Windows: How to Set Default Document Folder Location (2024)

How to Set Default Document Folder Location in Windows

Windows: How to Set Default Document Folder Location (1)

Warning!
On University computers running the Windows operating system, documents do not automatically save to your H: network drive. Instead, documents default to the C: drive, which is only stored locally (not backed up) on the computer.
Whenever you receive a new University computer running Windows, it is imperative that you follow the following instructions to set your default documents folder to be your H: network drive. Failure to do so could lead to you being unable to access saved files from another computer or losing data if your University computer malfunctions.

Windows 10

  1. Click the [Windows] button > choose "File Explorer."
  2. From the left side panel, right-click "Documents" > choose "Properties."
  3. Under the "Location" tab > type "H:\Docs"
  4. Click [Apply] > Click [No] when prompted to automatically move all files to the new location > Click [OK].
  5. If you believe you have documents saved in C:\Docs, you can go to that location and manually copy the files to your H:\ drive.

Windows 7

Note:

If you don't see a Documents folder under the Libraries folder, then click the small triangle next to "Libraries" in the left pane to expand the folder.

  1. Go to Windows Start > Open "Computer."
  2. Click the triangle next to "Documents."
  3. Right-click the "My Documents" folder.
  4. Click "Properties" > Select the "Location" tab.
  5. Type "H:\docs" in the bar > Click [Apply].
  6. A message box may ask you if you want to move the contents of the folder to the new folder. Click [No]. If you have files saved on your C: drive, you can move those manually.
  7. All files will now default save to your H: drive.

Note:
This setting is machine-specific. For faculty and staff, that means you only have to perform this once on your office computer. For students, this means that each time you log on to a new Windows University computer, you will have to change this setting unless another user has already done so.

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Windows: How to Set Default Document Folder Location (2)

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Windows: How to Set Default Document Folder Location (2024)

FAQs

How do I make Windows 10 remember the last folder I saved to? ›

But you have to enable it in the View tab > Options > Change Folder and Search Options > General Tab > Open File Explorer to: Quick Access > Apply > OK. Then File Explorer should open to the most recent file at the top of the list, underneath the most recent Folders.

How do I change the default scan location in Windows 10? ›

In Windows 10, just right-click on the Documents folder in File Explorer and select Move. Move it to the desired location by moving or without moving existing files. Fax & Scanner will now scan to the new location.

How do I change the default folder settings? ›

Right-click the folder, and select the Properties option. Click the Customize tab. Use the Optimize this folder for drop-down menu and select the correct folder view template.
...
  1. (Optional) Check the Also apply this template to all subfolders option.
  2. Click the Apply button.
  3. Click the OK button.
17 May 2022

How do I remove OneDrive as my default save location? ›

Go to PC Settings, using the PC Settings tile in the Start menu, or swipe in from the right edge of the screen, select Settings, and then select Change PC settings. Under PC settings, select OneDrive. On the File Storage tab, turn off the switch at Save documents to OneDrive by default.

How do I stop Windows from changing folder view? ›

go to Folder Options (Organize -> Folder and Search Options) View tab, and make sure the Remember each folder's view settings is checked. Close the Explorer window after changes to save the settings.

How do I get my computer files to save on my storage and not one drove? ›

How to save documents on local computer instead of One drive or sharepoint.
  1. Open a new document.
  2. Head up to the File tab and choose Options on the bottom left corner.
  3. Choose Save from the pop-up window.
  4. Uncheck the box that says AutoSave OneDrive and SharePoint Online files by default on Word.
24 Feb 2021

What is the best way to organize your files Windows 10? ›

How to Organize Folders and Files in Windows
  1. Click to highlight the folder or file to move.
  2. Click the Home tab. ...
  3. Move the folder or file by clicking Move to. ...
  4. Click Choose location if the desired folder isn't listed. ...
  5. Choose the destination folder, and then click Move.

Why my default location is wrong? ›

That's because Google will try to detect your location based on the IP address. Sometimes location databases have incorrect information and end up determining that you are in a different country.

