Directories not visible in Win 7

[KCB]

Amen to that!

I have found that, for example, it is *easy* to delete an entire folder
while thinking you are deleting a single file in a different folder.

It's not that I'm a novice (quite the contrary), it's that the display
of files in the Library is very misleading and so requires excessive
attention...

Of course, I could just learn how to use it (radical thought!), but that
need for extreme attention would continue to make me nervous.

My current workaround is to just avoid using the Library. I have links
to a couple of procedures to disable the Library completely, but I
haven't done it - yet.

I did recently follow an online hint to remove the Library from the
Explorer's display, but I restored it when I found that the Library
continued to show up in file open and save dialogs, thereby diluting the
value of what I did.

In the last couple of weeks, I've been toying (again) with the idea of
just disabling the thing.

Grumble grumble

Disabling the Library function was one of the first changes I made to Win7.
I simply didn't like how it worked, and thought it actually hindered the way
I manage files.

 

[Roy Smith]

Disabling the Library function was one of the first changes I made to
Win7. I simply didn't like how it worked, and thought it actually
hindered the way I manage files.

I hear ya! I wish Microsoft would wake up and realize that not everyone
does a task the exact same way. It would have been nice if they had
made using Libraries a user configurable option that could easily be
changed by the user.

--

Roy Smith
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit
Postbox 2.5.3
Sunday, October 16, 2011 10:11:14 AM

 

[Nil]

Disabling the Library function was one of the first changes I made
to Win7. I simply didn't like how it worked, and thought it
actually hindered the way I manage files.

I didn't realize they could be disabled. I just looked it up and it
seems it can be done with a registry hack. That's good to know.

Libraries is a feature I've just ignored so far. I mean to take some
time to read up on them and try them out. I have a feeling they could
be useful.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I didn't realize they could be disabled. I just looked it up and it
seems it can be done with a registry hack. That's good to know.

Libraries is a feature I've just ignored so far. I mean to take some
time to read up on them and try them out. I have a feeling they could
be useful.

Thanks, KCB, Roy, & Nil, for the encouragement

Nil, you said you ignore Libraries. I like that idea, but it turns out
that Libraries has snuck up on me a few times, even though I thought I
was ignoring it. As I said, I think I'm deleting one thing and another
gets deleted. So far I've recovered the loss every time, and I have my
fingers crossed for the future.

So why haven't I disabled Libraries? I'd say ask my shrink, but I don't
have one

How about in the next few days (I have another assignment for right
now).

 

[Steve Hayes]

From what I can tell, the problem you're describing has absolutely
nothing to do with Windows 7. Prove it to yourself by launching
Windows Explorer and navigating to your folder. I suspect you'll have
no trouble finding your folder. Then take a look at the secret program
you're using. I expect the problem lies there.

The program concerned was PAF 4.0, but that doesn't matter very much.

This and similar problems happen with lots of programs.

I imported a file into Open Office 3.3.

I modified it, and saved it (so I thought) in my Dropbox folder, so I could
edit on my other computer.

But when I look on my other computer it is not ther.

I can searchy for it in Windows &, and it finds and displays the file name BUT
IT DOESN'T TELL ME WHERE IT IS

I can open it, but I don't WANT to open it, I want to MOVE it to a place where
I can find it on my other computer, but I can't move it because I DON'T KNOW
WHERE IT IS

Windows 7 juat makes it excessively difficult to find stuff.

 

[Char Jackson]

The program concerned was PAF 4.0, but that doesn't matter very much.

This and similar problems happen with lots of programs.

I imported a file into Open Office 3.3.

I modified it, and saved it (so I thought) in my Dropbox folder, so I could
edit on my other computer.

But when I look on my other computer it is not ther.

You're mixing apples, oranges, and a bunch of other fruit together
here, and none of it seems to have anything to do with Windows 7. One
part of it is being able to put a file in a specific folder and
knowing how to access that folder (and in turn, that file) again
later. That involves making a note of the complete file path, the
filename, and of course its extension. Another part of it is that you
added Dropbox to the mix. As a test, try using one of the standard
shared folders to see if that is successful. If so, you know that your
Dropbox config isn't quite right. A third part of it is basic
networking and connectivity. Dropping a file into Dropbox doesn't
magically make it appear everywhere else, despite the marketing fluff
on their website. Each of the different systems have to be connected
somehow, and propagation time has to be allowed. It's not clear that
you've allowed for all of these things.

The only way I can see that you could blame Windows for any of this
confusion is if you're using the Libraries feature, which could be a
valid excuse for not knowing exactly where a file resides, but you
haven't mentioned that feature and I don't want to assume anything.

I can searchy for it in Windows &, and it finds and displays the file name BUT
IT DOESN'T TELL ME WHERE IT IS

My personal favorite tool for finding files by name is a small utility
called Everything (http://www.voidtools.com/). Highly recommended.

So what's happening when you save a file and it's not where you think
you saved it? Well, if you're trying to save it to a protected area, I
believe Windows will redirect the save to a non-protected area, and it
may do so quietly. Is that a possibility? Where is your Dropbox folder
located on the Win 7 system?

I can open it, but I don't WANT to open it, I want to MOVE it to a place where
I can find it on my other computer, but I can't move it because I DON'T KNOW
WHERE IT IS

What I like about Everything is that it searches in real time, so with
each letter that you type it's narrowing down the results before your
eyes. Very cool and very fast, I only wish such functionality came
standard.

