what &^% is desktop anyway?

I double click the c drive under My Computer. The left pane (whatever
that is) starts with a thing called "Desktop." What is that? The first
thing under Desktop is my user folder, I think.But my user file is also
under c:\users and neither one is a shortcut. It turns out that if I
delete one of them I delete both of them. How does that work?

What kind of "folder" is Desktop such that it can point to a file (or
whatever it does) and pretend (or something) the file is really there to
the extent that a delete in one deletes the other? Or maybe the
questions is, what kind of files are the user files? Maybe it's similar
to the search thingy that has that delete the search-delete the file
attribute.

I didn't notice till updating to 64 bit. I don't use desktop at all. I
have my own way of displaying data and programs using Objectdoct. If I
could, I'd disable and/or delete windows desktop entirely. I gather when
I use Objectdock it disables windows desktop.

I want my small 64 bit drive to point to the user file on the vista 32
bit drive co-installed. I learned how to do it sort of but it looks
exactly as if there are TWO of everything on the 64 bit drive; two user
files, two document files, two picture files etc... all the same. So
which do I change to point to the 32 bit drive. Or maybe both? It's
really confusing.

Eventually the 32 bit drive will become just a data drive but I want it
functional, bootable, while I slowly install everything on the 64 bit
drive. Have to do that since Microsoft never figured out how to upgrade
the 32 bit to 64 bit.

Anyway. I somehow got my entire 32 bit user file onto the 64 bit under
Desktop, sort of. It looked like Desktop/userfile/userfile with the
second userfile under the first and holding the data on the 32 bit
drive. Nice, bu confusing. Then I also got the documents folder under
64 bit users,myfile documents to point to documents under the 32 bit
users. So, I decided that would be a neater way to go so I just deleted
the 32 bit user file under 64 bit Desktop cause it wouldn't be needed.
Well... you guessed it, it not only deleted it from the 64 bit Desktop,
it also deleted it from the 32 bit user file on the other drive. Have no
idea how it was connected like that. it seemed to have volume and take
space on the 64 bit drive and certainly didn't show up as a shortcut
under properties.

Luckily, having dinged around with Microsoft stuff a long time I had the
foresight to have a second cloned disk of the 32 bit drive so I could go
back and get ALL my stuff that Microsoft deleted from two drives at
once. I just had this hunch that anything connected to something run by
Microsoft could get screwed up.

So, again... what kind of "thing" is the thing called "Desktop" that
appears first under the drive letter when you click on the drive letter
in explorer?

John

"John" <> wrote in message
news:...
>I double click the c drive under My Computer. The left pane (whatever that
>is) starts with a thing called "Desktop." What is that? The first thing
>under Desktop is my user folder, I think.But my user file is also under
>c:\users and neither one is a shortcut. It turns out that if I delete one
>of them I delete both of them. How does that work?
>
> What kind of "folder" is Desktop such that it can point to a file (or
> whatever it does) and pretend (or something) the file is really there to
> the extent that a delete in one deletes the other? Or maybe the questions
> is, what kind of files are the user files? Maybe it's similar to the
> search thingy that has that delete the search-delete the file attribute.
>
> I didn't notice till updating to 64 bit. I don't use desktop at all. I
> have my own way of displaying data and programs using Objectdoct. If I
> could, I'd disable and/or delete windows desktop entirely. I gather when I
> use Objectdock it disables windows desktop.
>
> I want my small 64 bit drive to point to the user file on the vista 32 bit
> drive co-installed. I learned how to do it sort of but it looks exactly as
> if there are TWO of everything on the 64 bit drive; two user files, two
> document files, two picture files etc... all the same. So which do I
> change to point to the 32 bit drive. Or maybe both? It's really confusing.
>
> Eventually the 32 bit drive will become just a data drive but I want it
> functional, bootable, while I slowly install everything on the 64 bit
> drive. Have to do that since Microsoft never figured out how to upgrade
> the 32 bit to 64 bit.
>
> Anyway. I somehow got my entire 32 bit user file onto the 64 bit under
> Desktop, sort of. It looked like Desktop/userfile/userfile with the second
> userfile under the first and holding the data on the 32 bit drive. Nice,
> bu confusing. Then I also got the documents folder under 64 bit
> users,myfile documents to point to documents under the 32 bit users. So, I
> decided that would be a neater way to go so I just deleted the 32 bit user
> file under 64 bit Desktop cause it wouldn't be needed. Well... you guessed
> it, it not only deleted it from the 64 bit Desktop, it also deleted it
> from the 32 bit user file on the other drive. Have no idea how it was
> connected like that. it seemed to have volume and take space on the 64 bit
> drive and certainly didn't show up as a shortcut under properties.
>
> Luckily, having dinged around with Microsoft stuff a long time I had the
> foresight to have a second cloned disk of the 32 bit drive so I could go
> back and get ALL my stuff that Microsoft deleted from two drives at once.
> I just had this hunch that anything connected to something run by
> Microsoft could get screwed up.
>
> So, again... what kind of "thing" is the thing called "Desktop" that
> appears first under the drive letter when you click on the drive letter in
> explorer?
>
> John
>
>


WOW! I would never allow you to work on any of my relatives computers!

