Question: A question sent to me by one of our CRUG members.
A neighbor asked me to check out her pc a XP home edition. One of the problems is that there are two documents folder’s, they contain exactly the same folders and images. If you delete one of the subfolders in one it deletes it in the other, so they look like duplicates to me. I cannot seem to isolate the problem.
Quick Answer:
All windows computers are set up this way and that’s the way we want to leave it. One is the real location and the other is a location containing shortcuts to the real location. The folders are not duplicates. It's not broke Don't try to fix it. There is a very good reason it's this way.
More Complete Answer:
All computers are set up so that more than one user can use the computer without the confusion of seeing each other’s Desktops, documents, pictures, personal information etc:
All this information is stored on the C:/Documents and Setting/User1, User2 if there were 2 users.
Each user has their own personal Desktop set up to their preferences of course with their own icons, shortcuts just the way they want.
When User1 logs on all they see is their Desktop with their start menu with their preferences and information and not User2s information which of course is the way we want it to be.
When User1 logs on Their Desktop with their preferences their folders and their Start menu is a complete list of Shortcuts to the original fixed location to all their information folders and files.
A few users take a good look at all the folders on the computer and see what looks like their information is in two places, but it isn’t. Your folders under Documents and Settings are the real location of your information and the other location are a bunch of shortcuts to the real location.
Even when there is only one user the computer is setup exactly the same way so a second user could quickly be setup.
This is my opinion as a computer hobbyist and don’t claim to be a professional computer expert. I’m also not a good writer so if anyone has a better explanation of the above send it to me
Alfred Morton