The \Desktop folder should move to your c>users>bbarry folder from its current location within the OneDrive folder. If not, you can move the files over yourself after the "new" \Desktop folder is created in the \bbarry folder. The \Dekstop folder (which you will need to rename to "oldDesktop" before using that move option in properties is what OneDrive took over and copied into the \OneDrive folder. Yes, it is confusing. You already confirmed that any new icons or files saved to your Desktop end up in that OneDrive desktop folder. What we aim to do is take it away from OneDrive and put it back where it belongs.
Assuming the move/redirect is successful, your \users\bbarry\desktop folder will once again be the default folder for your Windows Desktop. Windows does not currently recognize that folder because OneDrive redirected Windows to look at the DEsktop folder within its folder branch.

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

Steve, why can't BB just copy the folder from One Drive to Users and then use the location tab under properties to restore the proper path? Granted that I'm looking in Windows 11 but believe Windows 10 has the same option.

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That could (probably would) work. I chose to use Move because that's what multiple sites outlined as the process for reverting what OneDrive had done.
Honestly, had OneDrive not been removed, it would probably have been easier all around. I'm glad that there are backups.

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

OK, Steve, what I hear you saying is:
- In \users\bbarry\desktop folder, I first need to rename desktop to olddesktop
- Then move my c>users>bbarry folder from its current location within the OneDrive folder
- A new desktop folder will then be created in c>users>bbarry
- This new \users\bbarry\desktop folder will once again be the default
- If my current desktop icons are not successfully moved to this new desktop folder, I can copy/paste them from olddesktop

Once you have a chance to confirm my above understanding, I will make the move (pun intended).

Jay, thanks again for your input. Since I understand the move process, I will try that first.

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BB
http://barrypatch.net

I guess I'm just stupid, stupid, stupid...because I can't get this move/location process to work.

Before moving the Desktop folder, I decided to first move the Documents folder. When I got to the question asking did I really want to redirect, this time I answered Yes. Then I got the error message "Can't redirect a child into a parent. The specified path is invalid."

The path I selected was simply c>users>bbarry

Next I'm going to try Jay's copy method on the Documents folder.

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BB
http://barrypatch.net

Jay, I tried your method and copied my Documents folder from OneDrive to Users. But when I right-clicked on the Documents folder in Users, I did not get the Location tab

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BB
http://barrypatch.net

You MAY need to do the location thing before copying yo users while it is still in one drive although I still see the option when desktop is in the user folder. It is also possible that Windows 10 does not have this feature. As I said, I'm looking in Windows 11.

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Jay, I get the Location tab for other folders in users, i.e., I get it for Pictures, Desktop, Downlads, etc. I just don't get the Location tab for the Documents folder that I just copied from OneDrive.

So I don't know what's going on. I would reinstall OneDrive if I wasn't afraid of losing all my current desktop icons (on my cluttered desktop, lol).

But Steve might have given me a way of not losing all my icons by renaming my users desktop to olddesktop. Then he is suggesting that I could then copy my icons from olddesktop to users>desktop, which initially would probably contain only the 5 or 6 default icons (My Computer, Recycle Bin, etc.).

As I mentioned earlier, my current desktop with all its many icons is very important to me and the way I use my computer. Before losing this desktop, I had rather just leave the OneDrive folder alone.

You young guys are wearing me out, so I'm going to drink some water and go to bed. But you know I appreciate you trying so hard to help me.

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BB
http://barrypatch.net

Actually I just fired up my Macbook Air to Windows 10 and get the location tab for all system folders listed including Documents. Needed to boot it up anyway for updates. Thing that is odd is that One Drive is actually installed on that system yet all my system folders still point to Users\Jay. I must have selected to only save files locally during the install.

