Just downloaded Windows 11..now running out of space on C Drive

I have to go. Goodnight. Good luck, at least you know the files and folders are not lost, just misplaced.

kelper said:

This might help

Move or Restore Default Location of Documents Folder in Windows 11 Tutorial

The Documents folder (shell:personal) is a component of the user profile that is used as a unified location for storing personal data. By default, the Documents folder is a shell folder in the user's profile (%UserProfile%) that is used as a default storage location for saved documents. If you...

www.elevenforum.com

Click to expand...

Looked at that earlier but dont understand it.

Good night am going for my tea now
Thanks for trying maybe a solution will come to someone here. I feel very frustrated.

kelper said:

If you are comfortable editing the Registry, you can recreate the Documents folder, drag all you folders into it that used to be there and then relocate the 'Documents' folder to DATA.

Click to expand...

Is a Reg edit really needed? When I was having a problem with my Music folder I just deleted it and created a new one in my User folder.

It is a system folder.... not an ordinary folder.

kelper said:

It is a system folder.... not an ordinary folder.

Click to expand...

The Music folder or the User folder. The music foldere I created works just like the other user folders.

Thanks all fo helping Am still frustrated with it all
Is it not possible to create a new documents folder?
As I say all the documents folders files and folders are in D Drive now but scattered all through it
Is there a way I can at least put them all in one folder in D Drive and call it Documents or something? Just to tidy it up.

Yes, you can move them all into a folder you create.

1 open File Explorer and type in shell;personal (but with a colon, not a semi-colon) and press ENTER

2 tick the box next to 'name' to selct all the files and folders

3 click on the copy icon



4 in the left column of File Explorer, click on DATA D: under 'This PC'

5 In the top-left of File Explorer, click on New, Folder

The New Folder will appear with its name highlighted. Just type Documents and it will edit the name, Don't click or move the mouse.
then press enter

6 click on your new 'Documents' folder and then click on the 'Paste' icon (my screen looks different as I don't have D:)

Will give it a go
Have printed it out to help me understand
However the Music, Videos, and Photos i moved are all ok in D Drive.
Dont want to touch them !
If I highlight everything won't they end up in the new Documents Folder too?

I have not done that yet as worried i can maake things worse.It is a guaranteed thing for a learner?
Also If I highlight everything won't they end up in the new Documents Folder too?

Sorry at the moment some days I don't feel brilliant and am under stress too.
But that Data folder looks such a mess now.

polli said:

My Kindle Content

Click to expand...

You have to change the setting in Kindle to load your books into the new location of your 'My Kindle Content' folder. In Kindle go to Tools>options>content. Select change folder. Browse to the new folder location and select it. Click 'use selected folder'..

glasskuter said:

You have to change the setting in Kindle to load your books into the new location of your 'My Kindle Content' folder. In Kindle go to Tools>options>content. Select change folder. Browse to the new folder location and select it. Click 'use selected folder'..

Click to expand...

Thanks. What about My Digital Editions ? Just hoping if I create a other folder it works OK. Moved Music and Videos folders as you suggested no problem. But had to re install iTunes to play my music.

polli said:

What about My Digital Editions

Click to expand...

I'm not familiar with using that but if it is the ADE store app. I'm just guessing here, but if it has no setting within the app to change storage location, you may have to uninstall the app, restart, then reinstall it so that it will pick up the new folder path in its registry entries. If ADE was installed from an .exe file, there should be a setting within the program to change it's storage path (similar to Kindle). Store apps usually are different from installable programs. As an example, my Kindle was installed from a downloaded .exe file.

Thanks. Going to try later today to do as kelper says and create a new documents folder.in D Drive. But D Drive is so messed up now got to be careful which folders to move. Avoiding Music Photos and Videos which are OK there now lol

polli said:

I have not done that yet as worried i can maake things worse.It is a guaranteed thing for a learner?
Also If I highlight everything won't they end up in the new Documents Folder too?

