Redirecting Documents, general questions

[Dave-UK]

Actually my main need was to see the file PATH.

I don't just want to know that it is somewhere in my computer, but I want to
know WHERE it is.

Well use Everything or Agent Ransack and you will see the path.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I want to open a file in MS Word, and it shows me the name of the file, but
not where it is.

In Word 2003, every method I have to open a file shows me its path. I
might have to click on the arrow to the right of the address bar in the
dialog box.

So I close word, navigate to where I think the file might be, and if it is
there, I click on it, and it opens Word and opens the file. But it would be so
much quicker and simpler if it showed the path in the first place.

In Word 2003, if I click on File - Properties, then the General tab
shows me the full path to the file that is open. Also, Save As works the
same as File - Open.

 

[Ken Blake]

Actually my main need was to see the file PATH.

I don't just want to know that it is somewhere in my computer, but I want to
know WHERE it is.

Both Everything and Agent Ransack (and probably all the others) will
do that. If you search based on file name, not content, as Char says,
Everything is faster than Agent Ransack.

But since both are free, I recommend that you get both for future use.
Use Everything when you want to search by name, and Agent Ransack when
you want to search by content.

 

[Ken Blake]

I've already said my piece and don't want to repeat myself, so I won't
reply to most of what you say below. But I'll reply to the following:

Which hard drive dangers are more common than having to reinstall
Windows? Perhaps I'm jaded because of the work I do, so I don't see
it.

Here's one: head crashes and other kinds of drive failure.

 

[Ken Springer]

Actually my main need was to see the file PATH.

I don't just want to know that it is somewhere in my computer, but I want to
know WHERE it is.

I'm still confused as to where you want to see the path. In a folder
window, or in the Word file open dialog box? If in Word, which version
of Word are you using?

--
Ken

Mac OS X 10.6.8
Firefox 14.0.1
Thunderbird 15.0.1
LibreOffice 3.5.6.2

 

[Ken Springer]

Your choice, of course, but I don't agree, for three reasons:

1. If you are careful with your computer, a disaster that requires
reinstallation is extremely rare.

There is one immutable law in the universe, IMO. Murphy's Law. It
may be rare, but it does happen.

2. Putting your data on a separate partition or drive suggests that
you do not have a strong regular backup procedure in place. If you
have a current backup of your data, there should be no fear about
losing your data because Windows has to be reinstalled.

No, it does not suggest that at all. All it suggests is I don't agree
with contemporary storage practices and recommendations. For instance,
on this Mac, Time Machine (which I don't really care for) does a back up
every hour. And since most of my Windows use is in virtual machine
software, that gets backed up at the same time. I so rarely use my two
Windows computers for anything other than checking what someone says
here or there, I don't have anything being backed up, but will get
around to it eventually. LOL

Even with a current backup, there's still the possibility you will be
missing the latest versions of X numbers of files. Unless you're
backing up every 5 minutes.

It also depends on what results you want from your backup software. I
looked at Carbonite's online backup program, and after finding out how
it works, I wouldn't give you 50 cents for the program, even if it was
installed on my computer and stored my files locally. It doesn't do
what I want backup software to do.

3. There are several dangers that affect the entire drive: head
crashes and other kinds of drive failure, severe power glitches,
nearby lightning strikes, virus attacks, even theft of the computer.

Agreed. And that can happen to the back up drives as well.

The truth is, there is no 100% foolproof method that protects you from
data loss. Redundancy improves the odds, but nothing will ever be 100%
guaranteed.

Murphy's Law...

If you have good security software installed and you are careful about
what web sites you visit and what attachments you open, viruses should
not be a worry. I, for example, have never been infected.

I've always had a better than average AV software installed. None of my
Windows machines have ever been infected. But, Windows viruses, et.
al., have been downloaded to my Mac. I've always had AV software on
this Mac, despite what the Mac fanbois say, and thought I was protected.
But by pure accident, I discovered the Mac had infected files when
running WP Pro in a virtual machine environment, and Microsoft Security
Essentials found the infected files.

Then I went looking for AV software that not only looks for viruses for
the OS the software is installed under, but the "other guy's" OS as
well. So, my Mac AV software also checks for Windows issues, and my
Windows software looks for Mac issues.

But, need I say it again? Murphy's Law.

But if you
do get infected, everything and *everywhere* on your computer is at
risk, not just what's on C:.

Agreed. All any user can do is attempt to mitigate the dangers as best
as the user can do, and/or can afford. I.E., can't afford a 2nd
physical drive.

