Windows 7 Winows 7 user accounts, user folder names, and paths

StanH

New Member
I have a new Dell laptop with Windows 7 Professional. It came with McAfee security. I am comparing W7's Explorer's left hand folder tree with that of my desktop computer which has Win XP Pro. I find W7 to be confusing. W7 has a folder called \Users\ which seems to be similar to XP's "Documents and Settings" folder -- except that W7 also has another folder with my user name on it. In both cases the sub folders are the same. Q1- Why did W7 abbreviate my account name on the Users sub-folder? Example: C:\Users\Stan\..., whereas my account name is "Stan Hilliard". My full account name appears on the other "similar" folder. This seems weird because my wife's user account name ("Barb Hilliard") did not get abbreviated. Example: C:\Users\Barb Hilliard\... Using the DOS style folder names: C:\Users\Barbhi~1\ exists. C:\Users\Stanhi~1\ does not exist. Q2 - What is the meaning of the little padlock symbol on the \Stan\ folder? I want the files in it to be shared with programs on the same computer and with the other two computers on my home wireless network, but not with the Internet -- except for when I download a file to a sub folder. My other computers run XP and W98. I will appreciate any information, Stan Hilliard
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Now that I have solved that formatting problem, my previous post said this:

I have a new Dell laptop with Windows 7 Professional. It came with McAfee security. I am comparing W7's Explorer's left hand folder tree with that of my desktop computer which has Win XP Pro. I find W7 to be confusing. W7 has a folder called \Users\ which seems to be similar to XP's "Documents and Settings" folder -- except that W7 also has another folder with my user name on it. In both cases the sub folders are the same.

Q1- Why did W7 abbreviate my account name on the Users sub-folder?
Example: C:\Users\Stan\..., whereas my account name is "Stan Hilliard". My full account name appears on the other "similar" folder. This seems weird because my wife's user account name ("Barb Hilliard") did not get abbreviated.
Example: C:\Users\Barb Hilliard\...

Using the DOS style folder names:
C:\Users\Barbhi~1\ exists.
C:\Users\Stanhi~1\ does not exist.

Q2 - What is the meaning of the little padlock symbol on the \Stan\ folder?
I want the files in it to be shared with programs on the same computer and with the other two computers on my home wireless network, but not with the Internet -- except for when I download a file to a sub folder. My other computers run XP and W98.

I will appreciate any information,
Stan Hilliard
 
Last edited:
Back
Top