Sorry at the moment some days I don't feel brilliant and am under stress too.
But that Data folder looks such a mess now.

Click to expand...

If you do a full backup first, you can always restore things to how they were. I suggest you take your computer to a shop.
Do you have a knowledgeable friend or relative who could help?

I agree. That storage drive is really messed up. You've had a lot thrown at you in this thread so I can understand why you would be confused.
If it were me, here's what I would do to straighten it out once and for all. Otherwise D is going to remain messed up.
1. Backup or copy files from D to an external drive
2. completely clean off D,
3. Move the default user folders to D according to Brink's tutorials, He has a tutorial for every user folder type(desktop, documents, music, downloads, pictures, saved games, videos, onedrive) They are all moved in the exact same way.
4. Once the user folders reside on D, go thru the stuff you backed up and copy any files/folders you want to keep to where they belong in an organized fashion and get rid of the stuff you no longer need.

I also agree with @kelper that you might want to seek help if you are unsure about any of this.

You say you can't understand the tutorial to move documents. Maybe this will help. The following are all of Brink's tutorials. Afterward I have included my multi-purpose notes which are a condensed version of his tutorials. You might find these notes easier to use. You would uses OPTION A in my notes.

Move Default User Folders-Brink’s tutorials(with screenshots)

Use Option #1 or #2 in tutorials to move your personal folders to a new location. The bat file method is easiest but then you have to manually move the files yourself.

Desktop- Move or Restore Default Location of Desktop Folder in Windows 11 Tutorial

Documents- Move or Restore Default Location of Documents Folder in Windows 11 Tutorial

Pictures - Move or Restore Default Location of Pictures Folder in Windows 11 Tutorial

Downloads - Move or Restore Default Location of Downloads Folder in Windows 11 Tutorial

Music - Move or Restore Default Location of Music Folder in Windows 11 Tutorial

Videos - Move or Restore Default Location of Videos Folder in Windows 11 Tutorial

Searches - Move or Restore Default Location of Searches Folder in Windows 11 Tutorial

Saved Games - Move or Restore Default Location of Saved Games Folder in Windows 11 Tutorial

Onedrive - Move or Restore Default Location of Onedrive Folder in Windows 11 Tutorial

Turn Off Folder Syncing NEW Onedrive-Use Option 3 Turn Off Syncing NEW Onedrive





MY SIMPLIFIED INSTRUCTIONS. I

Use OPTION A if you want any or all your personal folders on a secondary drive.

Use OPTION B if you are moving just the folders that defaulted to Onedrive back to the default location in your user folder on C: drive.

OPTION A -Move personal folders to secondary drive

Note-If you backup any folders to Onedrive, temporarily turn backup off until after you move the default location of your folders. Afterwards, you can move your folders. Use this tutorial which cover both new onedrive and old onedrive. If you're on 22h2 you will have new onedrive. Turn On or Off OneDrive Folder Backup Syncing Across Windows 11 Devices Tutorial

Open File Explorer.

Navigate to your storage drive EXAMPLE D: Create new folders there named Desktop, Documents,Pictures,Downloads, Music, Videos, Searches, Saved Games, Onedrive, (or just the folders you want to move)

Navigate back to This PC - RIGHT click on existing 'Desktop' folder, select properties.
Click location tab
Click Move button
Click the Select Folder button.
In the explorer window that pops up, browse to the secondary drive and select the Desktop folder you created there.

Click Select Folder, Click Move. Click Ok

You'll see a prompt asking whether you want to move files from the old location to new location. Select YES.
To prove to yourself that it worked, when you now go to properties of the Desktop folder in file explorer. It should show location as your secondary drive. Verify you can see all your files by browsing to your secondary drive and opening the Desktop folder.

Repeat this process for any or all of the other 8 folders you want to move to your secondary drive.

