Windows 10: Windows 11 - moving default folder locations - Documents shortcut won't update

I have a distributed configuration on my system, with OS on one SSD, files documents, video, etc. on another. This has served me well, especially when upgrading.So I recently built a new machine and added a new M.2 drive for Windows 11, keeping my SATA SSDs for files. After some trials and tribulations where I could NOT move the default folder locations, I figured out the issue was OneDrive, and disconnecting and disabling it allowed me to specify a different folder on a different drive for documents, downloads, music, and videos.After fixing that and specifying the new location, all folder

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Unable to restore default location of Documents.

I am using Windows 11 with OneDrive. OneDrive will not allow me restore default location of my documents folder. The only document folder that is available is the one listed in Users/Marc/OneDrive. When I try to restore default location through the properties dialog box, it asks if I want to create a documents folder, then I get the do you want to move all items which I agree to, but then I get an error message. The error message states the folder can't be moved. The full dialog is "Can't move the folder because there is a folder in the same location that can't be redirected. Access is denied."

I have full control under security and there is no other document folder in Users/Marc/.

Any suggestions on how I can get the default document folder back and just use OneDrive backup so that it can be used strictly as a cloud backup for my document folder?

***Post moved by the moderator to the appropriate forum category.***

 

How to move documents default location to another HD

Hi YvesBeaupre,

I'm an Independent Advisor and consumer of Microsoft products just like you. Let me help you with your concern.

To move the default user account folders to a new storage location, use these steps:

1. Open File Explorer.

2. Click on This PC from the left pane and open the new drive location.

3. Navigate to the location you want to move the folders and create folders with the following names: Documents, Desktop, Downloads, Pictures, Videos, and Music.

4. Open Start. Search for Run and click the top result to open the Run command.

5. Type the following path to open the location with the account default folders and click the OK button:

%HOMEPATH%

6. Right-click the folder you want to move and select the Properties options.

7. Click the Location tab.

8. Click the Move button.

9. Select the equivalent folder in the new location.

10. Click the Apply then Yes then OK buttons.

11. Repeat steps 6 to 10 to move the remaining folders.

Once you complete the steps, the default account folders will move to the new location, and future files will save in this location by default.

 

Can't restore Documents folder to default location

AFTER deleting the OneDrive app (Office 2013) and making a copy of the contents to another drive I noticed that my documents are now actually saving in:

===>c:\users\admin\documents\onedrive\documents.

Again, this is after I had deleted the OneDrive program and making a copy of the contents of My documents in the OneDrive cloud.

I tried to move the documents and also restore to the default location at:

===> c:\users\admin\documents

... but when I try to do that, I get an error:

"The folder can't be move here
Can't move the folder because there is a folder in the same location that can't be redirected. Access is denied."

So how do I restore the Documents folder to each default location? I'd appreciate suggestions or a link to a solution. Thanks.

EDIT: Never mind. Found a batch file which worked with the registry. Solved. Here's the solution:

Restore Default Location of Personal Folders in Windows 10