Move "My Documents"

[Sanjoo]

Hi!

Is it possible to move the "My Documents"-Folder to another place, for example to a Storage Card?

I moved it, but it's always created again with some folders and log-files in it....

Thank you!

[Menneisyys]

Hi!

Is it possible to move the "My Documents"-Folder to another place, for example to a Storage Card?

I moved it, but it's always created again with some folders and log-files in it....

Thank you!

Unfortunately, some GPS/map/communication/mobile phone handler (for example, mPhone) apps put their logs/data files in either \My Documents or the root of the file system. Some kind of hack (direct .EXE hexediting) may help in these cases though, if the application creating the log file has the directory name \My Documents wired-in. Then, by just changing this directory name with a hex editor inside the EXE/DLL files of the app to, say, \SD Card, will do the trick. Which of your apps is creating log files in \My Documents ? I may succeed in 'hacking' it not to do so.

The following is a more generic overview of what is stored in \My Documents. It's not related to your problem any more; still, they may have some useful info for a lot of people, so I elaborate on them a bit more thoroughly.

First, install-time file creation.

A lot of applications copy their help/sample files to \My Documents during install. For example, most image viewer apps copy their example pictures upon installation into \My Documents. So does, say, Adobe Acrobat Reader and same stands for a lot of other apps (for example, WebToGo SMS). This can easily be combatted by checking \My Documents after each install. (The same needs to be done with \Windows to find too large .HTM help files and, especially, (hopefully) relocatable DLL's (http://www.firstloox.org//forums/showthread.php?t=3752).) That is, you only need to relocate/delete these files (if you can - some apps, for example, the above-mentioned WebToGo SMS, just exit if you delete/move their stuff they place there.)

This is an one-time task (after every program install) to keep the main memory clean.

Instructing your apps to save their stuff you create with them on a memory card instead of the main memory is a different question.

First, a lot of, mostly built-in applications (for example, Pocket Word, Excel etc) can't even be told to save the documents you create (note that editing an already-existing file on a memory card is possible!) in them on a memory card instead of the main memory. You will always need to transfer their saved apps to a memory card after they are done saving them.

The built-in Notes is different. Going right to Tools/Options, you can change the default save directory in the Save to: drop-down list. Then, all recordings and notes you make are automatically saved at the specified destination.

You may also consider using the File Changer Dialog from Mad Programmer (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=34790). It greatly enhances the options for saving with apps that have any kind of save dialog. (Pocket Word /Excel is not one of them, so, they will still save stuff in main memory.) See the linked thread on the app.

[uzetaab]

Here's hoping that they copied XP's solution in WM5. Of having My Documents 'shortcuts' re-directed to another location. So that the programs using '/My documents' don't even know they have been redirected.

[SarahMN]

Menneisyys, thanks for the post. Very helpful information. I have been using PPCs for a number of years, however I had no idea that I could store notes on the storage card.
Now that I have switched them over in the options so new notes will be on the storage card is there any way to get old notes there too?

Thanks.

Sarah
___________
3600->5400

[Sven Johannsen]

Menneisyys, thanks for the post. Very helpful information. I have been using PPCs for a number of years, however I had no idea that I could store notes on the storage card.
Now that I have switched them over in the options so new notes will be on the storage card is there any way to get old notes there too?

Thanks.

Sarah
___________
3600->5400

Sure, just move them over there...but...ActiveSync only syncs with the My Documents folder that is in main memory. If you have Notes set to sync, they will be deleted from Outlook unless you turn off Notes and Files syncing before you move them. Files sync because if you don't sync Notes, the note files on your PPC will be sync'd as files to the My PPC My Docs sync folder on the PC. You can turn Files back on once you have moved the Notes Files to the storage Card. At that point, presumably you won't have any Notes documents to be treated as files in main ram, and if Notes sync isn't on, it won't put the Outlook notes back into main ram.