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The thread discusses where files placed on the Windows Desktop are stored. The consensus is that files saved directly to the Desktop are stored in the Desktop folder within the user's profile directory (e.g., C:\Users\YourUsername\Desktop). A contributor notes that if cloud services like OneDrive or Google Drive are involved, the file locations may differ from the default path, which is pertinent for file recovery efforts.
HDJA

HDJA

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Thread Author #1
If I put a file (picture, song, video, etc), on my Desktop where shortcuts would usually go, where is the file actually stored? Is it stored in the Desktop file? Or is there another place it actually resides?

I'm going through a file recovery problem, a want to know where to have my program look so I'm not waiting for 24 hours for my files.
 

Solution
datawizard0103
When you drag and drop a picture, sound file, or video onto your desktop, it is not just a shortcut; it is an actual file on your hard drive. Things that you save to your desktop in Windows are usually kept in the "Desktop" folder under your user profile directory. Normally, you can find this directory in the "C:\Users\YourUsername" folder as stated by @ Josephur Therefore, in order to find and recover your data more quickly if you're having problems with file recovery, you should instruct your data recovery software to go through this Desktop folder.
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Josephur

Josephur

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#2
The default is C:\Users\Username\Desktop
If you haven't changed the location that is.
 

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datawizard0103

datawizard0103

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#3
When you drag and drop a picture, sound file, or video onto your desktop, it is not just a shortcut; it is an actual file on your hard drive. Things that you save to your desktop in Windows are usually kept in the "Desktop" folder under your user profile directory. Normally, you can find this directory in the "C:\Users\YourUsername" folder as stated by @ Josephur Therefore, in order to find and recover your data more quickly if you're having problems with file recovery, you should instruct your data recovery software to go through this Desktop folder.
 

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Neemobeer

Neemobeer

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#4
If Onedrive or Google drive are involved then those locations may be different than the default
 

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