Make a copy of your Documents folder within the One Drive folder under a different name... actually I guess it really does not matter where the backup is stored, just make sure that it is current. Then go to the Documents folder properties within the One Drive folder to see if there is a location tab. It is possible that only system folders have this option. When you copy the Documents folder to Users it is not considered a system folder so does not have the location tab. Actually I just checked several 'normal' folders and none had the location tab. Sorry, the confusion is my bad. When experimenting I sometimes make notes and sometimes no. This is one of the 'not'. I will be surprised if after doing the 'reset default' on the Documents folder within One Drive if all of a sudden the Documents folder you copied to Users does not then have the location tab. Of course this all depends on the documents folder within the One Drive folder having the location tab...


<edit>
Just as an unrelated side note I hate doing updates on my Macbook Air! The Windows side of the updates is fine but the MacOS side takes forever.

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No -- not stupid at all. Computers can be terribly frustrating and do unexpected things!

Let's check something now.

Open File Explorer and in the left hand pane, click on This PC. Iin the right hand pane should be you various system folders.
Right click on each of them (you may not have all of the list below shown or you may have more) and select Properties and then Location. What are the paths shown for the location?
Desktop
Documents
Pictures
Music
Downloads
Videos

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

Steve, as follows:

Desktop, Documents, Pictures - located in OneDrive folder
Music, Downloads, Video - located in Users folder

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BB
http://barrypatch.net

Hey BB, just curious... When looking at the location for Desktop, Documents, Pictures did you try clicking the 'Reset Default' button?

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Jay, in your post where you reinstalled OneDrive, you ended with this paragraph:
Now we are left with your desktop not being properly populated with icons. The simplest solution I see is to click start and go to all apps. Right click on each app you want on the desktop and select to send to and then desktop which will create a desktop icon. After the first one make sure to right click the icon and select properties just to make sure that it indeed points to the user folder. If everything above was done it should all be fine.

But in one of his posts, I think Steve gave me a way of recovering all of my current icons. Since my current Desktop folder also resides in my Users folder, he suggested that I rename this folder OldDesktop before I start the process of reinstalling OneDrive. Then I could repopulate the Desktop folder that this reinstallation process leaves in my Users folder by simply doing a Copy/Paste of all the icon files contained in OldDesktop.

@ Jay & Steve - does this look like a way of recovering all my Desktop icons after OneDrive has been reinstalled/setup like both of you recommended?

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BB
http://barrypatch.net

Yes, I tried it for Documents and got this error message: "Can't move the folder because there is a folder in the same location that can't be redirected. Access is denied."

I'm not sure what this message even means. Like I mentioned earlier, I am having absolutely no luck at trying to redirect these three folders from my OneDrive folder to my Users folder.

So I am becoming more and more convinced that the reinstallation of OneDrive is the way to go provided that I can recover all my current desktop icons.

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BB
http://barrypatch.net

Rename the folder in Users then try 'Reset Default' under location under properties in the One Drive folder. Worth a try and may prevent reinstalling One Drive which I doubt is going to help now that more info has been shown.

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Jay, I did rename the Documents folder in Users to OldDocuments. But then when I tried 'Restore Default', it fist told me that the Documents folder didn't exist and did I want to create it. Unless I said Yes, the process just stopped. If I said Yes, then I got the error message stated in previous post.

I wonder what would happen if I actually removed the Documents folder from Users (i.e., temporarily move it to a flash drive) rather than renaming it to OldDocuments? I wonder if the 'Restore Default' process would then work?

P.S. You keep saying 'Reset Default. My button says 'Restore Default'...I assume that's what you mean?

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BB
http://barrypatch.net

Yes, it is restore default.

To be honest I'm stumped. I'm beginning to think you may be better off just leaving the One Drive folder with the three folders that won't more or restore. If the desktop folder within the One Drive folder is not populated copy the contents from your backup back to populate and see if your screen becomes populated. If not a reboot may be needed. Since it is still on your C: drive it really does not make a functional difference as long as One Drive is disabled.

