Virtual Folders

[FrankSG]

I have Windows 7 RC1. I have a folder called Documents and one called My Documents. Is one of them called a Virtual Folder? And does that mean that one of them is not taking up any disk space. In Windows XP and Vista it was the same way. Thanks.
~Frank~

[Paul Komski]

I'm not so sure it was the same in Vista since the directory tree became reorganized (http://www.computerperformance.co.uk/vista/vista_appdata.htm) and I thought this persisted into Windows 7.

I think that what you call "Virtual Folders" is what I now call MS "Special Folders" in that they may not be what the user intuitively thinks they are; a straightforward folder in the folder hierarchy. To see the plain hierarchy then examine things from a command prompt.

Most "Special Folders" are special by way of an included hidden Desktop.ini or super-hidden Index.dat file that allows them to become customized in some way or another. A good example was the legacy Temporary Internet Files folder, which appeared to contain cookies when in fact the same cookies were stored in the same User's cookies folder. The Desktop is another "Special Folder" and is one of the reasons that when hidden and protected system files are made visible in Vista that two desktop.ini files will appear on the Desktop.

If things are still unclear maybe post a screenshot (or two) of exactly what you mean so we can be sure we are talking about the same thing. Accessing the same folder hierarchy from Linux is another way to help avoid such obfuscation.

[FrankSG]

Paul, I'll be posting a screen-shot if not today, I'll do it tomorrow....

[FrankSG]

Paul--I tried to send a screen-shot but it's not working. Time Warner hosts my website. I normally upload files to my site, type in the URL and add the name of the file which gives the screen shot. I did exactly the same thing, but got a "This Page Cannot Be Found" message. It works for all of my other files but won't work for this one. Away, back to the original question about the folders. Both folders are identical as far as size is concerned and number of files. They both have the exact same files. I'll try again to get you the screen shot.

[Paul Komski]

Another approach that might help you elucidate what is going on in WXP is to use the Open Command Window Here (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/Downloads/powertoys/Xppowertoys.mspx) Power Toy. I use it all the time - one of the first things I install into WinXP and the sort of little thing that still keeps me well away from Vista. It adds a right click menu to Explorer so that you can right click on a folder and then open the command prompt at the same place in the folder hierachy. If the path is the same when done from Documents and My Documents (within Windows Explorer that is) then they are identical ("virtual") folders. If not they are mirrors.

Bear in mind that we can create/use such "virtual" folders all the time by simply creating a shortcut to a folder, say on one's desktop. One can then open or copy and paste to-and-from the shortcut just as if it were the original folder. Its very similar with "symbolic links" under Linux.

Unfortunately there are no Power Toys provided on the MS site for Vista though some can be customized with the use of a bit of knowledge and clever scripting (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/2007.06.utilityspotlight.aspx?pr=blog).