What is the default location for saved files? ›

The Documents folder is the default working folder for all of the files that you create in your Microsoft Office programs. You can choose a different default working folder.

How do I change the default File Explorer in Windows? ›

How to Set the Default Folder in Explorer on Windows 11
  1. Open your File Explorer. ...
  2. Click the three-dot menu in the upper right-hand corner of the window.
  3. Click on “options”.
  4. On the General tab, click on the dropdown arrow beside Open File Explorer to:
  5. Choose either “Quick Access” or “This PC”.
13 Apr 2022

Which file system path is the default location for system files in Windows 10? ›

The file-system directory that contains resource data. A typical path is C:\Windows\Resources . The Windows System folder. A typical path is C:\Windows\System32 .

Where is my documents folder Windows 10? ›

Search File Explorer: Open File Explorer from the taskbar or right-click on the Start menu, choose File Explorer and then select a location from the left pane to search or browse. For example, select This PC to look in all devices and drives on your computer, or select Documents to look only for files stored there.

Why is my computer saving everything to OneDrive? ›

In Windows 10, OneDrive is the default save location for your files and documents. This means new documents or files are automatically saved to OneDrive unless you opt to save them to a different location on your PC.

What is the default location for OneDrive? ›

The default location is a folder called OneDrive in your user profile. That location is usually OK, but you can choose a different location; this option is most useful if you have a secondary drive (formatted using NTFS) that has more storage than your system drive.

How do I change my default OneDrive location in Windows 10? ›

To get started, right-click the OneDrive icon in the system tray and choose Settings.
  1. Then unlink OneDrive from your PC. ...
  2. Next, open File Explorer and select your OneDrive folder. ...
  3. In this example, I needed to select Choose location from the drop-down menu to find the external drive I want to move it.
3 Jun 2021

How do I stop a folder redirecting? ›

Select the Windows Start button and in the field type 'disable folder'. Select the Disable Folder Redirection app. A message similar to this will display. Please read the instructions and select Proceed when done.

Can you stop folders from being moved? ›

To actually prevent moving a folder, you need to prevent the deletion and the creation from occurring. So you need to deny the right to create folders. Users can still click and drag files to move them into other folders.

How do I permanently change view in File Explorer? ›

Change display for a single folder

Press Windows Key + E to open File Explorer. Click the View option in the menu bar at the top of the window. In the drop-down menu, select Extra large icons, Large icons, Medium Icons, Small icons, List, Details, Tiles, or Content to change to the view you want to see.

How do I make all my files go to D drive? ›

Right-click on all the files and folders and select the option of copy or cut in the drop-down menu. Step 3 Once the files and folders are cut or copied, now navigate to the D drive and right-click on the drive to open it. Once opened, again right-click to launch the drop-down menu, and here select the option of paste.

Does deleting files from OneDrive delete from computer? ›

When you delete a file or folder on OneDrive with one device, you won't be able to find it on your other devices. All deleted files go into the Recycle bin, where you have a chance to restore it.

How do I save files directly to drive? ›

File Upload or Folder Upload. Choose the file or folder you want to upload.
...
Drag files into Google Drive
  1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
  2. Open or create a folder.
  3. To upload files and folders, drag them into the Google Drive folder.

What is the best folder structure? ›

5 Tips To Create An Organized File Structure Like A Pro
  1. Spaces, Dashes, And Underscores – Oh, My! ...
  2. Avoid Broad And Redundant Folder Names. ...
  3. Build Out A Subfolder Structure And Template (Even If The Subfolders Are Empty) ...
  4. Clean House. ...
  5. Be Flexible.
7 Feb 2022

What are the four methods of organizing files? ›

File organization methods
  • sequential,
  • random,
  • serial and.
  • indexed-sequential.

What are the 5 basic filing systems? ›

There are 5 methods of filing:
  • Filing by Subject/Category.
  • Filing in Alphabetical order.
  • Filing by Numbers/Numerical order.
  • Filing by Places/Geographical order.
  • Filing by Dates/Chronological order.

