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Change Location of Documents Folder?

T

thriii

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 14, 2007
366
0
Is there any way I can change the location of the Documents, Downloads, Movies, Music, Pictures, Public, and Sites folder thats in the home folder? I have these exact folder names on another drive (my data drive) but was wondering if there is a way i can get the official folders on the other hd so i can have my boot drive and data drive separate
 
R

RogersDA

macrumors 6502
Aug 19, 2009
271
0
System Preferences - Accounts - Right-click on the username (after making sure the lock at the bottom of this dialog box is "unlocked") - Advanced Options - Home Directory - Choose
 
T

thriii

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 14, 2007
366
0
RogersDA said:
System Preferences - Accounts - Right-click on the username (after making sure the lock at the bottom of this dialog box is "unlocked") - Advanced Options - Home Directory - Choose
Click to expand...

is there any other way without movin the home directory?
 
calderone

calderone

Cancelled
Aug 28, 2009
3,743
352
thriii said:
is there any other way without movin the home directory?
Click to expand...

Yes, the link I offered explains one possible solution.

You don't have to move your home folder by using symbolic links.

Both symbolic links and moving the home folder have the same downfall: If the location you are writing to or reading from is not available, you might run into problems including but not limited to data loss.

An example of a symbolic link:

Code: 
ln -s /Volumes/Drive/Documents Documents

You would do this in Terminal. It will create a symbolic link in your current directory pointing to a directory somewhere else. In this case Documents points to /Volumes/Drive/Documents

You could even do a symbolic link for your entire home folder, avoiding the use of the Advanced option in System Preferences/Accounts.
 
T

thriii

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 14, 2007
366
0
calderone said:
Yes, the link I offered explains one possible solution.

You don't have to move your home folder by using symbolic links.

Both symbolic links and moving the home folder have the same downfall: If the location you are writing to or reading from is not available, you might run into problems including but not limited to data loss.

An example of a symbolic link:

Code: 
ln -s /Volumes/Drive/Documents Documents

You would do this in Terminal. It will create a symbolic link in your current directory pointing to a directory somewhere else. In this case Documents points to /Volumes/Drive/Documents

You could even do a symbolic link for your entire home folder, avoiding the use of the Advanced option in System Preferences/Accounts.
Click to expand...

Dont want to cause any possible problems.. I just want the Documents,Downloads,Music,Movies folders under "Places" in finder to goto the right folder.. If I drag the folders there from my data drive it shows the plain folder icon.. i want the same kinda icons that are in the left sidebar after places if possible
 
jMc

jMc

macrumors 6502
Nov 19, 2001
343
38
London N8, Late-16th Century
thriii said:
Dont want to cause any possible problems.. I just want the Documents,Downloads,Music,Movies folders under "Places" in finder to goto the right folder.. If I drag the folders there from my data drive it shows the plain folder icon.. i want the same kinda icons that are in the left sidebar after places if possible
Click to expand...

So you just want the icons? You're not worried about about getting rid of those folder from your Home directory?

Ok, try this..

Highlight one of the folders in your local Home directory and Get Info (cmd-I). At the very top of the Get Info window, below the title bar and above Spotlight Comments should be the folder icon with the folder name and date modified to the right of it. Click on this icon and it should highlight. Cmd-C to copy it. Now go find the folder you want to replace the icon on, Get Info on it, highlight the icon as before and then cmd-V to paste the icon on to it.

jx
 
T

thriii

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 14, 2007
366
0
jMc said:
So you just want the icons? You're not worried about about getting rid of those folder from your Home directory?

Ok, try this..

Highlight one of the folders in your local Home directory and Get Info (cmd-I). At the very top of the Get Info window, below the title bar and above Spotlight Comments should be the folder icon with the folder name and date modified to the right of it. Click on this icon and it should highlight. Cmd-C to copy it. Now go find the folder you want to replace the icon on, Get Info on it, highlight the icon as before and then cmd-V to paste the icon on to it.

jx
Click to expand...
it works if I were to goto the data drive and look at the folders, but if you open the finder and you look at somethin like the "Downloads" folder you see a white down arrow and a green circle.. but if you goto the home folder you dont see that same arrow/green circle.. im tryin to have the icons from under "Places" show up the same as they r so i can replace the folders there with the 1s from my Data drive.. leaving the folder sin the Home Dir is fine since i dont plan on using them.. helpful tip tho! never knew u could paste icons like that
 
jMc

jMc

macrumors 6502
Nov 19, 2001
343
38
London N8, Late-16th Century
thriii said:
it works if I were to goto the data drive and look at the folders, but if you open the finder and you look at somethin like the "Downloads" folder you see a white down arrow and a green circle.. but if you goto the home folder you dont see that same arrow/green circle.. im tryin to have the icons from under "Places" show up the same as they r so i can replace the folders there with the 1s from my Data drive.. leaving the folder sin the Home Dir is fine since i dont plan on using them.. helpful tip tho! never knew u could paste icons like that
Click to expand...

You mean the coloured icons in the sidebar? Sorry, can't help you with those. But those icons must be available in the system somewhere, so it might just be a case of locating them and doing the old copy and paste thing (although these icons would then also be seen in standard finder windows as well as the side bar). Maybe that some lovely MacRumors member already knows where those assets are...

jx
 
A

aaronvogel

macrumors newbie
Jul 7, 2010
2
0
new twist

I'm actually looking for the symbolic link answer...

I want the "Downloads" folder my home directory to be a symbolic link to the "Downloads" folder on my external so that all the programs with "Downloads" as the default location for files will still work, but all the files will actually go to the external folder.

However, Finder won't let me delete or replace the original "Downloads" folder in my home directory.

Any help? Perhaps I'll try loggin in as another admin...
 
S

skiffx

macrumors 6502a
Feb 5, 2008
681
10
thriii said:
it works if I were to goto the data drive and look at the folders, but if you open the finder and you look at somethin like the "Downloads" folder you see a white down arrow and a green circle.. but if you goto the home folder you dont see that same arrow/green circle.. im tryin to have the icons from under "Places" show up the same as they r so i can replace the folders there with the 1s from my Data drive.. leaving the folder sin the Home Dir is fine since i dont plan on using them.. helpful tip tho! never knew u could paste icons like that
Click to expand...

Have you figured out how to change icons in the sidebar under places after you do the ln -s for certain folders?

Edit: Ok whats needed is to drag the folder from the other drive and not the link...
 
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