But, as I understand it, most viruses attack the OS, not your data, old
word macro viruses excepted. Which is why my mantra for fixing an
infected machines is here:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc700813.aspx, "Help: I Got
Hacked. Now What Do I Do? ". If the infection is serious, go from the
ground up, formatting the boot drive/partition. And if your data is not
on the boot drive/partition, you don't have to worry about recovering it
before formatting and reinstalling, regardless of your backup practices.

For that matter, how do you know your backups aren't infected?

In truth your data is not safe if it's on
a separate partition.

IMO, safer than being on the boot partition.

Having to reinstall Windows is only one of the
dangers to a hard drive, and not even the most likely one. In my view.
This kind of "safeguard" leaves you susceptible to simultaneous loss
of the original and backup to many of the most common dangers that
affect the entire physical drive, not just the particular partition.
Safety comes from a strong backup regimen, not from how you partition.

Agreed, but on a different partition is better than nothing, IMO. RE:
my comments above about Murphy's Law, and the inability to afford a 2nd
drive for backup purposes. I just gave a salvaged drive to a niece for
a backup drive because they don't have the proverbial pot to pi$$ in.

To me there's only one good reason for keeping your data on a
partition separate from C:, and that's a good reason only for some
people. I think that most people's partitioning scheme should be based
on their backup scheme, and backup schemes generally fall into two
types: imaging the entire hard drive or backup of data only. If you
backup your data only, that backup is usually facilitated by having a
separate partition with data only. Then you can back up just that
partition easily, without having to collect bits and pieces from here
and there.

Personally, I prefer incremental backups, rather than a hard drive
image. Going back to points above, how do you know you image isn't
infected, especially the OS? That takes you back to the TechNet article
on cleaning an infected machine. I still think that you have better
odds of protecting your data if it's at least on a different partition.

And if you really think about it, there's really not a whole lot of
practical, bottom line difference between putting all user created files
in My Documents and it's equivalents in newer OS's and on a different
partition. Still on the same hard drive, unless you redirect to a
different physical drive.

Things that haven't been brought up is software that doesn't
automatically default to My Documents, software that stores data outside
of My Documents (yes, there are some ), older software that doesn't
support that feature, and user ignorance saving documents all over the
place.

--
Ken

Mac OS X 10.6.8
Firefox 14.0.1
Thunderbird 15.0.1
LibreOffice 3.5.6.2

 

[Ken Springer]

Thus, I don't see much value in segregating
data just for 'ease of backup' purposes. To me, if you're going to do
it, it's probably because formatting the system drive and reinstalling
the OS doesn't need to touch the user's data when it's located
elsewhere.

Exactly.

--
Ken

Mac OS X 10.6.8
Firefox 14.0.1
Thunderbird 15.0.1
LibreOffice 3.5.6.2

 

[Char Jackson]

Both Everything and Agent Ransack (and probably all the others) will
do that. If you search based on file name, not content, as Char says,
Everything is faster than Agent Ransack.

But since both are free, I recommend that you get both for future use.
Use Everything when you want to search by name, and Agent Ransack when
you want to search by content.

+1

 

[Char Jackson]

Here's one: head crashes and other kinds of drive failure.

I haven't seen a head crash since about the early 1990's, so I'll put
that one into the 'rare' category. I do see a few drive failures here
and there, but OS reinstalls outnumber them by a factor of (just
guessing) perhaps 30 or 40 to 1.

Like I said, it could be the business I'm in. I see a few drive
failures and a ton of OS reinstalls, which is the opposite of what
you're proposing.

(I'm rethinking my numbers above and I think I'm wrong. It's probably
closer to 80-100 to 1 in favor of OS reinstalls.)

 

[Steve Hayes]

Both Everything and Agent Ransack (and probably all the others) will
do that. If you search based on file name, not content, as Char says,
Everything is faster than Agent Ransack.

But since both are free, I recommend that you get both for future use.
Use Everything when you want to search by name, and Agent Ransack when
you want to search by content.

Thanks everyone for the recommendations.

 

[Steve Hayes]

I'm still confused as to where you want to see the path. In a folder
window, or in the Word file open dialog box? If in Word, which version
of Word are you using?

I use 1997 on my desktop computer running under Windows XP and 2010 on my
laptop running Windows 7.

I have no problems with the former, but I do have problems with the latter. I
don't care where it shows me, as long as I can see where the file is.

 

[Ken Springer]

Rather frustrating when a software update changes things, and you miss
the new changes. :-(

I actually wrote this reply 2 days ago, but the missed software changes
meant the response didn't go where it was supposed to.

I find it interesting that a request for the shortcuts didn't actually
produce a list of the shortcuts.

I guess I thought folks would be sharp enough to show the hidden items
in their own computers and see what I was referring to. Seems easier
than typing a list since these shortcuts are created by Windows and not
the user. Logically, every Win7 will have the same shortcuts, or very
similar ones.

