When you open the My Computer screen and your Documents folder is missing but all the other users folders are there try this tweak.
STEP 1:
START > RUN > REGEDIT >
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / Software / Microsoft / Windows / Current Version / Explorer / DocFolderPaths
Once you click the DocFolderPaths folder you should see all the user's folders.
STEP 2:
Add a new string value
Value Name: your user name
Value Data: the path to your docs folder ( ex. C:\Documents and Settings\your docs folder )
Exit Registry editor and open my computer, your docs folder should now be visable.
I hope this helps those of you stranded with this problem!
Comments
Comment #1
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
I worked like a charm
Comment #2
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Thanks I thought I would never get it back..
Comment #3
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Worked!
Comment #4
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
It helped me, thanks.
Comment #5
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
quick and to the point. I would have liked to seen an explaination of the problem.
Comment #6
(Posted by Rudolf Luytens (Belgium)) Rating
Thank you very much!I was lost and wanted to repair XP with the cd,but found & read just in time your excellent solution.
Too bad i don't know why it disappeared.
Comment #7
(Posted by Bhanu) Rating
It worked... thnqs
Comment #8
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Perfect, is working. What I wanting to know is how is My Documents disapear in first place
Comment #9
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Great! It worked!
Comment #10
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Exact solution to my problem. Thanks!!!
Comment #11
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
The user name and file path were already there.
Comment #12
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Nice clear instructions.... Worked!
Comment #13
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
The user name and file path were already there.
Comment #14
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
value is already there, so this does not help
Comment #15
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
It worked!
Comment #16
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
It works
Comment #17
(Posted by grey) Rating
thanx!
u`ve been helpful!
thanx again :)
regards from moldova.
Comment #18
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Excellent - clear simple instructions for solving and infuriating problem - well done
Comment #20
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Thank you!!!
Comment #21
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Normally the exact path is C:Documents and SettingsUser nameDocuments.
It happened after a disk error, which chekdisk fixed. Well done!
Comment #22
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Excellent, it worked. I can't understand how it wasn't in there in the first place.
Comment #23
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
thanks for ur help!
from malaysia boy
Comment #24
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Thanks a lot, worked fine :)
Comment #25
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Thanks this was so helpful
Comment #26
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Perfectly awesome
Comment #27
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Great
Comment #28
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
the path is C:Documents and SettingsOwnerMy Documents
Comment #29
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Thaaaaaksss to you yar dil khush kitaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiii
Comment #30
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
I'd actually didn't have the "DocFolderPaths" value within the regedit, so I go ahead to create it first and resume the steps as instructed. Works like a charm.
Comment #31
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Solved my problem immediatly.
Comment #32
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
didn't change anything,still nothing
Comment #33
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Did not work for me....
Comment #34
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
this did not help
Comment #35
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
simple and it works like a charm, thnx
Comment #36
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
A thoroughly simple & clear procedure that worked exactly as expected.
Thank you.
Comment #37
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Thanks, that worked. Still would like to know how it disapeared. Suspect Windows live, it hapenned after I've uninstalled, and am sure I did not delete it accidentally. Had few glitches with profiles after, trying to load correct profile, but with default setting etc. A mess, basically, but corrected itself after restart. Just the usual MSN .... to my belief. Anyway, thanks for the advice.
Comment #38
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
I followed your instructions. However, My Documents still does not sppear in My Computer.
Comment #39
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Thanks a million; you made my day!
Comment #40
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
worked good
Comment #41
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
This was a pretty good tip... didn't work for me though. I can get to the contents in My Documents by following START > MY DOCUMENTS but my user profile folder is not listed under C:Documents and Settings. All other users are listed.
Comment #42
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
thanks a lot
Comment #43
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
solved the problem perfectly
Comment #44
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
thank you, you are really awesome...thank 4 this post..thank you very much..
Comment #45
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
This advice assumes that I understand computer lingo.
Step 1 was easy enough to follow but in Step 2.... What the #$@% is a new string value and how do you add it?
Comment #46
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!
Comment #47
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
thanks alot
Comment #48
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Excellent - just what I wanted to restore my documents - thanks very much
Comment #49
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Fantastic!!
Comment #50
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
didn't work
Comment #51
(Posted by Liz Siller) Rating
You're such a God, thank you!!!!
Comment #52
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
not working dear.....
Comment #53
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Thanks a lot Super Admin!
I had forgot the location in registry!
