Computing desk
< June 19	<< May \| June \| Jul >>	Current desk >

Welcome to the Wikipedia Computing Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

June 20

Win 7 keeps creating a new "My Documents" folder

When I first installed Win 7, I moved My documents to a separate physical hard drive and then renamed it as "Data" (I hate the twee names Microsoft uses). This was no problem but I keep getting a new My Documents folder created. It is created in the separate HDD where "Data" is located but it is called "My Documents". No matter how many times I delete this folder it just gets generated again. How can I persuade Win7 that my "Data" folder IS my "My documents" folder and stop it generating new ones?

Thanks, Gurumaister (talk) 14:31, 20 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

On the "My Documents" folder, right click, choose "properties" and give it a new path. Windows will ask to move the files to the new path. --Hans Haase (有问题吗) 16:31, 20 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

That is how I moved the original folder. But as soon as I change its name, Windows generates a new folder called "My Documents". Gurumaister (talk) 18:08, 20 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

You mean the location for My Documents is already set to "D:\Data" (or whatever)? Nil Einne (talk) 11:48, 21 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I guess not to care about an empty folder. Maybe it is being created to prevent stupid software is causing a lost of data. --Hans Haase (有问题吗) 14:02, 21 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

After Creating Shortcut

Does anybody know what to do when this - Shortcuts doesn't appear on a created shortcut file/folder "name"?
How do I turn - Shortcuts on/off anyway, in order to appear along on a created shortcut file/folder "name" e.g., "filename - Shortcuts". I currently/sometimes use "recovery/restore" point; not a good thing to do...

Apostle (talk) 11:18, 22 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Virtual PC

Peeps, I don't know if this is too much of a botheration, I know it is, but here it goes.

My system info:

Windows 7 Ultimate Service Pack 1

Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-2350M CPU @ 2.30GHz 2.30GHz

8.0 GB (2.65 GB usuable)

32-bit Operating System

"Guidance"/"Link" received:

1) [1]

2) [2]

A) Press CTRL+F, than insert: Now, you can write the name for your new Virtual Machine and the location to store the virtual machine file. – On link "1".

The location of link (1) and (2) defines that I should use the OS name I’m planning to install, am I right? – I’m planning to install Window XP, Windows 7 Ultimate Service Pack 1, and Windows 10 Professional (64-bit). Btw, can I use 64-bit on a Virtual PC, of a 32-bit Original PC?

B) Press CTRL+F, than insert: In the next window, you can select the amount of RAM memory to assign to your virtual machine. – On link "1".

B1) How much MB should I select for Windows XP, Windows 7 Ultimate Service Pack 1, and for Windows 10 Professional (64-bit)? What do you guys suggest and could/should I/is it possible to insert the maximum for all three Operating System (OS)? – I don’t wish to ever look back in my life to perform this task again (to create the same OS Folders again), so, how much MB should I select for each OS?

B2) Is the networking Tick box option necessary? If it is unticked, will it create any problem with my internet usage of any kind, inside and outside (original PC) of my Virtual PC?

C) Press CTRL+F, than insert: As we selected the dynamically expanding virtual hard drive, we will specify the maximum storage space for it to grow in the next window. – On link "1".

C1) The above image of point (C), the Location is the same as the point (B), I’m putting all three OS on E drive, exactly; let me know if I’ll be facing any issues with the following.

C2) The image below point (C) specifies a maximum limit. What do you guys suggest and could/should I/is it possible to insert the maximum for each (all three OS)?

D) Press CTRL+F, than insert: Or select Open an ISO image to select an image with the installation files to install an operating system on your new virtual machine. – On link "1".

D1) I understand what Link "2" say and I’m guessing when I come to this stage I have to select the "Access a physical drive" feature. That being said, I’m planning to install all three OS via a "pendrive". The image above defined inside point (D) doesn’t display a USB port. If I keep my pendrive in, will it display when I’m at this stage?

D2) Press CTRL+F, than insert: Wait for the installation wizard to appear and follow the – On Link "2". - It say the installation will follow through as it does usually.

Q: Will it switch my PC off/reboot my PC when I install any of the OS? If so which one(s) will create this issue?

Apostle (talk) 19:17, 20 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

It seems like you've mixed questions with instructions copied from elsewhere, and it's hard to tell which is which. I don't know what "Press CTRL+F, than insert" means either.

First, upgrade to 64-bit Windows. Product keys are the same for 32-bit and 64-bit editions, so you don't need to buy a new copy of Windows. As it is, only 2.65 GB of your 8 GB of RAM is being used; the rest is wasted. It's unlikely that Virtual PC will be able to use it either (it's not impossible but I doubt it). You will have a hard time running Windows virtual machines with less than 3 GB of total RAM.

After you've upgraded, I would probably allocate ~2GB of RAM to the VM (if you run one at a time). You can easily change that value later (you don't have to recreate the VM or reinstall the guest OS).

"The name for your new Virtual Machine" is for your reference; call them whatever you want.

Disk size doesn't matter much; choose 20GB or something unless you plan to install a ton of stuff on the guest drive.

If you start a VM with your thumb drive unplugged, then plug it in, it will most likely be connected to the guest (that's the default behavior), and you can then install Windows in the guest. If that doesn't work, look in the menus for a way to explicitly connect USB devices to the guest.

If you uncheck "network", the VM will probably be unable to access the Internet at all.

You will not need to reboot your host machine when installing any guest OS. -- BenRG (talk) 21:25, 20 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

BenRG:I'm disallowed to upgrade cause I play rather than work

Yes I'm trying to install these OSs so that I can install all the softwares and all the games I have.

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you Ben. Btw, you have to press CTRL+F after entering in the links page guided in this post, in the web browser you are on.

Apostle (talk) 11:24, 22 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Don't understand what you mean by "play rather than work". Nowadays x64 compatibility even for games is rarely worse than x32. And there are a small number of games which require x64 or won't work so well under x32 (2GB of RAM can be limiting). Heck even 8 years ago things weren't that different (except games using more than 2GB was rare). As far as I know, there's no Windows licence for "play" which doesn't allow the installation of x32, Windows starter editions are long dead and in any case I believe even these allow the install of x64 versions and aren't really that suitable for most play or work and you indicated you have Ultimate anyway. If you look at something like the Steam survey, you find 84.63/95.42 Windows users are using some x64 [3]. Furthermore for those odd times where you do need a VM, you'll be far better of using a VM which works well because it has sufficient RAM and so does your main OS then you would where both are struggling. BTW, due to limitations around 3D hardware acceleration support, gaming even 8 year old games under VMs isn't always a pleasant experience. You're better of running as many games as you can under your native OS. In other words, all roads strongly suggest you're far better of running a x64 OS natively. If you mean this isn't a computer you administrate and whoever owns it doesn't want you playing games, well running them on a VM isn't particularly likely to please them either. Nil Einne (talk) 14:56, 22 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Okay I won't... -- Apostle (talk) 10:48, 23 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

What the eye ?

Most of us know about such softwares for PC/laptop etc. that if paired with same-titled Android app downloaded on our mobile phone, can let us see all SMS/videos/pictures on our mobile without even touching the phone. Can anyone please tell me names of such softwares that may help me see on my desktop screen what my mobile's camera is seeing right then and what my mobile's microphone is in within range to listen.124.253.249.153 (talk) 19:33, 20 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

IP Webcam] does exactly what you are after. Vespine (talk) 23:44, 20 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

thanks Vespine. But I was thinking something along the Airdroid app and it's PC partner. Some time back I saw on YouTube another software doing same things much more efficiently and spontaneously, but forgot the thing's name. I was wondering if someone could remind me that marvellous piece of software, or at least it's equal. 203.134.196.115 (talk) 03:36, 21 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps you're thinking of Miracast? CodeTalker ::(talk) 15:44, 22 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, something like Airdroid, but one should be able to make it invisible after installing the app on mobile.