John

Best you take a course in computer GUI. What you posted makes no sense and sounds a
bit off the wall

--
Peter

Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others
Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged.

"John" <> wrote in message
news:...
>I double click the c drive under My Computer. The left pane (whatever that is)
>starts with a thing called "Desktop." What is that? The first thing under Desktop
>is my user folder, I think.But my user file is also under c:\users and neither one
>is a shortcut. It turns out that if I delete one of them I delete both of them. How
>does that work?
>
> What kind of "folder" is Desktop such that it can point to a file (or whatever it
> does) and pretend (or something) the file is really there to the extent that a
> delete in one deletes the other? Or maybe the questions is, what kind of files are
> the user files? Maybe it's similar to the search thingy that has that delete the
> search-delete the file attribute.
>
> I didn't notice till updating to 64 bit. I don't use desktop at all. I have my own
> way of displaying data and programs using Objectdoct. If I could, I'd disable
> and/or delete windows desktop entirely. I gather when I use Objectdock it disables
> windows desktop.
>
> I want my small 64 bit drive to point to the user file on the vista 32 bit drive
> co-installed. I learned how to do it sort of but it looks exactly as if there are
> TWO of everything on the 64 bit drive; two user files, two document files, two
> picture files etc... all the same. So which do I change to point to the 32 bit
> drive. Or maybe both? It's really confusing.
>
> Eventually the 32 bit drive will become just a data drive but I want it
> functional, bootable, while I slowly install everything on the 64 bit drive. Have
> to do that since Microsoft never figured out how to upgrade the 32 bit to 64 bit.
>
> Anyway. I somehow got my entire 32 bit user file onto the 64 bit under Desktop,
> sort of. It looked like Desktop/userfile/userfile with the second userfile under
> the first and holding the data on the 32 bit drive. Nice, bu confusing. Then I
> also got the documents folder under 64 bit users,myfile documents to point to
> documents under the 32 bit users. So, I decided that would be a neater way to go
> so I just deleted the 32 bit user file under 64 bit Desktop cause it wouldn't be
> needed. Well... you guessed it, it not only deleted it from the 64 bit Desktop, it
> also deleted it from the 32 bit user file on the other drive. Have no idea how it
> was connected like that. it seemed to have volume and take space on the 64 bit
> drive and certainly didn't show up as a shortcut under properties.
>
> Luckily, having dinged around with Microsoft stuff a long time I had the foresight
> to have a second cloned disk of the 32 bit drive so I could go back and get ALL my
> stuff that Microsoft deleted from two drives at once. I just had this hunch that
> anything connected to something run by Microsoft could get screwed up.
>
> So, again... what kind of "thing" is the thing called "Desktop" that appears first
> under the drive letter when you click on the drive letter in explorer?
>
> John
>
>
>
>
>

This post just kills me. John, your muddled misunderstanding and froggy
native-boy innocence as you detonate the time_bomb known as Vista reminds me
so much of ... me.

John, your "desktop" folder is a virtual folder. If you Google vista
virtual folders you can spend a day learning all kinds of neat things about
these new "ghost" folders. And, Desktop ghost folder is not the only ghost
folder you have built-in under Vista. When you start deleting / moving
these folders you have entered the *danger zone* .

Like yourself, I was fascinated by 64-bit Windows. Right off the bat, I
figured 64-bit had to be at least twice as good as 32-bit. This is a myth,
when experienced in the real world. I don't pull my pants down over my head
when I try to put them on. And so right now I am sticking with 32-bit
Windows -- as a practical matter.

--- I was going to triple-boot between 32-bit Winxp & Vista AND 64-bit
Vista, but decided against it. I did have 64-bit Vista installed for a
couple of days, just to see what I could see. Now a bit of sanity has
returned.


"John" <> wrote in message
news:...

