Windows7 system query

[Groucho]

Puzzled - my Win7 installation on the C drive works fine. I have, however, a 'Users/xxx' AND a 'Documents and Settings/xxx' folder on that drive.

All file changes including ntuser.dat appears to be mirrored to both folders. I was hoping to delete the D&S folder to make room for a dual-boot Win10.

My understanding was that Win7 does not use a D&S folder? Do I have a 'superfluous' Registry key perhaps? Can I delete the D&S folder?

[mixture]

Groucho,

First question of the day is whether this Windows 7 installation is per chance the result of an upgrade or migration from Windows XP ?

Second question of the day is are you running Windows 7 in XP mode ?

I suspect you are most likely seeing symlinks caused by one of the aforementioned.

See also https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/windows/desktop/bb968829%28v=vs.85%29.aspx

[Groucho]

Ta, but left floundering!

First question of the day is whether this Windows 7 installation is per chance the result of an upgrade or migration from Windows XP ?

First answer, cannot remember. I think I dual-booted XP and 7 and then removed the dual-boot when I became 'MSConfident'.....

Second question of the day is are you running Windows 7 in XP mode ?

Second answer - how would I know?

First reply question of the day

Depending on the results above, what can I do to release the disk space taken by D&S?

[Keef]

It's one of the less delightful aspects of Windows (there are a few!).

You will, I suspect, find that there is only one folder and that both "C:\Documents and Settings\Groucho" and "C:\Users\Groucho" contain exactly the same items. Delete a file from one, and it will be gone from t'other.

As mixture says, there's an old symlink in there that tells it "if he asks for this, point him at that". The symlink itself takes up all of about 4k on your machine (at worst). You can delete it (if you can find it), but it won't do a lot of good. You might break something that worked and have more fun trying to sort that.

You may also find that in "C:\Users\Groucho" you have two identical folders called "My Documents". Again, there's probably only one on your PC but a leftover symlink.

It doesn't matter until you come to doing a backup (with something like robocopy, see different thread). Then, the copy routine will copy twice. If you're unlucky and the symlink was badly written, then it will go into a loop and try to copy an infinite number of times with sad effects on your backup drive capacity.
I got round that with a "don't follow symlinks" command in my drive C backup routine.

I wouldn't delete the "Documents and Settings" folder!

If you're short of drive space, you could put in a different hard drive and have Win 10 boot to that one.

[Groucho]

Thanks Keef for the helpful reply. I now understand!

They are as you say the same folder with a different name. Yes, I have experienced the 'delights' of MS Win7 and My Docs etc.....

I would prefer to keep the coming dual-boot on the C drive and by studious 'housekeeping' I have swept away significant rubbish and made room.

[mixture]

Yeah, sorry Groucho .... hastily composed message on my part, perhaps could have done with a few more translations of technical terms. :cool: