Can't change the location of my downloads folder

Kross Limbo 0 Reputation points
2026-09-14T05:47:20.2533333+00:00

So my brother was messing around on my pc and he somehow managed to change the downloads location from my C drive to my D drive and when I tried changing it back it said (failed to build the list of regular subdirectories under "D:\Config.Msi". Access is denied). Please someone help me here fix this because this really annoying.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage
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  1. DaveM121 930.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-14T06:24:48.1566667+00:00

    This problem happens when someone tries to move the Downloads folder to the D drive and does not specify a folder on the D drive to move to, what happens is the Downloads folder becomes merged to the D drive and essentially, Windows thinks all files on the D drive are located inside the Downloads folder, that is why you are seeing that error.

    1

    Try this method first to resolve the problem.

    Right click the Downloads folder and select Properties.

    On the resulting dialog, select the Location tab.

    Click the button to restore its default location.

    Then you will be asked if you want to merge the folder contents, you must select NO.

    Then when the Downloads folder has been moved back to the C drive, manually drag any files that should be in the Downloads folder from the D drive into the Downloads folder.

    2

    If that does not resolve the problem.

    Click your Start Button, type regedit and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.

    Click View and make sure 'Address Bar' is turned on.

    Paste this into the Address Bar at the top and hit Enter.

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

    Please provide a screenshot of that Registry Editor page.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-14T05:47:33.7466667+00:00

    This usually happens because the Downloads folder was redirected to the root of D:\ instead of a real folder such as D:\Downloads, so Windows tries to scan protected folders like D:\Config.Msi and fails.

    Try this in order:

    1. Open File Explorer.
    2. Open the D: drive.
    3. Create a new folder named Downloads.
    4. Move only personal downloaded files from the root of D:\ into D:\Downloads. Do not try to move or change permissions on protected folders such as Config.Msi, System Volume Information, or $RECYCLE.BIN.

    Then reset the Downloads location:

    1. In File Explorer, right-click Downloads and select Properties.
    2. Open the Location tab.
    3. Select Restore Default to set it back to the default Downloads path.
    4. Select Apply.
    5. If prompted to move files, choose No.

    If that still does not work, fix the folder path in the registry.

    Important: Editing the registry incorrectly can cause serious problems. Back up the registry first.

    1. Press Win + R, type regedit.exe, and press Enter.
    2. Go to:

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

    1. Find the Downloads entry:

    {374DE290-123F-4565-9164-39C4925E467B}

    1. Set its value to:

    %USERPROFILE%\Downloads

    1. Close Registry Editor.
    2. Restart Explorer.exe, sign out and back in, or restart the PC.

    If the goal is to keep Downloads on the D: drive instead of C:, set the location to D:\Downloads, not to the root of D:\.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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