[Resolved] lost "My Documents"

[belenus]

I don't know how I've managed to do it, but I've lost the "My Documents" folder from my desktop, and I'm hoping someone will be able to tell me how to get it back.

It's still there, I can access it through Windows Explorer, or the start menu. So I can put a shortcut to it on the desktop. But that isn't the same thing, as I found out when trying to add an attachment to an e-mail (it just added the shortcut).

I'm using Windows 98se.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

belenus

 

[VirtualMe]

belenus

Try this,

open My Computer

Click on Folders Options, (It will be under View or Tools menu on the tool bar)

Click on the View tab

Scroll down and see if there is a check by Show My Documents on Desktop.

 

[belenus]

Thanks VirtualMe.

There isn't a "Show My Documents on Desktop" in there.

belenus

 

[RandyG]

How to Re-create a Missing "My Documents" Icon on the Desktop


That should sort you out!

 

[VirtualMe]

If RandyG's link didn't do it, you can try this.

To restore My Documents to the Desktop type this command in the Start - Run dialog box.

rundll32 mydocs.dll,RestoreMyDocsFolder

Found Here

 

[belenus]

This is all getting very strange.

Followed RandyG's link and tried the methods outlined there. The only one that was a possibility was the third one, copy the My Documents folder from Explorer and paste to desktop. But it didn't give me the warning, ("The My Documents folder cannot be copied to the desktop. Would you like to create a Desktop item that points to the My Documents folder instead?") and did literally copy the whole thing again. Result was a full hdd because of two rather large folders called "My Documents" that worked independently of each other. I thought it best to delete the one on the desktop, as the other one was the one saved to automatically.

I've just tried VirtualMe's last suggestion, and nothing happened at all.

As I said, all very strange. It isn't a huge problem, and I can certainly work round any problems it does create (he say's hopefully), but it's becoming a bit of a battle -- human against machine; wonder who's going to win.

I do appreciate this help, and hopefully we'll be able to solve this. But it is an annoyance more than a massive problem, so don't go beating yourselves up over it.

 

[VirtualMe]

This may take one of Mosaic1's registry hacks.

Mo where art thou?

 

[Mosaic1]

Hi VirtualMe,

I'm here. But My Documents can be stubborn at times.

One thing to try is this:

Go to start>Run and type

regsvr32 mydocs.dll


Press enter. Does the My Documents shortcut come back? You do have the folder if I have read this right. That command will reenter all the registry entries for the My Documents Folder. If it doesn't work have a look at the registry here:


HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

Highlight Shell Folders in the left pane and look in the right pane for this String Value:
Personal

Is it there? And if it is, does the path to My Documents match the actual location of the My Documents Folder?

 

[belenus]

You're not wrong on the stubbornness of My Documents Mosaic1.

The first thing didn't bring it back.

I followed through the registry (first time I've been brave enough to go in there). The string, "Personal" is there, and it points to: "C:\My Documents", which is correct, I think -- that's assuming I've understood things in the registry correctly.

 

[AnyKey]

You could boot to the Dos prompt (F8 key, usually, while booting) and then type in scanreg / restore, then pick a date before this happened. It might save you some time.
Just a thought.

 

[Mosaic1]

Have a look here too:


If you had a registry restriction preventing it from showing, the command to restore my docs should have removed it.

This is a newer "Tweak" to remove my docs from the desktop.
Here's a link. I would look here first.
http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/962/



And if not, have a look here too:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

Highlight User Shell Folders
right pane. Personal Same thing?

 

[belenus]

It looks as though the command to restore My Documents may have worked after all. I had a look at AnyKey's idea to restore an earlier registry back-up, but there weren't any old enough. But when I restarted the computer, the My Documents folder was there, and all seems to be fine.

Thank you all very much for your help, I'm very grateful.

Looks as though you've got a great place here. I shall spend some time here, and have a really good look around.

Thanks again,

belenus

 

[Jtoast]

any changes to the registry dont take effect until you reboot....

 

[VirtualMe]

Hey belenus

Glad you got it fixed.

==============

95% of the time that I'm online (when I can find time), is surfing great forums like this and others. They are great places to hag out even if you don't have problems.

 

[gestalt]

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q267/2/79.asp