Windows 7 juat makes it excessively difficult to find stuff.

Clearly not true. As you say above, Windows 7 is pretty good about
finding your documents so you can work on them, but not quite so good
at telling you where they actually are. Libraries and Junction Points
and system-protected areas add convenience and security, but also add
further confusion. You may be running into some of that.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

The program concerned was PAF 4.0, but that doesn't matter very much.

This and similar problems happen with lots of programs.

I imported a file into Open Office 3.3.

I modified it, and saved it (so I thought) in my Dropbox folder, so I could
edit on my other computer.

But when I look on my other computer it is not ther.

I can searchy for it in Windows &, and it finds and displays the file name BUT
IT DOESN'T TELL ME WHERE IT IS

I can open it, but I don't WANT to open it, I want to MOVE it to a place where
I can find it on my other computer, but I can't move it because I DON'T KNOW
WHERE IT IS

You must have a different version of Windows than I do.

When I search for a file (I arbitrarily chose ntuser.dat), I got a lot
of entries like this:

ntuser.dat
C:\Users\My Account

That sure seems to tell me where it is. Furthermore, I don't see a
configuration item that can turn that off.

Also, if I right click on one of those entries, one of the choices in
the context menu is "Open file location". If you hold the control key
down while clicking on that, it even opens in a new window, so you don't
even lose the search results (although it's quick and easy to get them
back if you don't Control-click).

Windows 7 juat makes it excessively difficult to find stuff.

For some users...

 

[Steve Hayes]

You must have a different version of Windows than I do.

When I search for a file (I arbitrarily chose ntuser.dat), I got a lot
of entries like this:

ntuser.dat
C:\Users\My Account

That sure seems to tell me where it is. Furthermore, I don't see a
configuration item that can turn that off.

I wish I coulsd find the configuration that would turn that ON.

Also, if I right click on one of those entries, one of the choices in
the context menu is "Open file location". If you hold the control key
down while clicking on that, it even opens in a new window, so you don't
even lose the search results (although it's quick and easy to get them
back if you don't Control-click).

Again, I wish that were one of the choices is showed to me.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I wish I coulsd find the configuration that would turn that ON.

Since I can't turn those paths off, the implication that I intended is
that there's no way to turn them on. I can't guess why you don't have
them showing.

See below for some possibly relevant remarks.

Again, I wish that were one of the choices is showed to me.

Since I never did anything to turn on the right-click behavior or the
path displays that I referred to above, and since I can find no way to
turn them off, I have to think that you are doing something I don't know
about, like configuring your Explorer in Classic Mode, or turning off
Aero, or something I can't guess, and so you have these problems as side
effects.

Let me try some other things. Hang on for a minute or two.

Well, I'm back and Help doesn't even tell me where or how to turn Aero
off.

No, I looked again. This time Help gave me the idea to choose a Theme
that doesn't use Aero. OK, now I can turn Aero off, but Search still
shows the locations of the files as before. But the theme was too ugly
for words, and I quickly returned to my theme

Try sfc (System File Checker) - maybe something is corrupted.

Also, consider downloading Agent Ransack (AKA File Locator Lite). It
might cheer you up, and it's free.

I have no more to say, since I've actually exceeded my knowledge here.

 

[Steve Hayes]

Try sfc (System File Checker) - maybe something is corrupted.

Also, consider downloading Agent Ransack (AKA File Locator Lite). It
might cheer you up, and it's free.

Sounds interesting.

And I'll also check the possibility of turning libraries off.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Sounds interesting.

And I'll also check the possibility of turning libraries off.

I still haven't turned libraries off. Call me Mr. procrastinator, I
guess. Actually, for some unknown reason, I seem to be paranoid about
it.

I rarely use Windows Search, since File Locator Lite works well for me,
but when I do use Search, I don't have your problems, and I can't find a
way to duplicate them, so it's a complete mystery to me. That's why I
suggested FLL. Just to state the obvious

 

[Char Jackson]

I still haven't turned libraries off. Call me Mr. procrastinator, I
guess. Actually, for some unknown reason, I seem to be paranoid about
it.

I'm not sure if I reported on this before, but I turned Libraries off
soon after installing Win 7 on my server. The side effect was that
every time I attempted to copy or move a file I would get an error
message to the effect that 'the file is no longer located here'.
Clicking 'Try Again' would always be successful. This behavior became
annoying to me so I enabled the Libraries function and the error
messages stopped. Thus ends my experiment with disabling the Libraries
function. Since then I've played with Libraries a bit and actually see
some value in it.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I'm not sure if I reported on this before, but I turned Libraries off
soon after installing Win 7 on my server. The side effect was that
every time I attempted to copy or move a file I would get an error
message to the effect that 'the file is no longer located here'.
Clicking 'Try Again' would always be successful. This behavior became
annoying to me so I enabled the Libraries function and the error
messages stopped. Thus ends my experiment with disabling the Libraries
function. Since then I've played with Libraries a bit and actually see
some value in it.

I'll take that under advisement, Mr. Counselor

ISTM that when I disabled Libraries for a little while a year or so ago,
nothing bad happened. Still, I reenabled it.

I'm consistent in some areas, but apparently not all. A form of
meta-inconsistency, yes?