Windows XP - how to move Desktop and Favorites locations?

Question

how could I move the Desktop location and the Favoriets location on Windows XP SP3?

Let's say for instance I want to move them out from "C:\Documents and Settings\User" into "C:\". Is this possible?

Obviously when I say move, I mean MOVE, not just make a copy of the folders. After I moved it I need that all application recognize automatically that they wre moved, so IE will still find the Favorites, my PC Desktop will still showthe files in Desktop folder.

Solution 1

The easiest way to do this is using TweakUI. First, create the new folders. Download TweakUI from the XP Powertoys page. Once it's installed, run it and open the My Computer branch and click on Special folders. Reassign the folders you want to move. Save your changes. Copy all the files from the old folders to the new ones. Make sure everything works as expected, then delete the contents of the old folders. Apparently you can accomplish all this by simply moving one of these special folders to its new location, but I prefer to be more cautious.

Solution 2

By right-clicking 'My Documents' at the top the menu above 'Run' you can change the location of 'My Documents' by changing the value in the 'Target' box. By doing this your favorites will also be relocated.

Not sure about changing the Desktop location without Group Policy on a domain.

Solution 3

Cut and Paste! It even changes the Start-Menu List Target (Works with Favourites and Desktop on XP Pro.)

You may need to reboot for it to work.

Solution 4

The location of the Desktop can be changed from C:\ to any other folder with this registry entry:

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

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Comments

[Murray Furtado]

+1 for TweakUI. Can I give more? This is a great tool for customizing everyday things!

[metadings]

that's the only really easiest way to do it - from XP until 8, officially supported onboard, without extra tools, for all UserProfile folders.

[Celess]

Yep. Move the My Documents to a folder using the start menu properties way, then literally "cut and paste" the remaining Favorites and Desktop folders to wherever the other was moved, as much like moving the folders in 7 and 8 as gets. I wish I could up-vote this answer more.