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My Stupid Windows Question for the Day!

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J-Mac:
I know that certain folders, namely My Documents, My Pictures, My Music, My Videos, etc. are actually system folders.  However they can be relocated within Windows and have all shortcuts, etc., still point to them.  For example, I immediately relocated all to my D: drive after installing Windows XP Pro on this PC. I wanted the C: drive to contain only the OS and program files.  All data and media files are on my D: drive, and my E: drive (and a couple external USB drives) are for backups and synced folders only.

But....

Can these folders be renamed without causing issues? What I want to do is remove the stupid "My" from the folder names! Who in the heck ever dreamed that concept up anyway? It just sounds so darn childish for some reason - My Pictures, My Music, etc., etc.  Of course they're mine!!  And I know that!!  I don't need to remind myself and the world that these are MY very own folders!  It just makes them look kind of stupid among all my other data folders.

But can I take that possessive adjective away without any dire consequences?  I thought I would ask before just trying it and then asking you all how to get out of that mess!

Thanks.

Jim

tomos:
hmmm, I've changed name of my documents but with something ... :-\
thought it might have been Tweak UI but just had a look there and cant see anything -
it's a fairly recent install so just thinking now it might have been Autopatcher but that's no help to you probably

I dont think you can simply rename them ... or dont think it works at any rate :)

this might do it?
http://ben-ward.co.uk/journal/rename_folders_in_windows/

cmpm:
I made a folder on drive d and called it something different then 'my documents', then moved the 'my documents to that folder with the move folder command in properties. And no there is not a subfolder called my documents in it, but everything was there that was in my documents.

And since you brought it up I renamed the desktop icon from my documents to another name to see if I could, and it worked. Just right click and click Rename.

f0dder:
There's some registry entries that need fixing if you want to rename those special folders. Iirc it's also possible to turn off the generation of them with the policy editor, or manually fixing some registry keys as well. They bother me.

nosh:
I just ignore the 'My' series and save all my personal data at another location. Lots of apps feel free to create their own subfolder within these anyway and I wouldn't want my personal data getting mixed with all that junk.
I have a feeling that if you rename these folders they will sooner or later be regenerated by some app or another and you'll just have dupes on your hands, leave them alone and make your own data folders hierarchy instead.

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