Comment #54
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Outstandingly simple answer to a problem that had been bugging me. Don't know how it went missing, but I had just been doing a major housekeeping session of defragmenting, deleting old programs etc. Also removed some startup programs from msconfig, so maybe that was part of the problem.
Comment #55
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Solved the problem
Comment #56
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
i solved this issue once with group policy (gpedit.msc->user configuration->administrative templates->windows explorer->remove shared documents from my computer ... i disabled it then put it back to "not configured") my question is can you put other folders other than some user's documents in my computer ?
Comment #57
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
THANK YOU
Comment #58
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Thats It. Put it back just like it was. I love Editing the Registry. Once you get the hang of it, its so cool! Thanks!
Comment #59
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Marry me? <3
Comment #60
(Posted by Jeff) Rating
Thanks, it worked. To bad with botchy friggen Windows I had to go through the friggen hassle of figuring out how to do this in the first place.
Comment #61
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
That is the only way in which the 2 folders are separated
Comment #62
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Very Good. Thanks for sharing. It does work!! You are genius mate!!
Comment #63
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
i was able to find what i wanted
Comment #64
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Best of the Lot
Thanks
Comment #65
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Perfect and simple solution to problem,thank you so muck.
Comment #66
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
I got my documents back. Thanks!
Comment #67
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
i got the document back but not in My Computer
it used to say files saved in this computer or something
Comment #68
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
I could not find a Hikey_Local_Machine.......
Comment #69
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Thanks a million dude!
Comment #70
(Posted by sopno_Chura) Rating
thanx ur ginious
Comment #71
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
After *five* months of searching for this kind of help, I was able to restore access to other restricted users "My Documents" folder for navigation in explorer as Administrator!
Comment #72
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
This explains how the 2 folders can be separated.
Comment #73
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Great!!! It worked.
Comment #74
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
does not work
Comment #75
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
AWESOME!!! Did exactly what I wanted to, to fix the issue. Thanks.
Comment #76
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
This worked like a charm! Thanks so much! It was even easy to follow for a non-technical person like myself.
Comment #77
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Worked perfectly!!! Thanks!!!
Comment #78
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Excellent!! Thanks..You are the man. Cheers
--
Prakash Thirumeni
Comment #79
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
just what i needed
Comment #80
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Didn't work. I tried system restart, but nothing. (WinXP SP3)
Comment #81
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Worked like a charm thanks a lot
Comment #82
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
It worked like a charm!
Comment #83
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Superb Trick... Thanks a lot...
Comment #84
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
u r so sexy
thx it worked
Comment #85
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Great Advice!
Comment #86
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
U are simply amazing..thanks a ton..browsed the net to no avail..and then u came as an angel!!
Comment #87
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Thanks!!
This work really well for me.
Nice Job.
Thanks for your help.
Comment #88
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Bravo! Worked a treat. I wonder if the problem is simply cuased by a bug in Windows or whether it can also be the result of a hard disk error?
Comment #89
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Clear instructions and fixed my problem 100% very happy :)
the proper path is c:Documents and SettingsUser name your doc's folder thou, but anyone with 1/8 of a brain could figure that out lucky i got 3/16 :)
Comment #90
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Worked perfectly, Thank You!
Comment #91
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
It told me the way step by step perfectly. I thought i'd never get it back. thanks so much.
Comment #92
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Thannnnnnnnk U very much....U'r Great
Comment #93
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Thanx! Easy as pie
Comment #94
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Perfect! Thanks!
Comment #95
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
excellent ..It works...
Comment #96
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
i did that (which was a great help, thank you) but when i click on the user name it says access denied
Comment #97
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
that was excellent it worked like a gem
Comment #98
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Its worked and thanks for the suggestion
Comment #99
(Posted by Scott E.) Rating
WOW! Thanks so much- a simple and effective solution. So glad to have it back in My Computer.
Comment #100
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Thanx!!
Comment #101
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Because it worked!
Comment #102
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
cool
Comment #103
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Excellent
Comment #104
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Helped perfectly, and thanks.
Comment #105
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Thank you for taking the time to post this very helpful posting for all of us geeked on tring to do it ourselves
mastersensei
Comment #106
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
it works!! thanks!!
Comment #107
(Posted by Stuart) Rating
Hi. This works for administrator accounts but does anyone know how to do this for a limited account in XP
Comment #108
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
It works!
Comment #109
(Posted by an unknown user) Rating
Thanks! That worked perfectly
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