safe # of Folder/sub Folder levels on Desktop

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mary Fowler Leek
  • Start date Start date
M

Mary Fowler Leek

I tend to keep a messy desktop. I'd like to organize the links I keep on my
desktop into folders and subfolders.

How many folder levels can I use and still be within the proper operating
requirements for XP Home edition?

My thanks for your assistance.

Mary
 
"Mary Fowler Leek" <mleek@arkwest.com> wrote in message
news:%23xTeXHYwHHA.3508@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>I tend to keep a messy desktop. I'd like to organize the links I keep on my
>desktop into folders and subfolders.
>
> How many folder levels can I use and still be within the proper operating
> requirements for XP Home edition?
>
> My thanks for your assistance.
>
> Mary

IIRC the issue is the length of the path and name, which is expressed in a
number of characters. They can get pretty long, when you consider that
"C:\documents and settings\your name\my documents\" is already 49
characters. On an NTFS partition, the maximum is 256 characters.


HTH
-pk
 
Thank you for taking the time to explain what I must watch out for. I'm
thinking, if I'm careful with my folder names, I can go one sub folder deep
and still maintain system integrity.

Mary


"Patrick Keenan" <test@dev.null> wrote in message ...

> IIRC the issue is the length of the path and name, which is expressed in a
> number of characters. They can get pretty long, when you consider that
> "C:\documents and settings\your name\my documents\" is already 49
> characters. On an NTFS partition, the maximum is 256 characters.
>
>
> HTH
> -pk

>> "Mary Fowler Leek" wrote in message ...

>>I tend to keep a messy desktop. I'd like to organize the links I keep on
>>my desktop into folders and subfolders.
>>
>> How many folder levels can I use and still be within the proper operating
>> requirements for XP Home edition?
>>
>> My thanks for your assistance.
>>
>> Mary
 
Mary Fowler Leek wrote:
> Thank you for taking the time to explain what I must watch out for.
> I'm thinking, if I'm careful with my folder names, I can go one sub
> folder deep and still maintain system integrity.

You could create a folder in the ROOT of a drive and then have a link to it
on your desktop...
That way you do not *start* as deeply as if you just created the folder on
your desktop.

And I am not talking about a 'shortcut', but more of a 'junction point'.

- Create your folder in the root of (for example) your data drive (D:\?).
For ease of example, let's say you created the folder "Stuff".

- Leaving Windows Explorer (My Computer) open so you can see the Stuff
directory (along with everything else at the root of D:), do the following:
- Start button --> RUN --> %userprofile%\nethood\ --> OK

- Now you should have two open explorer windows... 'C:\Documents and
Settings\<your username>\nethood\' and 'D:\'. At this point you want to
create a shortcut to "Stuff" in "Nethood"... So...

- Right-Click and hold down the right mouse button on the "Stuff" folder.
- Drag said folder to the "NetHood" folder.
- Let go of the right-button of your mouse to drop it.
- When it asks - choose "Create Shortcuts Here".
- Rename the shortcut to something more descriptive to you (instead of
"Shortcut to Stuff") - right-click on it, choose rename, give it the new
name...

- Move the shortcut you just renamed to your desktop.

You have created a 'Junction' between that folder on your desktop and the
folder called "Stuff" on the "D:" drive - in the very root. If you have a
256 character limit from the root, you have 250+ letters left now. When you
drag/drop to the folder on your desktop, you are actually writing to the
folder D:\stuff\ and not to the folder on your desktop. If you delete the
folder on your desktop, you only deleted the link to D:\stuff\ - the folder
itself still exists.

D:\ and "Stuff" are examples - you could use any drive you have (even C) and
any folder name...

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
 
Thank you, Shenan, for another way to handle this project. It is a very
practical solution.

Thanks for taking the time to reply. It's very much appreciated.

Mary


"Shenan Stanley" <newshelper@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:ONvNedawHHA.2040@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Mary Fowler Leek wrote:
>> Thank you for taking the time to explain what I must watch out for.
>> I'm thinking, if I'm careful with my folder names, I can go one sub
>> folder deep and still maintain system integrity.
>
> You could create a folder in the ROOT of a drive and then have a link to
> it on your desktop...
> That way you do not *start* as deeply as if you just created the folder on
> your desktop.
>
> And I am not talking about a 'shortcut', but more of a 'junction point'.
>
> - Create your folder in the root of (for example) your data drive (D:\?).
> For ease of example, let's say you created the folder "Stuff".
>
> - Leaving Windows Explorer (My Computer) open so you can see the Stuff
> directory (along with everything else at the root of D:), do the
> following:
> - Start button --> RUN --> %userprofile%\nethood\ --> OK
>
> - Now you should have two open explorer windows... 'C:\Documents and
> Settings\<your username>\nethood\' and 'D:\'. At this point you want to
> create a shortcut to "Stuff" in "Nethood"... So...
>
> - Right-Click and hold down the right mouse button on the "Stuff" folder.
> - Drag said folder to the "NetHood" folder.
> - Let go of the right-button of your mouse to drop it.
> - When it asks - choose "Create Shortcuts Here".
> - Rename the shortcut to something more descriptive to you (instead of
> "Shortcut to Stuff") - right-click on it, choose rename, give it the new
> name...
>
> - Move the shortcut you just renamed to your desktop.
>
> You have created a 'Junction' between that folder on your desktop and the
> folder called "Stuff" on the "D:" drive - in the very root. If you have a
> 256 character limit from the root, you have 250+ letters left now. When
> you drag/drop to the folder on your desktop, you are actually writing to
> the folder D:\stuff\ and not to the folder on your desktop. If you delete
> the folder on your desktop, you only deleted the link to D:\stuff\ - the
> folder itself still exists.
>
> D:\ and "Stuff" are examples - you could use any drive you have (even C)
> and any folder name...
>
> --
> Shenan Stanley
> MS-MVP
> --
> How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>
 
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