>I double click the c drive under My Computer. The left pane (whatever that
>is) starts with a thing called "Desktop." What is that? The first thing
>under Desktop is my user folder, I think.But my user file is also under
>c:\users and neither one is a shortcut. It turns out that if I delete one
>of them I delete both of them. How does that work?
>
> What kind of "folder" is Desktop such that it can point to a file (or
> whatever it does) and pretend (or something) the file is really there to
> the extent that a delete in one deletes the other? Or maybe the questions
> is, what kind of files are the user files? Maybe it's similar to the
> search thingy that has that delete the search-delete the file attribute.

Google vista virtual folders to get a handle on the above vexing mystery ...


> I didn't notice till updating to 64 bit. I don't use desktop at all. I
> have my own way of displaying data and programs using Objectdoct. If I
> could, I'd disable and/or delete windows desktop entirely. I gather when I
> use Objectdock it disables windows desktop.

No it does not. I assume you are referring to Stardock's Objectdock
program, which replicates Apple's Mac OS X "dock" on PC's. If I remember,
ODock can "hide" your desktop icons. OD does not do away with Windows
desktop. Windows desktop is built into Vista. Why do you hate your desktop
folder so much, John? This baffles me. Did it painfully kick you in the
groin?

> I want my small 64 bit drive to point to the user file on the vista 32 bit
> drive co-installed. I learned how to do it sort of but it looks exactly as
> if there are TWO of everything on the 64 bit drive; two user files, two
> document files, two picture files etc... all the same. So which do I
> change to point to the 32 bit drive. Or maybe both? It's really confusing.

You ain't just whistling Dixie it's (you are) confusing. Have you actually
installed Vista 64-bit OS? Along-side your 32-bit Vista? If not, what do
you mean "my small 64 bit drive" and your "vista 32 bit drive"?

> Eventually the 32 bit drive will become just a data drive but I want it
> functional, bootable, while I slowly install everything on the 64 bit
> drive. Have to do that since Microsoft never figured out how to upgrade
> the 32 bit to 64 bit.

Geez John. What you are asking for is impossible ( at best impractical --
like putting your pants on over your head). Surely this is where your
understanding of Windows OS's and 64/32 bit "bitness" is muddled, goofy and
off-the-charts illogical.

> Anyway. I somehow got my entire 32 bit user file onto the 64 bit under
> Desktop, sort of. It looked like Desktop/userfile/userfile with the second
> userfile under the first and holding the data on the 32 bit drive. Nice,
> bu confusing. Then I also got the documents folder under 64 bit
> users,myfile documents to point to documents under the 32 bit users. So, I
> decided that would be a neater way to go so I just deleted the 32 bit user
> file under 64 bit Desktop cause it wouldn't be needed. Well... you guessed
> it, it not only deleted it from the 64 bit Desktop, it also deleted it
> from the 32 bit user file on the other drive. Have no idea how it was
> connected like that. it seemed to have volume and take space on the 64 bit
> drive and certainly didn't show up as a shortcut under properties.

Sounds like you are messing around with ghost folders (virtual folders).
Not even God can understand what you did on your system. Well ... that may
be overstating things a bit.

> Luckily, having dinged around with Microsoft stuff a long time I had the
> foresight to have a second cloned disk of the 32 bit drive so I could go
> back and get ALL my stuff that Microsoft deleted from two drives at once.
> I just had this hunch that anything connected to something run by
> Microsoft could get screwed up.

DING! dinged! Yes, I think I see a connection here ... between John and
dinged. :`)

> So, again... what kind of "thing" is the thing called "Desktop" that
> appears first under the drive letter when you click on the drive letter in
> explorer?
>
> John

Virtual folder? That would be my guess.

Don't feel bad, I have a good friend who just hates Windows shortcuts.
Maybe he has wrapped his mind around this concept by now. Different strokes
for different folks.

onward thru the fog,
Net Blue

Yeah, ghosts... I can believe that. Isn't it interesting that to learn
about Vista you have to use Google.

