Moving the My Documents folder

titaniumx3 · 31 Jan 2010 at 14:03

I would like to move the My Documents folder in Windows 7 and I know how to do it, but will games that store files there (config files, etc) know the new location of the folder?

Possibly a silly question, but I don't want to screw up all my games over this!

Daegan · 31 Jan 2010 at 14:22

Some will, some won't. Depends how you're moving the My Documents folder, i.e. just changing the library location or going further and changing User Shell Folder entries in the registry.

titaniumx3 · 31 Jan 2010 at 14:45

Well if I right click on the My Documents folder and go into it's properties, there's a tab that lets you change the location of the folder. I changed it once when I first installed Windows but would like to move it again, but the problem being that it is now filled with loads of files from the games I have installed.

I assumed that the location of the My Documents folder was transparent to games, i.e. it behaves like a shortcut. Not sure what the User Shell Folder thing is though.

Daegan · 31 Jan 2010 at 15:06

You shouldn't have any problems moving it. Any programs that put files in the old location will just look to the new one once you've changed it.

.Simon · 31 Jan 2010 at 23:14

I assumed that the location of the My Documents folder was transparent to games, i.e. it behaves like a shortcut.

This is correct. You shouldn't have problems changing the path.

reflux · 31 Jan 2010 at 23:19

I just changed the path on mine but that means game saves end up on C: and I lose them when I reformat due to being absent minded.