Especially when I'm not even using the subject computer to post this.

Some of these are My Documents, Cookies, Applications Data, and I'm not
typing all of them. Dave-UK may have the answer anyway.

Right now, the system seems to hung up trying to download updates
unsuccessfully from HP. :-(

May I point out the obvious contradiction? You don't wish to tweak or
customize your new PC, but you'd like to redirect several folders? Is
that not a tweak or customization?

Semantics. I don't consider changing where you store something to
be a tweak or customization. You're just moving stuff from one box to
another.

Prior to Win95, I don't remember using an OS that specified where data
was stored, it was always left to the user.

Tweaking and customization, at least to me, is adding new features and
abilities not provided by the OS out of the box, and expanding the
functions of the OS. Adding MS's Print Directory function in XP comes
to mind.

--
Ken

Mac OS X 10.6.8
Firefox 14.0.1
Thunderbird 15.0.1
LibreOffice 3.5.6.2

 

[Ken Springer]

Another reply written two days ago.

Like Gene said, these are junction points (for backwards compatibility), not real shortcuts.
Google for more info.

"Junction points" is a new phrase to me. I'll DuckDuckGo and Ixquick
the phrase and see what I find. I don't do Google except as a last
resort, haven't trusted them for a long time.

But should they also be redirected?

--
Ken

Mac OS X 10.6.8
Firefox 14.0.1
Thunderbird 15.0.1
LibreOffice 3.5.6.2

 

[Ken Blake]

I haven't seen a head crash since about the early 1990's, so I'll put
that one into the 'rare' category. I do see a few drive failures here
and there, but OS reinstalls outnumber them by a factor of (just
guessing) perhaps 30 or 40 to 1.

Then your experience is very different from mine.

 

[VanguardLH]

"Junction points" is a new phrase to me. I'll DuckDuckGo and Ixquick
the phrase and see what I find. I don't do Google except as a last
resort, haven't trusted them for a long time.

But should they also be redirected?

Junctions are one type of reparse point that has been available since
Windows 2000. Microsoft didn't provide tools or easy identification
within Windows Explorer regarding reparse points and few users bothered
or knew of the resource kits or 3rd party tools to create or delete
junctions (but obviously if they didn't know about them then they
wouldn't have investigated them).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reparse_point
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTFS_junction_point

 

[...winston]

"Char Jackson" wrote in message I haven't seen a head crash since about the early 1990's, so I'll put
that one into the 'rare' category. I do see a few drive failures here
and there, but OS reinstalls outnumber them by a factor of (just
guessing) perhaps 30 or 40 to 1.
Likewise, haven't seen a head crash since 1996 on an OEM (HP) installed Connor (Seagate) 300 MB HD for use with Win95.

 

[Ken Springer]

Junctions are one type of reparse point that has been available since
Windows 2000. Microsoft didn't provide tools or easy identification
within Windows Explorer regarding reparse points and few users bothered
or knew of the resource kits or 3rd party tools to create or delete
junctions (but obviously if they didn't know about them then they
wouldn't have investigated them).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reparse_point
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTFS_junction_point

Thanks, but the technical explanation is above my pay grade. LOL (But
these days, every thing is above my pay grade! It's called retired.)

In attempting to wade through the articles anyway, my impression is
these points/folders/shortcuts do not have to be redirected. And the
average user wouldn't be like me and show hidden files and folders
anyway, so wouldn't even ask the question.

Experimenting with redirection only to have folders I created seemingly
disappear into the netherworld, never to be seen again. Can't redirect
to a folder that isn't there! LOL

Already had enough of the Aero themes too.

Early impressions of Win 7? Glad I now use a Mac.


--
Ken

Mac OS X 10.6.8
Firefox 14.0.1
Thunderbird 15.0.1
LibreOffice 3.5.6.2

 

[Char Jackson]

I guess I thought folks would be sharp enough to show the hidden items
in their own computers and see what I was referring to.

There's an oft-used sermon that begins with, 'When asking for help,
the burden is on the person doing the asking, not on the people who
might potentially respond".

Seems easier
than typing a list since these shortcuts are created by Windows and not
the user. Logically, every Win7 will have the same shortcuts, or very
similar ones.

Easier for you, yes, but that's not really the point, right? ;-)

Semantics. I don't consider changing where you store something to
be a tweak or customization. You're just moving stuff from one box to
another.

Assuming you're not kidding about that being a tweak or customization,
we'll have to agree to disagree about what constitutes a tweak or
customization. To me, that falls well within customization territory,
nowhere near the boundary of what is or isn't.