XP folder defaults

Interesting. So did you look under:

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

and find the Local AppData string and verify that the value was
%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data

 

Actually I haven't had a chance to really sit down and go thru it. Seamed a bit more complicated than I was hoping for. That and I'll have to decipher what she is saying.

Thought I would repair/reinstall first but maybe I'll go thru it. That way I don't have to go thru the SP1 and SP2 thing and so on.

 

Yeah, I think it's worth a peek at least. Good luck.

I'm closed for the night. GN

 

Hey Suferdude

I just check for that entry you mentioned and it does not exsist. The only entry under the key is "NEW "

I got a bunch more stuff from the individual in the newsgroup if you are interested I can send it to you.

I am trying to figure out exactly what she wants me to do. Probably pretty easy but I am a bit vague on the syntax and exactly where I am suppose to make the cahnges she suggests.

I ask her to clear it up for me but it probably would make sense to you.

Cheers

 

Run the following command from the Start > Run window:

regsvr32 shell32.dll

Check for effect and report.

 

If no help from that, run this reg file:

APPDATA PATH REG FILE

 

You should be seeing something like this when you show that Key open in Regedit:

Regedit View of User Shells Folders

 

I ran the first item and received a message that "DLLRegister in Shell32.dll succeeded "


The second item merely opened up a new browser window with

appdata = "a bunch of hexidecimal code "

As far as what it is supposed to look like, mine has none of those entries except the NEW folder

Gord

 

The APPDATA PATH REG FILE link should not have opened and displayed any text.

Try it again but this time download it to your Desktop first and then double click it. It should then ask if you want to merge the data into your Registry. Let it do so.

 

Hi Surferdude

It was a FireFox issue. I used IE this time and it did whatever. It asked if I wanted to add entrys from Docsandsettings TEMP\appdata\ etc to the registry.

What did that do?

thanks again

 

That placed the following Key in your Registry:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders/Local AppData

(note the string Local Appdata that you didn't have before)

Check to see that it's there. Then run the SET command and see if the data has changed. We can only hope.

You will likely have to reboot or log off for this to take full effect.

 

The others have probably gotten you fixed by now but so as not to leave things hanging, the picture below is a follow-up to the one on post #14 and shows what should be in the environment variable for TEMP so that it knows where to store temp files for the logged on user. If this gets messed up you can do a manual edit as pictured here to set this variable back as it should be. The same sort of thing can be done to all the others. The %USERPROFILE% tells the system to use the profile of whatever user is logged on at the time to determine the correct path.

 

I found something that looks promising guys.

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/usershellfolders.htm

GFH, digest that and see if applying it gets you straightened out somewhat faster than I was doing. It seems like we were doing the right thing but incrementally and they have the full bore approach. I think it's worth a shot.

Newt, I expanded on your earlier post about changing the Environment Variables as you mentioned but I don't know if GFH tried it. It may yet be necessary.

I have been doing some digging and experimenting with the Registry Key that we have been working with and I don't get the response that I expect. I just don't fully understand how this default folder assignment process works. I wiped all of the value strings out of my folder, to emulate GFH's condition, and when I rebooted, the system had written only one of them back. Strangely enough, it was the value string I had been trying to manually get entered into his Registry by posting the REG file. Go figure. Then also when I checked the report by running the SET command, it seems none of the value strings that I deleted were missed at all. Further tests revealed that all systems worked normally without them. Not very rewarding from a cause and effect standpoint.

 

Hi Guys,

I have done a bit in that area but no avail yet.

The other individual that has been assisting me has narrowed the problem down to a couple of things

1 it appears that my Profile Image Path is pointing to the D&S\TEMP folder so I have to edit that to point to my USERNAME instead
2 He/she sent me a script file which appears to be pretty much the same as the one SurferDude found

This is the last note I sent to the "other" guy for which I have not heard back yet but I'm sure you guys will be answer it as well

--
OK

I went with the intention edit my ProfileList.

I opened ProfileList/S-1-5-21-200078354-1214440339-725345543-1004

under that entry I have

ProfileImagePath REG_EXPAND_SZ %SystemDrive%\Documents and
Settings\TEMP

I take it then that the %SystemDrive% is a global setting for my "C: "
drive which is the only drive by the way, and is not a problem

I then would continue with;

%SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings\%UserName%

Or should I replace the "%Systemdrive%" with "C:\ "

Should %USerName% above actually be the name ?

and then copy the contents od the "Docs&Set\TEMP" into my
"Docs&Settings\Gord Heieis "

Reboot (or reboot after the next item?)

and run the little file you sent and in a prefect world it should be
OK?

---

The little file he sent is the one I believe is the same as the one SD found.

Another little question exactly where does the comptuer get the value for %UserName%

I am on my way out of town for a week so I don't think I'm brave enough to try all this tonite, don't want to leave the household with apaperweight, so if you will indulge me when I return next thursday I'd appreciate your thoughts when I ***** this up

Cheers and thanks again

Gord

 

Gord - since XP is designed to be a multi-user system (even if there is only one user) it seems somehow happier to be left that way so since %systemdrive% and %UserName% and all of those are automatically pointed to the current info based on who is logged on and where the system sees it is booted from, I'd leave those as variables.

 

Thanks Newt

I thought it was best to leave alone, I just wasn't 100% sure what %systemdrive% was but I guess I was correct in assumiing it was refering to the main drive, in this (and most) case the C:\ "

I going to put it all together next week as I'm basking in the sun of Punta Cana for a week, boy my job *****

Cheers and thanks I'll let you both know how it goes when I get back to it.

 

Hi guys,

Well I'm back at it and I think I am 90% complete in my repair.

I edited my Profile ImagePath to point to the right location and then run a version on that script that Surferdud pointed out.

My other helper wrote it so I just had to merge it with my registry.

So far so good, Seams like the desire for my machine to go to the old TEMP user is so far gone.

Just two little items. Seams my desktop reverted to what it was before allthis began even though I transferred all thefiles that I could from the other directory. Guess the one I needed it wouldn't let me. No biggy I can put the Icons and shortcuts back myself.

The second bigger item is that when I try to access STAR|ALL PROGRAMS I get nothing. No list no nothing and if a try to install or reinstall a piece of software it will not put a shortcut on the desktop. I can create one afterwards but not during the install

Is there an option somewhere to hide the programs listed under START|ALL PROGRAMS?

I haven'r reinstalled windows yet and I may try that before you get achance to send me your thoughts.

Cheers and thanks guys

Gord