Is there any logic to win7 default directory structure

[Perryg114]

I am trying to figure out where Win 7 puts stuff. Word 2003 says it is going to Cindy on the desktop. I go to the desktop and there is no folder Cindy there. So I go to file explorer under favorites/desktop and it is there but I have to add a shortcut to see it displayed on the desktop. There is all kinds of crap in Cindy not just the usual my documents stuff. Then there are these things called libraries that looks like the new version of My Documents but the files are not going there at all. I am just trying to figure out the logic here on where windows puts stuff by default. If I try to manually save something to libraries it says that its not a real location. I don't think that if I was a virus that I could have figured out a better way to screw things up.

If the windows programs can't even find their own files how am I going to find them to back them up. Sorry but your files are not really there you just think they are there. Is there some secret formula for how and where files are stored. Is there some sort of table that has to do with the day of the week or the phase of the moon etc. to show me where my files are located right this minute? Is anyone else as frustrated with this as I am. I don't really care where it puts stuff if there is some logic to it and I can find things to back them up.

Perry

 

[Nothinman]

I actually thought the layout made a lot more sense than that used in previous versions of Windows. I have never had a problem finding a file that I saved.

 

[BlueWeasel]

The Win7 libraries aren't physical locations.

You add folders to them and can access all these folders from the library.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

I've never experienced your desktop issue but Win7 folder structures are simpler and more logical than any version of Windows yet, provided you can understand that libraries are not physical folders. We now have actual physical picture, video, document and download folders (x:/User/user/Pictures, etc) that aren't some weird hybrid of virtual and physical folders. Changing the physical location of these folders is very straight forward.

 

[Perryg114]

Ok so how do I figure out where the physical folders are that are associated with the libraries? With XP I always told it to put My Documents in the root of D drive so that it was easy to find and backup. How do I do something similar with Win 7 libraries? Can I specify a target? My Documents is a physical folder it is just buried in Documents and Settings in XP. It may be that pre Win7 applications like Office 2003 don't play well with the newer library structure. I realize I can tell word etc to put files where ever but I am not always the operator and I am trying to find files that someone else has created and just let windows put stuff where it wants to.

Perry

 

[bruceb]

Have a look at this link from Microsoft. It may help to clarify how the new system works.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/dd861346.aspx

 

[Ben90]

Have a look at this link from Microsoft. It may help to clarify how the new system works.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/dd861346.aspx

OMG thank you so much, I had absolutely no idea about the libraries. I just figured they were more physical default locations that i never use (my pictures/my music/ect.) because of my multiple boot drives. Helps so much.