While I have come to have doubts as to an install and uninstall of One Drive helping it actually may. If you end up trying this route make sure to look again at this post.
viewtopic.php?p=30985#p30985

And also this one to get to the screen of most importance.
viewtopic.php?p=30978#p30978

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Jay, I tried removing the Documents folder from Users and the Restore Process still didn't work...I got the same error messages.

So I am now convinced that I only have two options:
(1) Leave the One Drive folder alone...let it continue to contain my Desktop, Documents and Pictures folders. At least things are working with this configuration.
(2) Try the reinstall of OneDrive, which may or may not work in my case

Right now I am exhausted and inclined to go with option (1) above. I may feel differently after I sleep on it.

Thanks much for all your help. I imagine you are also tired of working this issue.

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BB
http://barrypatch.net

No, I'm not tired of working on this and I doubt that Steve is either.

If you go with (1) just make sure that the settings for One Drive for sync are disabled and One Drive is unchecked if it shows in System Config Startup.

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I'm not tired -- I am stymied, though!
Since Move and Restore Default and not working for you, despite best efforts, I agree with your two options.
Option 1 is the easiest and simply means that you now have \Desktop, \Documents, and \Pictures folders in your \bbarry folder that are "old" in that they are copies of what existed before OneDrive took over.
Even if you try Option 2 and it doesn't work, you can always fall back on option 1.

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

Well, after sleeping on it, I decided to try Option 2, so I reinstalled OneDrive. Even that was a troublesome process. A couple of times I saw a screen telling me to try the installation a little later, as a problem had been encountered. But I was finally successful. I then went to Settings>Manage My Account and turned off the Backup/Sync for my Desktop, Documents and Pictures folders.

Of course, that then led to most of the files in these three folders showing a big Red X beside the file name, since I had already exceeded my free 5 GB storage limit. Then several ads encouraging me to purchase more storage space (Microsoft never stops with the hard-sell ads).

At that point, I uninstalled OneDrive. Even though my OneDrive folder remained, all the Red X's disappeared, and all new files went to my Users folder like I wanted, rather than to my OneDrive folder like before.

So I am a happy camper at this point, although I have a question.
@ Jay - In your posting where you turned off the OneDrive Backup and Sync options for your various folders, you mentioned that I should check in Configuration Startup to make sure that OneDrive doesn't start again on a reboot. In my Win 10 PC, I can't seem to locate this Configuration Screen. How do I get there?

Again, thanks to Jay and Steve for all your extensive help.

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BB
http://barrypatch.net

Whew! Glad you stuck with it. Computers sure can be challenging when they don't behave the way we want or expect!

Jay may have intended a different screen, but go to Settings, Apps, Startup for a list of apps that are configured to start with Windows.

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

Thanks, Steve. I went there and didn't see OneDrive. But that didn't look at all like the screen Jay posted. His had 5 tabs along the top - General, Boot, Services, Startup and Tools. I wonder if that was a Win 11 screen?

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BB
http://barrypatch.net

Glad that you got it, congrats.

Steve gave the proper path for you to get to the startup apps under settings although I do it differently. I use System Configuration but you can't as System Configuration in Windows 10 &11 has the Startup tab in System Configuration but it is not functional. I use the System Configuration from Windows 7 which is totally functional. It was my bad to post an image of my System Configuration. Anyway, even though uninstalled, if One Drive is still set to start at boot you will get pestered by Windows to set it up. If you don't get pestered on a boot, don't worry about it.

The screen I posted with the sync settings was not something after a One Drive install. Mayhaps I didn't make myself clear as that screen is actually an option during One Drive install although it is still easily reached through One Drive settings after the install..

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Thanks, Jay. I had already used the path that Steve posted, and I didn't see any OneDrive startup. So hopefully I am home free at this point.

In my opinion, OneDrive proved to be a very messy and difficult software program to use...truly a POS and just another attempt by Microsoft to hook into your wallet.

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BB
http://barrypatch.net