Should I fight Windows 7s way of organizing data?

[bgstcola]

Until now, I have been trying to separate the OS and Windows by putting each on different partitions. Also I've tried to avoid using stuff like the "my documents" and "users" folder on the system partition. Usually when I look in the these folders there is a lot of stuff that I don't recognize and I don't like to mix that with my precious personal files.

Now that I'm starting all over I'm considering to change this strategy because it seems like a lot of stuff defaults to using the standard windows folders and maybe it would just be easier to adapt to those.

But I don't know... What do you guys do?

Thanks

 

[Nothinman]

Those are libraries now so you can add extra locations easily.

 

[bgstcola]

Thanks, but doesn't that only solve the problem when I'm looking for a file? I mean wouldn't a lot of programs still use my documents, my pictures etc. as default when I want to save a file?

 

[lxskllr]

My technique was to use all the default locations as temporary storage. I'd save my pictures, downloads, whatever to the default folder, then periodically clean out the cruft, and organize the stuff properly on my 2nd drive. A lot of the stuff I deal with isn't necessarily a permanent keep, and the default folders give me a convenient place to put things, and not junk up my primary folders.

 

[bgstcola]

thanks that might be a good approach.

 

[Nothinman]

Thanks, but doesn't that only solve the problem when I'm looking for a file? I mean wouldn't a lot of programs still use my documents, my pictures etc. as default when I want to save a file?

So go into Pictures, click "X locations", add wherever you want and then right-click on it and "Set as default save location".

 

[postmortemIA]

you really want to move
my documents
my pictures
my music

to your 2nd drive. it is easy as 1-2-3 to set new location for these folders. Then windows or programs no longer look at old location.

 

[bgstcola]

But if I move them, I still have the problem that windows stores all kind of crap in them.

 

[Nothinman]

But if I move them, I still have the problem that windows stores all kind of crap in them.

1 extra desktop.ini file is all kinds of crap?

 

[bgstcola]

A lot of programs store stuff in the my documents folder. I have 35 dirs in my documents and I didn't create any of them.

 

[Nothinman]

A lot of programs store stuff in the my documents folder. I have 35 dirs in my documents and I didn't create any of them.

That's not Windows' fault, that's those program's fault. Although MS does a lot of that too with "My Shapes", crap from VS, etc. I guess I've just given up on caring about it and letting them be. A few extra directories doesn't really cost me anything and I've got more important things to worry about. =)