How do I fix my exact location? ›

Add a new address
  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app .
  2. Tap Contribute Edit map. Fix an address.
  3. Move the map to the center of the building.
  4. Enter the address information.
  5. To submit, tap Post.

How do I fix location issues? ›

Android 12 & higher
  1. Swipe down from the top of the screen.
  2. Touch and hold Location . If you don't find Location : Tap Edit or Settings . Drag Location into your Quick Settings.
  3. Tap Location Services. Google Location Accuracy.
  4. Turn Improve Location Accuracy on or off.

How do you fix an incorrect location? ›

Top 7 Ways to Fix Google Maps Showing Wrong Location on Android and iOS
  1. Enable High Accuracy in Location. ...
  2. Turn Off Battery Saver. ...
  3. Calibrate Compass. ...
  4. Clear Cache. ...
  5. Disable Mock Locations. ...
  6. Turn On Wi-Fi. ...
  7. Reinstall Google Maps. ...
  8. 5 Best Habit Tracker Apps for iOS and Android.
14 Oct 2021

What is the default storage location for files created in the Windows? ›

* The "My Document" icon on the desktop points the default store location of the file. The default store location is the "C:\My Documents" folder (or the corresponding folder when the user profile is used on the computer).

How do I change the path of a folder in C drive? ›

This command helps you change the entire directory altogether. If you are already in your C Drive, there is no need to perform this command.
...
Change Directory in CMD to C Drive
  1. Run Command Prompt. ...
  2. Enter “ cd ” or “ chdir .”
  3. Press the “Space” key.
  4. Type in “ C: ” beside “ cd ” in the CMD.
  5. Press the “Enter” key.
18 Mar 2022

What is Scan path? ›

Noun. scanpath (plural scanpaths) The path followed by the viewer's eyes when reading a document or observing a scene.

What is a network path for a folder? ›

A network location is a path to a folder on a shared network drive. It is especially useful if you need to connect to a specific folder on a network drive or server on a regular basis. 1) To map a network location in Windows 10, open File Explorer from the taskbar or the Start menu, or press the Windows logo key + E.

How do I change the default File Explorer 2022? ›

This will open up the settings menu. In the left sidebar, go to Experimental, and under Default file explorer toggle the Set Files as default file explorer on. However, before you set Files as your default app, it's worth noting that you can't just delete the app later and expect the changes to revert automatically.

Is Windows Explorer the same as File Explorer? ›

It's called File Explorer in Windows 10. Here are three ways to open it: Select the Start button and find it on the Start menu.

How do I configure File Explorer? ›

Click Explorer's See more button (with three dots) to open the menu in the screenshot directly below. Select Options on that menu. Then click the View tab shown directly below there. Select or deselect the advanced settings there to configure how Explorer displays files and folders.

Which is the default file system? ›

File systems of Windows. Microsoft Windows employs two major file systems: NTFS, the primary format most modern versions of this OS use by default, and FAT, which was inherited from old DOS and has exFAT as its later extension.

Which is the default file system used in? ›

List of default file systems
Release yearOperating systemFile system
1994Windows NT 3.5NTFS
1995Windows 95FAT16B with VFAT
1996Windows NT 4.0NTFS
1998Mac OS 8.1 / macOSHFS Plus (HFS+)
70 more rows

What is absolute path in Windows? ›

An absolute path contains the full set of directories from the root of the file system up to your target file or directory. On Windows, an absolute path starts with a drive like C:\ . You can cd to an absolute path from anywhere on the filesystem. This is an example absolute path: C:\Users\jesstess\projects.

Why is My Documents folder missing? ›

Click Start, point to Programs, and then click Windows Explorer. Locate the My Documents folder. Right-click the My Documents folder, and then click Add Item to the Desktop.

Why are My Documents not showing up in folder? ›

The most possible reason is your files are hidden. Other factors might be some malware or virus attacking your disk and hiding or even deleting your files so that you won't see them in the folder. Some users also report that problems with compression tools can also cause your files to not be displayed.

