Windows XP help: How do i move the My Documents folder?

How can I change the location of the My Documents folder?

By default, Windows XP stores the contents of your My Documents folder in your C:\ drive, at C:\documents and settings\yourusername\my documents
This location is fine for most users, but if your My Documents folder contains lots of large files such as photos or videos, you may wish to store them on a larger hard drive.

Moving My Documents to a new location

To move the contents of your My Documents folder to a different location, follow these steps. Note: these instructions are valid for Windows XP, and my not work on previous versions of Microsoft Windows such as Windows 2000, Windows ME/98, or Windows 95.

• With your Right mouse button, click on your My Documents folder on your desktop
• On the small menu that pops-up, select Properties
• In the My Documents Properties window, click the Move button
• Browse to the new location that you would like to store your My Documents folder
• When prompted Would you like to move all of the documents in your old location to the new location you have chosen? Click YES (if you're sure)
• Press OK to close the My Documents properties window

How to remove the My Documents folder from your desktop

The My Documents folder is a system folder, so Microsoft Windows will not allow you to really delete it, but you can remove it from your desktop.
How to remove your My Documents folder from your desktop:

• Click on the My Documents folder with your Right mouse button
• On the small menu that appears, click Delete
• At the Are you sure you want to delete the My Documents Icon from your desktop? prompt, click YES. Note that the message also indicates: The contents of this folder will not be deleted. You can restore this icon to the desktop using the Display control panel.. This is a reminder that you are only removing the icon for My Documents and not actually deleting any data inside the My Documents folder.

How to put the My Documents folder back on your desktop

If you've removed the My Documents Icon from your desktop, and later decided you cannot live without it, you can easily put it back on your desktop by following these steps:

• Right click (with your right mouse button) on an empty spot on your desktop. On the menu that appears, click Properties
• In the Display Properties window, click the Desktop tab
• Press the Customize Desktop button
• On the Desktop items window, put a check mark in the My Documents box and press OK
• Press OK to close the remaining windows. Your My Documents icon should now be on your WinXP desktop

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