Applies to Windows Vista

Redirect a folder to a new location

You can change the location of folders in your personal folder or Public folder by redirecting them.

This can be useful, for example, for freeing up space on your computer's primary hard disk. (By default, Documents, Pictures, and other personal folders are located in C:\Users.) You could redirect, say, your Pictures or Music folder to another computer on the network, a different hard disk on your computer, or a new location on the same hard disk.

When you redirect one of these folders to a new location, you change where it is stored, but not the way you access the folder or the files within it.

Note

To see these folders, click the Start button , and then click your user account name at the top of the Start menu.

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To redirect a personal folder to a new location

Right-click the folder that you want to redirect, and then click Properties.
Click the Location tab, and then click Move.
Browse to the location where you want to redirect this folder. You can select another location on this computer, another drive attached to this computer, or another computer on the network. To find a network location, type two backslashes (\\) into the address bar followed by the name of the location where you want to redirect the folder (for example, \\mylaptop), and then press ENTER.
Click a folder in the new location where you want to store the files, click Select Folder, and then click OK.

To redirect a Public folder to a new location

Click the Start button , click All Programs, click Accessories, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
In the Command Prompt window, type explorer c:\users\public at the command prompt, and then press ENTER.
Right-click the Public folder that you want to redirect, and then click Properties.
Click the Location tab, and then click Move.
Select the new location where you want to store these files, click Select Folder, and then click OK.

To restore a folder to its original location

Right-click the folder that you want to restore to its original location, and then click Properties.
Click the Location tab, click Restore Default, and then click OK.