Windows 7 Duplicates in Libraries

[pumpkinseed]

In the Windows 7 "Libraries" I have just discovered that under "My Music" and "My Videos", there is also a copy of all of the folders in "My Pictures". I tried to delete one folder from the My Music group of Pictures, and it deleted the same folder under "My Pictures"....seems I cannot remove any of the picture folders under My Music or My Video.
Is it necessary to have copies of My Pictures under "My Music" and "My Videos"? This seems like a great waste of space.

Thank you for your help.

 

[zvit]

I don't understand. When you create a new folder in "My Pictures", it creates a duplicate folder under "My music" AND in "My Videos"? And visa verse?

 

[pumpkinseed]

I don't understand. When you create a new folder in "My Pictures", it creates a duplicate folder under "My music" AND in "My Videos"? And visa verse?

Yes, that is what happens.

 

[zvit]

I personally don't use the libraries, but read these 2 pages and tell me if it explains your issue:

1. Windows 7 Libraries: Frequently Asked Questions
2. Weird reference/link created after drag/move into My Library - Windows 7 Forums

 

[pumpkinseed]

I read both articles....and they really don't answer what my problem/question is....it seems to dumb to have copies of My Pictures in the My Music Folder/Library....and also in the My Video Library. I have 20,126 files in 287 folders so that is a lot of data to have in three places. I just don't understand how this is working.
Thank you for sending the links...I need all the help I can get! LOL

 

[zvit]

To clarify... Are they both folders with files? Are you certain that one isn't a shortcut to something else?

Try creating a new user and see if the same problem happens there.

It's 1:00 AM and I'm hitting the sack now. I'll check in tomorrow morning from work. (Hope I don't get caught...

 

[pumpkinseed]

These are not shortcuts. Here is the order:
My Pictures (under this main heading are
Folders of all my pictures
Public Pictures
Folder of Sample Pictures (came with PC)
My Music
All of my music that I have downloaded (not very much)
Public Music
Folder of Sample Music (came with PC)


And this is the first time I have seen My Music under the Main Heading of My Pictures.

My Music (under this main heading are
Public Music
Folder of Sample Music (came with PC)
My Pictures
All folders of Pictures that I have on PC
Public Pictures
Folder of Sample Pictures (came with PC)

My Videos (under this main heading are
All Videos I have loaded
My Pictures
All Pictures I have on PC
Public Pictures
Folder of Sample Pictures (came with PC)


All three "My Picture" files are exactly alike. All "My Music" files are exactlyl alike. The "My Video" files are only shown under "My Videos". I hope this makes sense to you. Wish I could post a screen shot of these basic listings.

Please don't "get caught". I will be turning in soon, and be at church and bridal shower tomorrow. Back tomorrow afternoon.

Thank you so very much for helping me.

 

[Super Sarge]

Just wondering have you got hidden files and folders checked?

 

[zvit]

Did this start happening lately? Can you do a system restore to a point before this started happening?

I just can't duplicate this problem so it must not be common. I suspect a 3rd party software. That's why I suggest a system restore.

 

[Saltgrass]

If you open the "Music" library folder, look at the top and what does it say after the Includes: option? Normally it will say how many locations and when you click it, the folder included will show. If you want to remove a folder, this is where you would do that.

The way the libraries work is there are not really two copies, but the actual folder is shown.

 

[pumpkinseed]

I tried this, but it does not work, and when I tried to just drag one to my desktop to see if the same file from each Library moved, it put all the files on the desktop, emptied the Libraries......when I patiently dragged the files back to the Library, some are missing. When I do a Search, it says they are on the desktop, but I cannot see any files on the desktop.

I am so frustrated.....I just can't lose these thousands of pictures that I had scanned!

Please help! I am a very troubled senior at this point.

 

[Saltgrass]

If you want to attach a picture to try to clear things up, use the snipping tool to take the picture. In the Advanced Reply dialog there is a paperclip. You can use that to look for and upload the file after you make it.

Once again, I may not be understanding exactly what is happening. But the Music Library does not hold files. It is simply a window to any folders you include in it. You should not have to delete anything to remove a folder from a Library. If you have a My Pictures folder in your Music Library, all you need to do is click the Number of folders line and remove it. See Attachments.

 

[zvit]

The way the libraries work is there are not really two copies, but the actual folder is shown.

That's what I thought too, but he says that the folder sizes are similar, thus duplicated.

We'll wait for some light on this.

 

[pumpkinseed]

Link Removed

I hope you can see this....it is of
My Music" with all the My Picture folders under that. Since there are no "arrows" showing shortcut, I didn't think that these were shortcuts.

Thanks for helping.

 

[zvit]

I only see picture folders (310) under My Pictures and only music folders (7) under My Music. I can't see a problem.

 

[pumpkinseed]

I only see picture folders (310) under My Pictures and only music folders (7) under My Music. I can't see a problem.

This is what shows when you click on "My Music"....there are the music folders as well as the "My Picture" folders. Then when you click on the "My Video" you also have the My Pictures folders....and when you click on "My Picture", below them are the My Music folders. It is three seperate groups (1) My Music (2) My Pictures (3) My Videos....with copies of My Pictures folders under each group 1 - 2 - 3.

Is this the way it is supposed to be? Originally there were only picture folders under My Pictures.

 

[zvit]

with copies of My Pictures folders under each group 1 - 2 - 3.

Try to get a screen shot of "My Pictures" showing 3 times.

 

[pumpkinseed]

Link RemovedLink RemovedLink Removed
Here are snips from My Music, My Pictures and My Videos. None of them show all of the Picture folders, and I couldn't figure out how to capture the entire file, because only what was showing on the screen would "snip".

Now I have a new "happening"....at the bottom of the My Picture File, besides showing My Music, it now shows all the content of one folder in My Pictures, and anything I do with those pictures happens to the pictures in the original folder, "Book 1". The duplicate files below are called "Book 19"....there is no Book 19 in the original files....but if I delete one of those photos, it also deletes it in Book 1. Wish there was some way to get rid of those duplicate photos.

Sure hope you can read these snips and see what I am talking about. Thanks so much for helping me.

 

[Saltgrass]

How about we try this. Pick one of the folders in your My Pictures you want to check - one of the folders you think you have several copies of.

Open Explorer and highlight Computer(or the C: partition if you like) so the search will start there. In the search window, type in the name of that folder. The search should find all the copies on your system. When it finishes, check where the files are located. If it doesn't find that folder, search for something else you think you have multiple copies of..

To find the location of the files, set the window up to show the path and widen that column, or right click and select properties.

 

[pumpkinseed]

I have done this, and I find that there is one (I guess it is the original) file for many different folders in My Pictures...it does not show any other files. So I guess this shows that there is only one file of these pictures.

BUT, at the very bottom of My Pictures, there are all of the pictures in Book 1 (19 images) showing...open, not in a folder. It says Book 1 Pictures above the images. If I drag these to the desk top, the ones in the original folder are gone too. I have found no way to eliminate these 19 images at the bottom of My Pictures. This is the only instance of this happening. Is this possible to eliminate these pictures? When I did the search of Book 1 Pictures, it showed 2 shortcuts in the search. I am afraid to "delete" the shortcuts for fear it will delete the file...I know it should not but such strange things have been happening. Thank you so much for helping.