Once all the folders have been moved, if you want to sync any of your personal folders to Onedrive, Turn On or Off OneDrive Folder Backup Syncing Across Windows 11 Devices Tutorial



OPTION B – Move folders from Onedrive to user folder on C: drive

Pre-requisite -Do step 1 or 2 depending on whether or not you intend to use Onedrive at all.


1. If you want to turn off Onedrive completely, Unlink PC from Onedrive

In task tray, click Onedrive icon. Click gear icon. Select Settings. Click Account in left pane. Select "Unlink this PC"
To prevent Onedrive popup nags, turn off automatic startup of Onedrive-Navigate to Settings> Apps > Startup.
Locate Microsoft Onedrive in the list and disable the toggle next to it.

2. If you backup any folders to Onedrive temporarily turn backup off until after you move the default location of your folders. Afterwards, you can move your folders. Use this tutorial which cover both new onedrive and old onedrive. If you're on 22h2 you will have new onedrive. Turn On or Off OneDrive Folder Backup Syncing Across Windows 11 Devices Tutorial



Browse to C:\users\yourusername

Create 3 new folders named Desktop, Documents, Pictures (There should already be folders there for all the other user folders that do not default to Onedrive)

Navigate back to This PC - RIGHT click on existing Desktop folder, select properties.
Click location tab
Click Move button
Click the Select Folder button.


In the explorer window that pops up, browse to C:\users\yourusername and select the Desktop folder you created there.
Click Select Folder, Click Move. Click Ok

You'll see a prompt asking whether you want to move files from the old location to new location. Select YES.
Now go to properties of the Desktop folder in file explorer, it should show location as your default user folder.

Repeat this process for the other 2 folders (Documents and Pictures) that you want to move to the default user folder location.


Make sure that all the files that were originally in those 3 folders that previously defaulted to Onedrive are now in your default user location folders.

You can now setup your sync to onedrive again if you chose option #2 above.

Thanks for all the Help. No I have nobody that can help. dont want to make the situation worse
As don't feel well at the moment
Can't right click on Documents folder to swap it back
As it is all scattered in D Drive

But I moved my Photos Videos and Music there and quite happy with them there

But now on D Drive I have all the Documents contents scattered amonst my other folders and just dont know what to do with them.
I would be quite happy to move all these odd files and folders into a new folder I create. Called anything at all.
At least they would all be together

But it would confuse Kindle Folder and My Digital Editions Folder and maybe a couple more. So not sure what to do next

Is it possible to just open D Drive and add ALL the folders that are NOT the Music, Videos and Photos into it?

I could reinstall Kindle & Digital Editions
Will there be important stuff in there I dont know about?

That's impossible for me to tell remotely. Post or send me a personal message when you feel better. We could even talk on the phone or WhatsApp if you like. Where do you live? - just give a postcode.

polli said:

But now on D Drive I have all the Documents contents scattered amonst my other folders and just dont know what to do with them.
I would be quite happy to move all these odd files and folders into a new folder I create. Called anything at all.
At least they would all be together

Click to expand...

That's what I would do. Just remember to use copy/paste and not cut/paste. With cut/paste, if something goes wrong you could lose files and folders. I don't see why you can't just make a new folder in C:/users/yourusername. I did it with my music folder. Before you do anything I suggest you image your drives to an external drive.

Winuser said:

That's what I would do. Just remember to use copy/paste and not cut/paste. With cut/paste, if something goes wrong you could lose files and folders. I don't see why you can't just make a new folder in C:/users/yourusername. I did it with my music folder. Before you do anything I suggest you image your drives to an external drive.

Click to expand...

I want them to stay in D Drive as not got space on my C.
Did it with music videos and photos
Just hoping for a simple answer I can understand to just tidy up the files from documents now scattered all over d drive.
I would just create a folder in D Drive (called Documents or better called something else) and drag all folders that moved into it) But not sure if the files would work afterwards? Just want re- assurance. As not well at moment and have a lot of stress anyway.