Where are Documents located? ›

Open your default file management app. This might be My Files for Samsung devices or Files by Google for Google Pixel Devices. Tap Documents. Navigate to the folders where your documents are stored.

What happened to recent folders in Windows 10? ›

In Windows 10, Microsoft removed the widely used Recent places option from the navigation pane of File Explorer. Instead, it has the "Recent files" and "Frequent folders" groups inside the Quick Access folder.

Where did I save my last file? ›

Step 1: Open the File Explorer either by clicking on its icon on the taskbar or using the Windows logo + E keyboard shortcut. Step 2: If the File Explorer opens to Quick Access, you can see the recently saved files in the Recent files section, which appears below the Frequent folders section.

Why does my folder keep disappearing? ›

There are many possible reasons why the folder went missing. One of the common reasons is the Windows update. Usually, some desktop folders and icons went missing after an automatic update, but these files are not totally gone. They are just hidden from the desktop folder.

Is there a recents folder in Windows? ›

The Recents Folder artifact contains files and folders that were recently opened or saved. It is closely related to the Windows MRU and JumpList artifacts, which will be covered in other posts. This artifact is in the Data Accessed category, which contains items that a user opened or saved.

Where are office recent Documents stored? ›

By default, that location is C:\Documents and Settings\user profile\Application Data\Microsoft\Office\Recent.

Is it safe to delete recent files? ›

Any files you open on your PC are automatically stored in the form of cached data. If you want to wipe clean your Recent Files menu, you can find this information and safely delete it.

Why did my files suddenly disappear Windows 10? ›

Windows 10 automatic upgrade or update (desktop files and installed apps are the most likely to be removed). The virus deleted or hid personal files. You logged in a new user account. The hard drive is failing.

Are files stored in main memory? ›

Computers have two fundamental types of memory — main memory and secondary storage. Main memory is where data and instructions are stored so that they can be accessed directly by the CPU. Secondary storage is used to permanently store data such as the operating system and the user's files.

Where are save files stored? ›

On Windows, most save games can be found by opening File Explorer and navigating to "%homepath%\AppData\LocalLow". You can do so by pasting that file path into the address bar in your file explorer.

Why do files disappear from my computer? ›

Files can disappear when the properties are set to "hidden" and File Explorer is not configured to show hidden files. Computer users, programs and malware can edit file properties and set them to hidden to give the illusion that the files don't exist and prevent you from editing the files.

Does deleting a folder delete everything in it? ›

Remember, when you delete a folder, you're also deleting everything inside of it. Note: If you think you might need that folder (and its contents) later, back it up to a data file before you delete it. Right-click the folder you want to delete and click Delete Folder.

Can you recover permanently deleted folders? ›

You can recover permanently deleted folders on Windows 10 without software if you have a backup. Windows 10 includes two distinct backup tools — File History and Windows Backup — and they can both be used to recover permanently deleted files with just a few clicks.

How do I fix my drive disappearing? ›

Part 3. Fixes to Hard Drive Disappeared from Disk Management
  1. Step 1: From the “Start” search bar, launch the “device manager”.
  2. Step 2: Locate the disk driver's category and expand it.
  3. Step 3: Now, right-click on each driver and select “Update driver”.
  4. Step 4: Select “Update Automatically” and the process shall begin.
28 Oct 2022

Which Windows program allows you to quickly locate a file or folder? ›

File Explorer in Windows 11 helps you get the files you need quickly and easily. To check it out in Windows 11, select it on the taskbar or the Start menu, or press the Windows logo key + E on your keyboard.

Does Windows have a copy history? ›

To get to your clipboard history at any time, press Windows logo key + V. From the clipboard history, you can paste and pin frequently used items by choosing an individual item from your clipboard menu.

Can you see who last accessed a folder? ›

Right click on the files/folders select Properties. Select the Security tab. Click the Advanced button. Select the Audit tab.

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