Windows 10: Sorting out my users/folders

It sounds like those programs may be doing it. Check their settings to make sure everything is pointed at the new location instead.

 

So you mean I will have to check every (third party?) application to see if anything is still pointing to \Users\x?

I checked Chrome. Chrome Downloads were still pointing to \Users\x. So I pointed it to C:\Users\MyShortName\Downloads. I presume that is the correct path for the downloads from this User - Administrator 1.

I checked FireFox. Firefox appears to be pointing correctly to This PC\Downloads. I tried to change it to C:\Users\MyShortName\Downloads, but it remains as This PC\Downloads (Boy! I've got a whole lot of learning to do).

I've never even opened Edge. But when I opened it. I could not find any settings for the download folder.

I'm now going to delete this \Users\x folder again and wait to see what happens.

 

Only for the ones that are actually creating folders in the old location.

 

OK. Lets see what tomorrow brings *Wink

 

"I've never even opened Edge. But when I opened it. I could not find any settings for the download folder."

Hit the 'hamburger' (3 dots) menu in upper R corner/Settings (very bottom)/View advanced settings (near bottom)/Downloads. Select location options here, clicking 'Change' if default is not This PC/Downloads.

 

OK. I found it. Thanks. It was pointing correctly to \Users\MyShortName\Downloads. As I would have expected. Being a Microsoft program. So I think it was Google was the only browser which was still pointing to the old, now non-existent Downloads folder. It seems to have created all 3 subfolders without any downloads actually having taken place. I would have expected better from Google. After deleting \Users\x and correcting the Google Downloads folder, it hasn't re-appeared. So I hope and pray, this re-appearing \Users\x folder is gone forever. Again. Thanks for all the help *Smile

 

But I'm not out of the woods yet. The Users\x folder came back (twice more). The first time Users\x\AppData\Local\Temp\BCLTMP\ and the three folders below \BCLTMP\ , \chrome\edge\firefox. I checked the download settings again for chrome/edge/firefox. I couldn't see anything wrong with those settings. I deleted Firefox and deleted the Users\x folder. After I get up this morning, this folder is there again but excludes firefox folder, presumably because. I'd deleted Firefox, but had used Edge to check the download settings. So only 2 folders there now, \chrome and \edge. Again these are still empty folders.

These are not hidden folders I can see them from the command prompt. Accidentally. I tried to change to \Users\MyShortName\AppData\Local\Temp\BCLTMP\. This was not visible from the command prompt. It only had two folders \chrome and \firefox (I guess I hadn't access \edge up to that time). In the \chrome folders there were files, \Default\History & \Default\Web Data both with dates 30th Oct (so old data). In the \firefox folder was \default\places.sqlite dated 28th Oct (so old data again). This is in my Users\MyShortName folder.

So nothing new is being written to \Users\MyShortName\AppData\Local\Temp\BCLTMP\ which is hidden from the command prompt, but something is newly creating the folders \Users\x\AppData\Local\Temp\BCLTMP\ (chrome & edge) but is failing to create the \History folder and it's contents, and it is not a hidden folder from the command prompt.

This is beginning to become a tad mind-bending for me to fathom. But my guess would be I still need to edit something with regedit and/or file commander, and/or correction of the settings in a settings file for chrome\edge (of which I don't know the name or location) somehow to fix this problem. By my logic, the old data seems to be 100% legit. The newly created Users\x\ folder doesn't seem legit because a) It obviously shouldn't be visible from \AppData\.. down in the command prompt, and b) no browser (\chrome or \edge) \History folders exist, but does seem legit because a) it reflects the usage of the browsers opened timeframe-wise.

Any suggestions are welcome,

 

It looks like you'll need to check all settings of the programs doing this to see if anything is set to save in that location instead of where you want it instead.

 

Ok. So let's start with Chrome (which I think is the program responsible for this). What is the filename and location of the Chrome settings?

 

Hi stub.

Just following along.

https://www.howtogeek.com/255653/how...mac-and-linux/

 

Thanks. This was useful info, but a lot to go thru.
My first question would be do you have any idea which file would be controlling the location/path of the downloads.
My second question would be what program should I use to view/edit/save any file? Because I did find some files pointing to \Users\x\.. (a theoretically non-existent folder), which has been renamed \Users\MyShortName\.., which I would like to correct, whilst I'm there.
My third question would be is there an easier way to do this? By uninstalling/reinstalling Chrome? Would all my bookmarks and stuff be redownloaded from my microsoft.com or google.com account?

Thanks you in advance.

 

Not sure that I can answer all your questions.

Chrome downloads, click on three dots upper right, then settings, then three bars upper left, then click on advance, then download. This is where chrome will put your downloads unless you set to ask. I set to "ask" as I want to put files away in the right spot when received.

Not sure how to answer Q2. In general each file extension is associated with a program. Example a .docx is a Word file that is edited by Word or another program that can read the format, like Libre Office. PDF's can be read by lots of stuff on your system, Edge, Chrome and Adobe to mention three. File explore can be used to move or copy files.

In searching Google I can't find who owns the BLCTMP folder. Seems Windows 10 apps also use.

If you are signed into Chrome and you are saving / syncing then your bookmarks will be re-installed when you sign back in. Check what you are syncing in Chrome. So you could uninstall Chrome and reload. To be sure go to another computer, log in to Chrome and confirm your stuff is in your google account. (usually your gmail address.) Microsoft.com has nothing to do with Chrome. If you happened to use your gmail address as a userid for MS it is just that, a user name in Microsoft.


Ken

 

OK. I'm going to uninstall Chrome and reload it. I think that will be easiest solution for me. I'll let you know if it resolves the problem. Thanks.

OK. I've deleted \Users\x again and I've uninstalled and reinstalled Chrome. I got all my passwords and bookmarks back. So I hope this will solve this problem. Once and for all. I've got to go to sleep now. I'm expecting this problem to be resolved in the morning. Let's wait and see.

 

OK. It's been a week. I've been busy with this as well as a ton of other stuff. And I just didn't want to continually say every day that everything I tried didn't work. I couldn't find anything in Edge or Chrome which was triggering this. But I think, fingers crossed. I think I might have found an answer. It might take say 2 days to be sure that C:\Users\x doesn't get created any more. It was really pissing me off.

So I was having a maybe (semi-)unrelated problem because my C:\Users\MyShort Name didn't appear to have the administrator privileges I was expecting to have. And what did I find when I looked at the users? There was no "MyShortName" in there. only "x". So I've renamed "x" to "MyShortName", and now I not only have admin privileges, but my C:\Users\x folder hasn't come back, even though I have opened and closed both Edge & Chrome, without this re-creating the C:\Users\x path & profile. Which has never happened before. It had always created the C:\Users\x file after opening either Edge of Chrome.

So. IMHO. The solution given to this problem is too simple, and not enough detail. It should include going to Windows+R, enter lusrmgr.msc, and examine the users carefully. What I found was there was no "MyShortName" user (even though I was logged in and using it), but the original "x" user was still there with administrator privileges. By simply changing user "x" to "MyShortName", everything was resolved. (At least so far).

This might have come 5 pages after the original question. But if the original answer could be enhanced by this solution, it might save others a lot of heartache.

 

Stub,

I'm glad to hear you were able to get this sorted.

It sounds like you may have had some other issue with the account name before trying to change the name of its profile folder causing some sort of mix up.

You wouldn't normally need to open lusrmgr.msc when only renaming the profile folder since lusrmgr.msc affects the account name instead.