HI have a question i accendently deleted my documents folder from my desktop can it be restored. i am running 98se.
Thanks so much Tomd63

It's Christmas and I've had one or two!

So you have to decide whether you care to run with me or not on this one. I'm also in my 70th year so that might put you off further.

If you are game then the fix is in the registry and it goes like this:

Type regedit in the Run box.

In the registry work your way through this path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Documents

When you have done this, in the right pane
delete the Key:

HideMyDocsFolder

Reboot and the My Documents icon should be back again.

I often think I am better drunk than sober but it's up to you whether you wish to take this chance. I've double checked it and FWIW I feel sure you will be OK....

Good luck

Happy Christmas

DerekW

And it's not in Recycle? You can make a new 'my documents' folder by right clicking on a vacant part of the desktop. Then choose NEW and FOLDER. Name it 'My Documents'.

But that won't restore any documents you had in it. For that you'll need some recovery software.

I killed off My Documents way back. I'll give my suggestion a whirl and write back..

DerekW

Yep, tried it. Back came that boring old "My Documents" icon and what few files I have inside it came back too.

The reason I don't use it generally is because if some hacker ever gets into my machine then that is exactly the place they would look for my personal stuff. Just about any other folder name would mean they would have to search but using what MS suggest is something of a give-away.

DerekW

... you do have to reboot

DerekW

Derek, Thanks a lot it worked ok. i really do appreciate it. Happy hoildays Tomd63

Kinda thought it would. Thx for popping back to let us know. Happy hols to you to...

DerekW

Derek, that's a new one for me. Does that mean 98 doesn't actually delete the 'my documents' folder, as it would any other file or folder, but just hides it? I'm assuming he actually deleted the folder and then emptied the recycle bin.

My documents folder on the desktop, is a shortcut. The folder lives in the core of C:\
On the desktop, right click the folder and check properties. Explains itself..

Just trying

DAVEINCAPS
I discovered this by doing a "before and after" on the registry before I removed the icon, way back. Yes, it pops that entry in the registry when you remove the icon, so you can get it back by just removing or changing the value of the registry entry.

jackfrost5556
Well, yes, a shortcut of sorts but a rather special one.
If you make an ordinary shortcut to the c:\my documents folder it will not display the same "Context info" and it will then carry the usual shortcut arrow. It does not explain how to restore it "to its exact original state", which has to be done from the registry. In fact it doesn't explain very much really and could fool you into thinking it was just an ordinary shortcut.

DerekW

"The folder lives in the core of C:\"

I see. Sort of like those mole people at the centre of the earth - got it!

... the interests and rights of some individuals take precedence over the interests and rights of others

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DAVE
I suspect the "hide" is a bit of a misnomer. More likely that Windows always creates the proper icon on boot (as opposed to a normal shortcut) unless that registry entry is present.

jboy
Yeah, I suspect the original poster knew what a shortcut was so I daresay this "discovery" would make knowledgeable long term helpers like DAVE chuckle a bit.

DerekW

Sure:

Teach not thy parent’s mother to extract
The embryo juices of the bird by suction.
The good old lady can that feat enact,
Quite irrespective of your kind instruction

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I probably should have tried it myself as Derek did. Windows does treat the attempt to delete 'My Documents' from the desktop differently than it would an added folder or application (shortcuts not really mattering as they could be recreated). Oh well. . .