John

NetLink_Blue wrote:
> This post just kills me. John, your muddled misunderstanding and froggy
> native-boy innocence as you detonate the time_bomb known as Vista
> reminds me so much of ... me.
>
> John, your "desktop" folder is a virtual folder. If you Google vista
> virtual folders you can spend a day learning all kinds of neat things
> about these new "ghost" folders. And, Desktop ghost folder is not the
> only ghost folder you have built-in under Vista. When you start
> deleting / moving these folders you have entered the *danger zone* .
>
> Like yourself, I was fascinated by 64-bit Windows. Right off the bat, I
> figured 64-bit had to be at least twice as good as 32-bit. This is a
> myth, when experienced in the real world. I don't pull my pants down
> over my head when I try to put them on. And so right now I am sticking
> with 32-bit Windows -- as a practical matter.
>
> --- I was going to triple-boot between 32-bit Winxp & Vista AND 64-bit
> Vista, but decided against it. I did have 64-bit Vista installed for a
> couple of days, just to see what I could see. Now a bit of sanity has
> returned.
>
>
> "John" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>
>> I double click the c drive under My Computer. The left pane (whatever
>> that is) starts with a thing called "Desktop." What is that? The first
>> thing under Desktop is my user folder, I think.But my user file is
>> also under c:\users and neither one is a shortcut. It turns out that
>> if I delete one of them I delete both of them. How does that work?
>>
>> What kind of "folder" is Desktop such that it can point to a file (or
>> whatever it does) and pretend (or something) the file is really there
>> to the extent that a delete in one deletes the other? Or maybe the
>> questions is, what kind of files are the user files? Maybe it's
>> similar to the search thingy that has that delete the search-delete
>> the file attribute.
>
> Google vista virtual folders to get a handle on the above vexing mystery
> ...
>
>
>> I didn't notice till updating to 64 bit. I don't use desktop at all. I
>> have my own way of displaying data and programs using Objectdoct. If I
>> could, I'd disable and/or delete windows desktop entirely. I gather
>> when I use Objectdock it disables windows desktop.
>
> No it does not. I assume you are referring to Stardock's Objectdock
> program, which replicates Apple's Mac OS X "dock" on PC's. If I
> remember, ODock can "hide" your desktop icons. OD does not do away with
> Windows desktop. Windows desktop is built into Vista. Why do you hate
> your desktop folder so much, John? This baffles me. Did it painfully
> kick you in the groin?
>
>> I want my small 64 bit drive to point to the user file on the vista 32
>> bit drive co-installed. I learned how to do it sort of but it looks
>> exactly as if there are TWO of everything on the 64 bit drive; two
>> user files, two document files, two picture files etc... all the same.
>> So which do I change to point to the 32 bit drive. Or maybe both? It's
>> really confusing.
>
> You ain't just whistling Dixie it's (you are) confusing. Have you
> actually installed Vista 64-bit OS? Along-side your 32-bit Vista? If
> not, what do you mean "my small 64 bit drive" and your "vista 32 bit
> drive"?
>
>> Eventually the 32 bit drive will become just a data drive but I want
>> it functional, bootable, while I slowly install everything on the 64
>> bit drive. Have to do that since Microsoft never figured out how to
>> upgrade the 32 bit to 64 bit.
>
> Geez John. What you are asking for is impossible ( at best impractical
> -- like putting your pants on over your head). Surely this is where
> your understanding of Windows OS's and 64/32 bit "bitness" is muddled,
> goofy and off-the-charts illogical.
>
>> Anyway. I somehow got my entire 32 bit user file onto the 64 bit under
>> Desktop, sort of. It looked like Desktop/userfile/userfile with the
>> second userfile under the first and holding the data on the 32 bit
>> drive. Nice, bu confusing. Then I also got the documents folder under
>> 64 bit users,myfile documents to point to documents under the 32 bit
>> users. So, I decided that would be a neater way to go so I just
>> deleted the 32 bit user file under 64 bit Desktop cause it wouldn't be
>> needed. Well... you guessed it, it not only deleted it from the 64 bit
>> Desktop, it also deleted it from the 32 bit user file on the other
>> drive. Have no idea how it was connected like that. it seemed to have
>> volume and take space on the 64 bit drive and certainly didn't show up
>> as a shortcut under properties.
>
> Sounds like you are messing around with ghost folders (virtual folders).
> Not even God can understand what you did on your system. Well ... that
> may be overstating things a bit.
>
>> Luckily, having dinged around with Microsoft stuff a long time I had
>> the foresight to have a second cloned disk of the 32 bit drive so I
>> could go back and get ALL my stuff that Microsoft deleted from two
>> drives at once. I just had this hunch that anything connected to
>> something run by Microsoft could get screwed up.
>
> DING! dinged! Yes, I think I see a connection here ... between John
> and dinged. :`)
>
>> So, again... what kind of "thing" is the thing called "Desktop" that
>> appears first under the drive letter when you click on the drive
>> letter in explorer?
>>
>> John
>
> Virtual folder? That would be my guess.
>
> Don't feel bad, I have a good friend who just hates Windows shortcuts.
> Maybe he has wrapped his mind around this concept by now. Different
> strokes for different folks.
>
> onward thru the fog,
> Net Blue
>