Vista Home Premium desktop folder?

learninmypc

learninmypc

Posts: 9,679   +724
To the best of my knowledge, I've never noticed a folder on the desktop of a Vista Home Premium specifically named "desktop". On mine, it has one & 99% of the time ALL downloads go in it. I have even deleted said folder but it always returns. No biggie, just curious.
 
Probably whatever software you use for downloads (or at least one of them, such as Internet Explorer or Firefox) has accidently got a default value for the download location of 'desktop'. If you use a specialist downloader that would be the first place to look.

The trick will be to establish a different location to be used as default. You are using Vista I assume, but from Win 7 onwards, the location tends to default to the last one you specifically chose when prompted.

So download something, and take the option to 'let me choose' then select whatever you want, such as Favorites\downloads. The default should normally be Favorites\downloads (see below)

Note on a standard PC there are already several directories called 'desktop', for instance under Favorites, and under c:\users\ every user including \public and \default also has one. It's all hopelessly and unnecessarily complicated. For instance the location I just mentioned, 'Favorites' is not a real location at all, but is really C:\users\<myusername>

Also it is still quite common for older type software to assume the desktop is a reasonable place to put a downloaded file. This is mainly because it shows up under the users nose all the time, under any windows version. But to be honest, once you start trying to understand the whys and wherefores of a Windows OS you are just pointlessly shortening your life.
 
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Ok, I don't use IE for anything.
I use Firefox on my Vista Home Premium & just today I downloaded a browser from techspot & my default download is set to the desktop. Now on my W7, it does to the desktop.
In firefox or any browser I use, I always make the desktop my download to place.
Tols>Option>General TabDownloads.JPG
Thats in Firefox.
 
As you can clearly see, the default is currently set to folder desktop within folder desktop, just as I expected would be the case (C:\users\cyber\desktop\desktop). So you just change that (if you want to).
 
gbhall said:
As you can clearly see, the default is currently set to folder desktop within folder desktop, just as I expected would be the case (C:\users\cyber\desktop\desktop). So you just change that (if you want to).
Click to expand...
I think you're missing the point. On the Vista Home Premium there is a FOLDER specifically named DESKTOP where most is not all downloads go to. On my W7, there is NO FOLDER yet everything goes to the desktop.
I guess the question is, why does there need to be a folder named such instead of it just saving it to the desktop.
BOTH machines have the same settings for downloads.
@gbhall, thanks for your input. As I originlly said, I was only curious & its no big deal. I'm just going to leave it as is for now. Take care & Seasons Greetings
 
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The folder is not required. This is what will impact the location of downloads:
  1. The 'Save files to:' dialog box, as per your screenshot.
  2. The default location of the Downloads library.
  3. Anywhere you manually download to.
 
St1ckM4n said:
The folder is not required. This is what will impact the location of downloads:
  1. The 'Save files to:' dialog box, as per your screenshot.
  2. The default location of the Downloads library.
  3. Anywhere you manually download to.
Click to expand...
Ok, ALL my browsers on both machines are set by me to download to desktop yet on my Vista there is a folder put there by the machine I'm guessing where the downloads go to. I know I did not add it. The last download I did was a browser from TS & it surprisingly ended up on the desktop but NOT in the folder. Other times, they go in the folder.
A Desktop.jpg A prime example
 
Well, if you accidentally set the location to /Desktop/Desktop, then it automatically created the folder for you.

Re-check the points above, and make sure you're only choosing Desktop when manually downloading.
 
That screenshot shows it's going to a folder called Desktop, on the desktop. That's why the folder is there - everything is working normally.
 
I'm confused why you're confused.

Windows 7 shows that downloads go to the Desktop. Win Vista screenshot shows that downloads go to a folder called Desktop on your desktop.

But, as you've proven, the checkbox is next to 'ask always'. So where are you saving files when the dialog box pops up?

Otherwise, other applications may be set incorrectly or the Download library may be set incorrectly.

These two paths are not identical: https://www.techspot.com/community/attachments/my-desktop-jpg.77547/
https://www.techspot.com/community/attachments/w7-desktop-jpg.77548/
 
St1ckM4n said:
I'm confused why you're confused.

Windows 7 shows that downloads go to the Desktop. Win Vista screenshot shows that downloads go to a folder called Desktop on your desktop.

But, as you've proven, the checkbox is next to 'ask always'. So where are you saving files when the dialog box pops up?

Otherwise, other applications may be set incorrectly or the Download library may be set incorrectly.
Click to expand...
Any time I download anything on my Vista, I always make sure it goes to desktop on the Vista. On the Vista, it does not show desktop/desktop like it shows in the screenshot, it simply shows desktop. I guess that why different OS's do it differently.
The mystery of computers. :)
 
I seriously don't get it. This picture shows that at one point, there was a default location set as Desktop/Desktop.

https://www.techspot.com/community/attachments/my-desktop-jpg.77547/

Since you've set Firefox to always ask you where you download, just delete the folder. As long as you choose to download to the root Desktop folder, it shouldn't come back. If it does come back, you have another issue, which I've outlined some steps earlier.

There is no difference in Vista or 7 in the way it sets downloads. Something you have done has caused the folder to appear.
 
St1ckM4n said:
I seriously don't get it. This picture shows that at one point, there was a default location set as Desktop/Desktop.

https://www.techspot.com/community/attachments/my-desktop-jpg.77547/

Since you've set Firefox to always ask you where you download, just delete the folder. As long as you choose to download to the root Desktop folder, it shouldn't come back. If it does come back, you have another issue, which I've outlined some steps earlier.

There is no difference in Vista or 7 in the way it sets downloads. Something you have done has caused the folder to appear.
Click to expand...
Ok, I just used revo to completely uninstall firefox & reinstalled it & no change.
So as far as I'm concerned, lets drop it. :) Thanks for the help.
 
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