I have 578 documents in C:\Users\my name\Music\Links\Desktop file.

In trying to find out more about this unusual file, these are the only two locations that are visible when I rt click.
Some from "Downloads."
Some are "Program Files."

I think this would also affect how SyncToy is saving backups.
How do I move everything back to Docs and completely eliminate this location?

This is not a file that existed before I restored my computer a week or two ago. It doesn't make sense to me, either.

Thank you.

Cut and paste.
What is "Desktop file"? Do you mean "Desktop" and if so, what is in that? It belongs up a level in your %username% folder, if it is your desktop with the files and shortcuts you see on your Windows Desktop.
What else is in this \Links path? It doesn't belong on \Music if it contains nothing other than the \Desktop folder and contents, so delete it. If there are other items within this path, cut and paste them where you want them to be.
578 "documents" means what, exactly? Are these actual files or shortcuts to files in other locations? It sounds like a folder of shortcuts has found its way into your \Music folder. Might they belong on your Start menu?
-steve

_________________
stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

Also could it possibly be 'desktop.ini'? If so you have the viewing of hidden and/or protected files enabled.

_________________

Stephen,

Several things. Yes, I mean "path," not file. Thank you.

I don't remember the search term for the 578, so I don't know if it's a shortcut or not. Never ran into that question before and didn't know what to look for until now, I think.
I re-entered the path and got a different result. This was without Desktop (C:\Users\Nancy\Music\Links) and pulled up 244 items with bold blue arrow - that's a shortcut, isn't it?

Earlier - originally, I searched for something and found it in that location, the path - using rt click (Open file location).
The locations I now have duplicate files are:
Documents
Music
Pictures

I never had music and pictures as an option. These ARE mostly documents, except for many photos.

Last week I created a Links pair for SyncToy after I got an error that the Links folder was missing. But it should have been a relatively empty folder - it had a handful of items in it.

Documents - are .txt files, pdfs, icons, links, spreadsheets, zips, photos.
Except for photos, most of these, as far as I can tell (not reading through 578 titles), were at one time or another, on my Desktop. If all photos were opened though an app, did it then originate on my desktop??? Windows PhotoViewer or Media Ctr or Irfan View.
Current projects of any sort were moved from DT to Documents when I didn't need them anymore but didn't want to toss them.

Can't replicate the search and result.
Copy and paste or right click and Send To? One at a time? Asking backwards, but I think that covers everything.

Thank you.

Jay,

Are you asking me if I left the .ini off my question?
No, I pasted it exactly.

Yes, the button was filled in to SHOW. I always look at the the terminology to UNCHECK the box, not "fill or un-fill button" and I thought it was switched back to HIDE after Recovery. Are program files Protected files? Protected are hidden.

Thank you for your input.

SB - Folders on my Start menu? Don't think so.

I am hesitant to give you advice as I am not sure what you are looking at *and* because of the oddities you've encountered recently with the backup/restore situation.
I suspect that you can simply cut (not copy) and paste the items to their desired locations, but you need to determine if you are looking at shortcuts or actual files in your search results or Windows Explorer. I cannot tell you if you are looking at duplicate files or simply shortcuts to the originals.
-steve

_________________
stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

Stephen,

I don't blame you for being cautious.
Been searching images, words, and videos - this gets silly.

Please tell me what this blue arrow (L - bottom) means.

Wanted to clean before backup. I'll bear it~

Thank you.

The folder with the blue arrow at bottom left is just the icon for the folder that you are currently inside of. It is also at the top in the address bar.

That's the icon for the links folder -- A folder of shortcuts that is in your user profile. It doesn't belong in your music folder, if that's where is it located. However, in your new image, it "appears" to be normal. The contents are not files, but shortcuts to files.

_________________
stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

SB,

That is the one of the answers you were looking for (are they shortcuts?).
You wanted to know what was in where before suggesting that I move things around/delete them.

No, this is my Links folder (see the path). I think - days later, that this was on the bottom of the page of the C:\Users\Nancy\Music\Links path with the 244 "folders".

That was my point - I have thousands of files in the wrong places.
Another wrong example included.

Thank you.

Ignoring the Links folder for now, the snapshot you posted above does indicate that you have .txt and .doc files in your \Music and \Pictures folders. It will be slow and tedious, but you can carefully cut and paste them into the correct folders as desired to clean things up.
-steve

_________________
stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

Can I cut all and paste all? What is your worry about care - that I'll delete something by mistake?

I have said this several times already, but as far as I'm concerned, they all belong in Documents.
I did notice in the last screenshot, that the same set in Photos is in Docs.
Wouldn't I want to DELETE those in Photos, instead? I should also have dupes in the (vague) Library, but I would check first.

As far as real photographic Photos, can't I can just cut/paste around them to leave in my Photos folder?
They are in Search results also, had I shown more.

Thank you for making a decision.

David,

Was looking for the specific meaning of the wide-blue curvy arrow icon before I knew that what I wanted was inside Links. I realize now you can tie the two together, but all I had was the description.
You can look at eighteen pages of Windows icons that denote different folders/files.
I didn't find one that looked like the one I described.

Thank you.

Just as a side note this issue of things being where you do not want can be caused by saving/downloading files. Say that you download a music file and tell the system to save it in your music folder... Now you download a PDF file but just say to save not using 'save as...' where you can select a save location. The PDF file will end up in your music folder as it was the last defined save location.

Regardless of the download I have trained myself to always use save as instead of just save to force myself to decide where I want it. It is not a bad practice.

_________________

Forget the Search other than to help locate things.

I suspect that the ones you see in Photos are not copies of the files, but links due to the misplacement of the Links folder, but I can't be sure.

Yes, I'm advising against deleting to prevent losing things you really want.

While tedious, carefully going through your folders to determine what is actually there (not using Search, but navigating in Windows Explorer) and viewing properties when there's a question, is the best solution.

-steve

_________________
stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

Jay,

This scramble of folders/files was not anything that I did. I first made a mistake, then I recovered my computer. I pay attention to Save As - because I have to. A mistake or two would be mine, but not 1200 of them. - A side note. Thank you.

SB - got it, thank you.

I noticed something that doesn't help me figure out what to do, but I might provide a better clue for somebody who would understand.
I searched for a newly written text document. In Search, choices popped up in Documents, Music, Pictures, and Files.
The actual doc that I wanted was in "Pictures." When I had saved the Notepad doc, it is saved to Desktop, as it should. It is there and the path is correct: C:\Users\Nancy\Desktop. So what is screwed up that it shows up as a Picture file in Search?

(I don't think this is true for the other instances (above), where I actually have older files in duplicate locations - I think. A lot has happened since this issue. I never deleted the dupes - there's a reason they move to unusual locations and I would like to fix it.)

Thank you.