Windows 10: Why does the Library Move Location feature not create a junction or anything that redirects?

You cannot rely on the integrity of your file system when using the Move Location feature in Windows for any of your Libraries, as any program that has hard coded a location will not be redirected to the new location.

For example, moving the Documents Library to D:\Documents. Typing C:\Users\{User}\Documents in the Windows Explorer *will* redirect to D:\Documents. So obviously some functionality is there that knows the true location. My guess is Windows Explorer recognizes I am looking for the Documents Library and uses the correct procedures to get the location which is variable. However, if I create a simple C# program that wants to write a file to Documents, but hardcode the location to C:\Users\{User}\Documents, this directory is not found and has to be created.


What I would expect is that when a query to C:\Users\{User}\Documents is made, the caller receives the true location which is actually D:\Documents.

Essentially I expected the Move Location functionality to work similar to symbolic links. Otherwise, this feature seems to be almost useless unless the programs you are using are all properly getting the location of your libraries dynamically rather than hardcoding them. I know that's what a well written program would be doing, but there are tons of programs out there that don't. And tons of other programs where I have to manually change default locations because they will create the directories in the default locations that are not found because they have been moved.

What this causes is a desync in the data I expect to be in D:\Documents, when in reality there might be data in both directories. I have to periodically check C:\Users\{User} to see if any programs have placed data there, and sometimes I will find directories recreated.


Why does the Move Location feature not work more like a symbolic link? Can't rely on it when programs are hardcoding locations.

:)

 

Redirecting location of libraries

Hello CapFlam,

Libraries don't actually store anything in them since they just link to the default save location and the added folders instead, so there's no need to move any of them.

If it helps, you could change the default save location of a library.

*Arrow Set Save Location for Library in Windows 10 Windows 10 Customization Tutorials

If you wanted to move your personal folders instead, then:

• How to Move Users Folder to another Location in Windows 10
• How to Move Your Desktop Folder Location in Windows 10
• How to Move Your Documents Folder Location in Windows 10
• How to Move Your Downloads Folder Location in Windows 10
• How to Move Your Favorites Folder Location in Windows 10
• How to Move Your Music Folder Location in Windows 10
• How to Change the Location of your OneDrive Folder in Windows 10
• How to Move Your Pictures Folder Location in Windows 10
• How to Move Your Searches Folder Location in Windows 10
• How to Move Your Videos Folder Location in Windows 10

 

Symbolic link (Junction/s), how-to mklink? Please help with Junction?

Hi all, having been a member at Seven then Ten forums for a fair while I'm hoping to find a straight answer here..? Apologies in advance if this is too verbose.
Windows 10 system booting from (UEFI) NVME with 2xSSDs + 2 MHDDs for storage...

An application (Xperia Companion) which will not let me select or personalise the location for saving backups of my cellular phone data...

Think I found a fair definition of the differences at the Computer hope site which would suggest it's a Junction I need:

I want Xperia companion to save backups to F:\Sony Backups NOT the default C:\Users\GD\Documents\Sony. Would the Junction (link) allow me to to fulfill my wants and could someone please demonstrate the mklink commands needed?

with thanks and regards,
Dave

 

7zip force ignore NTFS junctions

I would suggest to go in two steps :

1. Generate a list of all the junctions in the folder
   
2. Create a 7Zip archive from the folder while excluding the files in the list.
   

For the first step, you may use the following command in a Command Prompt :

Where :

• /A displays all files with a specific attribute, and L specifies reparse points (symlinks and directory junctions)
  
• /S makes the command recursive
  
• /B specifies the bare format of only file names.
  

When zipping the folder use the
-x (Exclude filenames) switch :