Need help to change Documents folder

[DMKAlex]

I am setting up my new Lenova 5i.

I want to change the "Documents" folder in Explorer quick access to a local folder. I don't want to use OneDrive.

I keep getting the "The folder cannot be moved" error.

I have unlinked and deleted OneDrive from the computer, still the same.

Any recommendation?

 

[drynn]

I am setting up my new Lenova 5i.

I want to change the "Documents" folder in Explorer quick access to a local folder. I don't want to use OneDrive.

I keep getting the "The folder cannot be moved" error.

I have unlinked and deleted OneDrive from the computer, still the same.

Any recommendation?

The default items in the Quick access list are pinned shortcuts. If you right click on Documents and then select the Location tab, it will show you the actual location of the folder.

The default for this location is C:\Users\<your user name>\Documents, which is a local folder unless you have previously moved it. If you have moved it, then you will see where it now resides.

This is me assuming that I have understood your query.

 

[New Wrycuda]

I am setting up my new Lenova 5i.

I want to change the "Documents" folder in Explorer quick access to a local folder. I don't want to use OneDrive.

I keep getting the "The folder cannot be moved" error.

I have unlinked and deleted OneDrive from the computer, still the same.

Any recommendation?

I’ve always ignored the quick access section of Explorer since I store my data files in a separate folder on the C: drive, or more often on some other drive such as a network share. Wherever the data files are kept, I find it easiest to access them via a desktop shortcut, such as “Current Files”.

I note that various items can be un-pinned from the quick access list.

 

[skyglider]

I am setting up my new Lenova 5i.

I want to change the "Documents" folder in Explorer quick access to a local folder. I don't want to use OneDrive.

I keep getting the "The folder cannot be moved" error.

I have unlinked and deleted OneDrive from the computer, still the same.

Any recommendation?

Check if OneDrive has already moved Windows personal folders (Documents, Pictures, Music) into its OneDrive folder. Path is: C:\Users\UserName\OneDrive.

As far as I know, if any of Windows personal folders are in the OneDrive folder, then they cannot be moved back to their original locations since you unlinked and deleted OneDrive. (If OneDrive was still installed and running, then it's possible to move those personal folders back to their original locations.)

But if you don't store any data in the Windows personal folders, then no problem. You can just leave them in the OneDrive folder. Just create your own personal folders and use them instead. For example, if you have a D data drive, you could create folders in it and use names like ~Documents, ~Pictures, ~Music. The leading tilde character will indicate that those folders are your own local folders and not the default Windows personal folders.

You can delete links and add links in Quick Access to suit your desires. I deleted links in Quick Access that I don't use, and put links in Quick Access that point to folders in my D drive. Very handy to have those D drive links in Quick Access, in many ways.

 

[DMKAlex]

I am setting up my new Lenova 5i.

I want to change the "Documents" folder in Explorer quick access to a local folder. I don't want to use OneDrive.

I keep getting the "The folder cannot be moved" error.

I have unlinked and deleted OneDrive from the computer, still the same.

Any recommendation?

Check if OneDrive has already moved Windows personal folders (Documents, Pictures, Music) into its OneDrive folder. Path is: C:\Users\UserName\OneDrive.

As far as I know, if any of Windows personal folders are in the OneDrive folder, then they cannot be moved back to their original locations since you unlinked and deleted OneDrive. (If OneDrive was still installed and running, then it's possible to move those personal folders back to their original locations.)

But if you don't store any data in the Windows personal folders, then no problem. You can just leave them in the OneDrive folder. Just create your own personal folders and use them instead. For example, if you have a D data drive, you could create folders in it and use names like ~Documents, ~Pictures, ~Music. The leading tilde character will indicate that those folders are your own local folders and not the default Windows personal folders.

You can delete links and add links in Quick Access to suit your desires. I deleted links in Quick Access that I don't use, and put links in Quick Access that point to folders in my D drive. Very handy to have those D drive links in Quick Access, in many ways.

That's exactly what I did with the old G15. It would work except sometimes I have to go to the local OneDrive directly to find some files I downloaded from the web. Sometimes it would go there without asking me.

Thanks.

 

[skyglider]

That's exactly what I did with the old G15. It would work except sometimes I have to go to the local OneDrive directly to find some files I downloaded from the web. Sometimes it would go there without asking me.

If you're using Firefox, there's a setting in it to always ask where to store downloaded files. That's what I use since I like to store downloaded files into appropriate folders, instead of all going into the Windows default "Download" folder.

Like downloaded software go into my "Software ###" folder. Downloaded PDF files go into my "PDF Files" folder, etc. (The ### suffix for my Software folder just makes it a faster/easier way to quickly find the "Software ###" folder in the list of folders. I also add the ### suffix to my Automobile ###, Computer ###, Home Stuff ###, etc. high usage folders.)

There's a "Ask where to save each file before downloading" option in Chrome also.

 

[New Wrycuda]

I am setting up my new Lenova 5i.

I want to change the "Documents" folder in Explorer quick access to a local folder. I don't want to use OneDrive.

I keep getting the "The folder cannot be moved" error.

I have unlinked and deleted OneDrive from the computer, still the same.

Any recommendation?

Check if OneDrive has already moved Windows personal folders (Documents, Pictures, Music) into its OneDrive folder. Path is: C:\Users\UserName\OneDrive.

As far as I know, if any of Windows personal folders are in the OneDrive folder, then they cannot be moved back to their original locations since you unlinked and deleted OneDrive. (If OneDrive was still installed and running, then it's possible to move those personal folders back to their original locations.)

That sounds like a very good reason to never use OneDrive. I have eradicated OneDrive from all my computers. I would have absolutely no confidence in OneDrive as a backup option.

Microsoft should take a peek at the way that Google Drive works on a Chromebook. It’s set up by default without fanfare and appears in the file manager without interfering with other folders. It acts as a convenient storage/import facility. I only use Google Drive for a limited number of files, or for importing complex MS-Word docs into Google docs.

One feature that has bedevilled Windows for many years is Microsoft’s insistence that operations are carried out in multi-user mode. Long ago, it may have been cute/desirable to set up a special user account for youngsters, but I have never known anyone who actually did that.

The only reason that I’ve found for multi-users is when I set up a special (dummy) user account to facilitate network access is cases where log-in credentials are unavailable.