From: wolverine01@charter.net   
      
   On 1/12/2026 9:48 AM, VanguardLH wrote:   
   > sticks  wrote:   
   >   
   >> The point I was trying to make was that Jim was using an older version   
   >> because the default was to a onedrive folder.  Every program has to   
   >> have an initial save to location, and Word 2021 does so too.  But,   
   >> like most programs that save to location is easily adjusted to the   
   >> user preference.   
   >   
   > I ran into programs that had a fixed save location, and no option to   
   > change.  Sometimes their fixed path was in a config file, or in the   
   > registry, so you edited the config file or registry.  Sometimes their   
   > code expected a fixed location (no config file or registry entry) for   
   > which the workaround was to use a junction.   
   >   
   > All those old "My Documents", "My Videos", "My Pictures", and so on   
   > still exist, but as junctions.  Microsoft wanted to change the paths of   
   > many common folders (not sure it was just to eliminate spaces), but   
   > doing so would break many programs, so they used junctions.  Windows is   
   > rife with junctions.  Microsoft even defined junctions that point to   
   > folders that don't exist.   
   >   
   > Then came OneDrive that changed locations again.  Instead of going to:   
   >   
   > c:\users\\[My ]Documents   
   >   
   > you now go to   
   >   
   > c:\users\\OneDrive\Documents   
   >   
   > OneDrive changed some common user paths, like Documents moved to   
   > %onedrive%\Documents. Same for the Pictures, but not for Videos.   
   >   
   > Programs really shouldn't be using fixed locations for default paths for   
   > common user folders, like Documents.  They should get the paths defined   
   > in the registry under:   
   >   
   > HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders   
   >   
   > You'll see there how OneDrive putzed with paths.  Instead of using:   
   >   
   > %userprofile%\Documents   
   >   
   > the path for "Personal" got changed to:   
   >   
   > c:\users\\OneDrive\Documents   
   >   
   > I never tried using junctions inside %userprofile%\OneDrive to fool   
   > programs into trying to go there, but get redirected elsewhere.  Neither   
   > has Microsoft, so maybe there's a gotcha in having junctions inside the   
   > OneDrive folder pointing elsewhere.   
   >   
   > You could use an option inside a program to change save location, if it   
   > has the option.  If not, edit a config file, edit the registry for the   
   > program's entries on save location, edit the user shell folders in the   
   > registry, or use junctions.  All of which are beyond typical users.   
      
   Agree completely, and your last sentence says it all.  I consider myself   
   to be just an "average" user in computer related things.  The difference   
   between myself and most of the people I know is that I attempt to find   
   answers to things I don't understand, and even enjoy the process when   
   most of it is over my pay grade.  What people who come here often forget   
   is that just by being here you have raised yourself above the "average"   
   or typical user.  Most of the people I know never try and understand how   
   things work at all.  They have no idea where their work is saved, and   
   often how to even look for it.   
      
   Thus we have the problem designers like the MS people have to deal with.   
     Creating software the average person can jump in and use for some task   
   they just want completed.  They are totally uninterested in how all it   
   works, they just want it to work.  It is a nearly impossible job, yet   
   here we are with most of the world oblivious to what it takes to give us   
   these tools.  Makes me glad to be an end user and not a designer.   
      
      
   --   
   Science Doesn't Support Darwin.  Scientists Do.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)