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How to set drive D as the default for data
At the moment, all work is being saved to the SSD C drive. If I go to settings/system/storage for the active user the available options are for the C drive. I can't see any mention of D drive. Advice on Windows forum suggets there should be an option relating to 'save new content' on the RHS but it does not appear on my Dell AOI.
MastiffX
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January 3rd, 2024 17:14
"... how will Windows know to include the content on the Windows desktop?"
Good question. When you follow the directions for moving these folders, you are also telling Windows where to find them.
With that said, it's possible that you will still see these folders in the C: drive, even after they are moved. Not to worry. This is by design, for two reasons:
1- if, for some reason, your D drive becomes inaccessible, Windows will revert to using the folders on C:
2- in the (very unlikely) event that you are using software that is hard-coded to look for these folders on the C: drive, it will use the folders on C:
Chino de Oro
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January 1st, 2024 20:33
After you get to settings/system/storage, one more step, Advanced storage settings, then you will see Where new content is saved.
MastiffX
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January 2nd, 2024 17:22
The data folders you can (and should) move to a different partition which, ideally, should be on a different physical drive, are
Now you can backup your data on a different schedule and/or with a different application than you do for your software.
gvm77
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January 3rd, 2024 01:10
Thank you. The 'change where new content is saved' settings include new apps, documents, music, photos & videos, films & tv programs, and offline maps but what about other folders on C drive such as
OneDrive, Favourites, and Desktop?
More to the point, there is a users folder on C drive comprising 'public' and myself. Should this users folder be on D, and if so, how do I relocate it there?
Also, the desktop is the "home screen" for the PC. Currently it shows the content of the desktop that is on drive C. How do I point it to the data on drive D?
TIA ... Greg
(edited)
Chino de Oro
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January 3rd, 2024 03:42
There are two different types of folders, actual user's data folders and explorer view's folders. The data folders as the main query in this thread, will be created on drive D after being selected Where new content is saved.
They are grouped inside a folder with the same user's name as the signed-in user. Public folder does not contain your data, should not be moved. One Drive and Favorites are shortcut folders, no actual data, so they were not available as options, should not be moved.
You can change the view of File Explorer to This PC. Folder group were removed in Windows 11, so you will need to restore them (google for it as I can't remember the reg edit strings for all of them). Except for 3D folder, you can select properties of each of the folders and choose option "Move" under Location. Browse to each corresponding folders in drive D as destination.
Once it being done, you can open each folder from file explorer and it should display the files located in drive D. The same will happened to download and save functions, new items will be saved to drive D.
MastiffX
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January 3rd, 2024 03:51
@gvm77
Re: the Desktop folder
What you see on your Windows desktop comes from 4 places:
1- Windows;
2- the Default User's desktop - don't touch this;
3- the Public User's desktop; and
4- your own desktop, i.e., the contents of:
C:\Users\your user account\Desktop
It's that 4th folder that you want to move to a separate partition.
gvm77
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January 3rd, 2024 12:37
Thank you both, but MastiffX, if I move 4- my own desktop, i.e., the contents of C:\Users\me\Desktop to Drive D, how will Windows know to include the content on the Windows desktop?
TIA ... Greg
gvm77
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January 6th, 2024 04:00
Thank you. That explains it! .... Greg
Lutay
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April 30th, 2024 10:35
Click on start, then settings, then click on system and click storage option. Now here you can change the option where new content is saved.