OneDrive “Documents” to the “Documents – Holding” folder. So now the OneDrive “Documents” folder is empty. And therefore the “Documents” folders in both “Users” and “This PC” are also empty.
I will note that when I setup the OneDrive I did opt to save Documents and Pictures to This PC rather than the default location of OneDrive – so that should not be an issue. (OneDrive --> Settings --> AutoSave --> Documents & Pictures --> This PC Only)
Can I proceed with the “Restore Default” – or will only complicate matters with duplicate folders?

:)

 

Problems with Folders on This PC with Windows 10

Set it to OneDrive, click Apply. Then set it back to "This PC Only".

This clears the redirection.. and sets the default folder path:

C:\Users\{username}\Documents

Instead of:

C:\Users\{username}\OneDrive\Documents

(as in your screenshot)

Alternately:

In This PC, right-click on the special folder, (say Documents) and click Properties

In the Location tab, click Restore Default.

Click OK.

Repeat the same for Pictures.

 

Folder Target Location

Hi, The issue I have is with changing the Pictures, Music & Documents folders target locations to a different partition.

I have done this plenty of times before on other PCs, but I just put 2 new HDDs in my PC & installed W10 on a SSD.

When I then tried to change the files locations to the other 1TB HDD, the icons stayed the same but the folders name all changed to the same eg, Videos, Videos, Videos, if I change one to D:\Documents they all change to the same Documents Documents Documents.

I even tried to Restore Defaults but then they all say C:\Users\Chris\Documents, I can not get them back to Music, Pictures & Documents.

Has any one had this problem & how did you resolve it please.

Thanks Chris.

 

Hello dmhlt, and welcome to Ten Forums. *Smile

Double check again using the tutorial below to make sure that you have "Documents" set to "This PC only" in your OneDrive settings to see if that may be the issue.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/3...dows-10-a.html

If that doesn't help, then also double check your storage save locations settings using the tutorial below to make sure "New documents will save to" is set to "This PC".

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...dows-10-a.html

If this still doesn't help, then you could use step 4 in OPTION TWO below to restore the default location of your "%UserProfile%\Documents" folder.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...dows-10-a.html

 

Brink –
Thank you for your prompt response.
Following your two links I have now TRIPLED checked, and as I first stated, they are all directed to “This PC”.
I have two requests/questions related to the original:
[1]
I think I have devised a solid alternative to trying to Restore Default Locations to “Users” rather than “OneDrive”.
I have created a four new folders in “C:\Users\<UserNamer>” of
“0 My Docs”
“0 My Music”
“0 My Pix”
“0 My Vids”
(I added the “0” to get them to the top of that folder, rather than further down in the middle.)
Then I pinned each one to “Quick Access” so they’re more readily accessible in File Explorer.
While in File Explorer, if I access them from “Quick Access” they don’t have the “umbrella” opening featuring for subfolders in the left column of the Navigation Pane, but I can access them in the Folders section.
When I check “Properties” it shows their Location as “C:\Users\<UserName>” - which is where I want them.
Am I explaining it clearly? And what, if any, drawbacks/problems to you see with this alternative?
I do NOT want everything automatically saved to OneDrive, which is the original problem. Not only because every file/photo/etc. does NOT need to be in the Cloud, but it would also dramatically increase the GB, and therefore the cost.
[2]
The other related issue is that coming from Windows 7 I wanted to just use the “Libraries” feature in File Explorer, and so activated it with the standard “Documents, Pictures, Music Videos” folders.
But to make it visually distinct in the Navigation Pane from the same “Documents, Pictures, Music Videos” in “This PC” I renamed them adding “- LIB” at the end of each. So they were then “Documents – LIB, Pictures – LIB” etc. – and started storing my files there.
But the next time I opened File Explorer, lo and behold I now also had in Libraries the original “Documents, Pictures, Music, Videos” folders back – and they were an EXACT MIRROR IMAGE of the ones I renamed – with the exact same contents … down to the last kb.
If I pro-actively deleted a file from the renamed “Documents – LIB” folder in Libraries, it immediately got deleted from the duplicated “Documents” folder – without me doing a thing. And vice versa: If I delete a file in the duplicate “Documents” folder in Libraries, it gets deleted in my original, but renamed “Documents – LIB” folder.
I’d be happy just to use the “Documents, Pictures, Music Videos” folders in “Libraries” – but I’m scared to death of deleting it thinking I’ll lose all my files. And I don’t which one I would delete – the original, but renamed – or the duplicate ones the apparently MS thinks I should have.
It’s not terrible, but it eats up a LOT of space. And when I do a full system scan w/ Norton, it obviously takes longer … at least I think it takes longer.
I have NO idea why/how this happened. Any thoughts?

 

You can't rename the folders in your user profile folder without risk of breaking or corrupting them since they are linked.

The folders in "This PC" are linked to your user profile folders.

If you wanted to restore these folders back to default, you could use OPTION TWO below.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...dows-10-a.html