Can't straighten out my folders...their order is very messed up.

The steps I detailed are diagnostic steps that are seeing what is the exact situation.

Here is what I want you to do again so you can find the instructions. They return more information than I want, on all users, but I can't rely on normal Windows mechanisms to return only info on your user profile.

The desktop is composed of two folders and two registry location. Each has a per user and an all users location.

In Explorer (but no where else) some folder names are translated into the system language. A file called desktop.ini contains the translation instructions. If you were using a German system Explorer would show the folder name in German (even though it's name is still desktop). So when you see Desktop in Explorer you are seeing an English translation of the word desktop, not the actual folder name, even though they all say desktop.

The instructions ask Windows to list

• the per user desktop folder it is using for you.
• the all users desktop folder it is using
• the user profile folder it is using
• it draws a little diagram of your folder structure
• lists the folder structure in a different way
• tests for the existence of a desktop.ini

Do each command individually. Only copy the info relating to your user not the other users that is will show.

Start - All Programs - Accessories - Right click Command Prompt and choose Run As Administrator. Type (or copy and paste by right clicking in the Command Prompt window and choosing Paste).

Then configure the command prompt. Right click the Command Prompt's titlebar - Properties - Layout tab - and enter 1000 for Screen Buffer Size Height and 43 (or 50) for Window Size Height. Change the Color (Color tab) and Font (Font tab) if you want.

reg query "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders" /v desktop

reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\User Shell Folders" /v "Common Desktop"

reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList" /s /v /f "ProfileImagePath"

tree c:\users

dir c:\users /ad /s

dir c:\users /a /s desktop.ini

To copy the text output right click the window - Mark then select the text and press Enter. Setting the Properties for the window means you can now scroll up to select the text that has scrolled off the top of the screen.

This is what I have for the first two.  Is this correct?  I will continue if it is.

C:\Windows\system32>reg query "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ex

plorer\User Shell Folders" /v desktop

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell

Folders

    desktop    REG_EXPAND_SZ    %USERPROFILE%\Searches\Desktop

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6002]

Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ex

plorer\User Shell Folders" /v "Common Desktop"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\User Shell

 Folders

    Common Desktop    REG_EXPAND_SZ    %PUBLIC%\Desktop

Okay, here is the third one.  I'm guessing this is correct as the information is different.  As far as the different users, I'm the only one that ever uses this machine (or if someone else does they use it as me) so there shouldn't be other users.

C:\Windows\system32>reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion

\ProfileList" /s /v /f "ProfileImagePath"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\S-1-

5-18

    ProfileImagePath    REG_EXPAND_SZ    %systemroot%\system32\config\systemprof

ile

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\S-1-

5-19

    ProfileImagePath    REG_EXPAND_SZ    %SystemRoot%\ServiceProfiles\LocalServi

ce

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\S-1-

5-20

    ProfileImagePath    REG_EXPAND_SZ    %SystemRoot%\ServiceProfiles\NetworkSer

vice

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\S-1-

5-21-2262767660-3311196107-592689159-1003

    ProfileImagePath    REG_EXPAND_SZ    C:\Users\Ceil

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\S-1-

5-21-2262767660-3311196107-592689159-1004

    ProfileImagePath    REG_EXPAND_SZ    C:\Users\Mcx1

End of search: 5 match(es) found.

That's good. We know where windows thinks your desktop folder is. The All Users one is fine.

Remember to edit out users that aren't you from the file/folder commands.