4th time, not the charm
 

I have had a very educational day.

I am no closer to fixing my problem of not having new account
profiles created, but I have watch 4 MS tech try and figure out what
wasn't working. Sigh.

Something is corrupted. And, unfortunately because "we: were
logged into the new Test account, I think the download went into the
twilight zone.

Fnord.

Oh, and if you use robocopy to copy a profile, use the /XJ switch.
Otherwise, you will have Appdata/local/Application Data/Application
Data/Application Data/Application Data/Application Data/Application
Data/Application Data/Application Data unto the 17th or 34th
generation.
Which you cannot delete, because the path/filename is too long.

Fortunately "unlocker.exe" worked. "Unlocked" everything, and
then it was just "delete, delete, delete". (download from
unlocker.emptyloop.com - it has been a boon many times.)

It has been a long day. And tomorrow is going to be another one.

--
pyotr filipivich
The question was asked: "Is Hindsight overrated?"
In retrospect, it appears to be.

4th time, not the charm
 

On 1/12/19 10:44 PM, pyotr filipivich wrote:
I have had a very educational day.

I am no closer to fixing my problem of not having new account
profiles created, but I have watch 4 MS tech try and figure out what
wasn't working. Sigh.

Something is corrupted. And, unfortunately because "we: were
logged into the new Test account, I think the download went into the
twilight zone.

Fnord.

Oh, and if you use robocopy to copy a profile, use the /XJ switch.
Otherwise, you will have Appdata/local/Application Data/Application
Data/Application Data/Application Data/Application Data/Application
Data/Application Data/Application Data unto the 17th or 34th
generation.
Which you cannot delete, because the path/filename is too long.

Fortunately "unlocker.exe" worked. "Unlocked" everything, and
then it was just "delete, delete, delete". (download from
unlocker.emptyloop.com - it has been a boon many times.)

It has been a long day. And tomorrow is going to be another one.

Aren't computers fun!!! :-)

Nice find on Unlocker though.

I run Linux on a dual boot, and Linux doesn't care about some of these
special characters like windows does, and writing files to a Windows
folders using Linux will drive me crazy on Windows. Luckily I can go
back and boot Linux to alter the file.

4th time, not the charm
 

Big Al wrote:
On 1/12/19 10:44 PM, pyotr filipivich wrote:
I have had a very educational day.

I am no closer to fixing my problem of not having new account
profiles created, but I have watch 4 MS tech try and figure out what
wasn't working. Sigh.

Something is corrupted. And, unfortunately because "we: were
logged into the new Test account, I think the download went into the
twilight zone.

Fnord.

Oh, and if you use robocopy to copy a profile, use the /XJ switch.
Otherwise, you will have Appdata/local/Application Data/Application
Data/Application Data/Application Data/Application Data/Application
Data/Application Data/Application Data unto the 17th or 34th
generation.
Which you cannot delete, because the path/filename is too long.

Fortunately "unlocker.exe" worked. "Unlocked" everything, and
then it was just "delete, delete, delete". (download from
unlocker.emptyloop.com - it has been a boon many times.)

It has been a long day. And tomorrow is going to be another one.

Aren't computers fun!!! :-)

Nice find on Unlocker though.

I run Linux on a dual boot, and Linux doesn't care about some of these
special characters like windows does, and writing files to a Windows
folders using Linux will drive me crazy on Windows. Luckily I can go
back and boot Linux to alter the file.

If you do enough probing from the Linux side, you'll discover
after a while that the situation is actually a mess. The next
time you see "I/O Error" when doing maintenance in Linux,
no, that's not an "I/O Error". That's a structure that Linux
cannot parse. The Reparse Point feature of NTFS allows Windows
to add new file system features, without bumping the NTFS
file system version number from "3.1". One of the latest
features, is a second mechanism for "NTFS compressing" files.
compact /compactos:never .

Paul

4th time, not the charm
 

Big Al on Sun, 13 Jan 2019 07:14:15 -0500 typed
in alt.windows7.general the following:
On 1/12/19 10:44 PM, pyotr filipivich wrote:
I have had a very educational day.

I am no closer to fixing my problem of not having new account
profiles created, but I have watch 4 MS tech try and figure out what
wasn't working. Sigh.

Something is corrupted. And, unfortunately because "we: were
logged into the new Test account, I think the download went into the
twilight zone.

Fnord.

Oh, and if you use robocopy to copy a profile, use the /XJ switch.
Otherwise, you will have Appdata/local/Application Data/Application
Data/Application Data/Application Data/Application Data/Application
Data/Application Data/Application Data unto the 17th or 34th
generation.
Which you cannot delete, because the path/filename is too long.

Fortunately "unlocker.exe" worked. "Unlocked" everything, and
then it was just "delete, delete, delete". (download from
unlocker.emptyloop.com - it has been a boon many times.)

It has been a long day. And tomorrow is going to be another one.

Aren't computers fun!!! :-)

"My heart soars like a bored bat."

Nice find on Unlocker though.

I run Linux on a dual boot, and Linux doesn't care about some of these
special characters like windows does, and writing files to a Windows
folders using Linux will drive me crazy on Windows. Luckily I can go
back and boot Linux to alter the file.

Wee.

My latest "What were they thinking? Were they thinking?" is the
magic folders/link/shortcut. As in "it says 'My Music' but it is
really "\D". And by \D I mean that if you search F:\Bakups it will
find the directory RawFIles. On Drive D. Which is kind of cool,
until you want to remove said 'link', only if you delete "My Music",
you are asked if you mean to delete all 385 gigs in the directory. No,
I just want to delete the link, but this being Windows, you can't do
dat.

Argge.
--
pyotr filipivich
Next month's Panel: Graft - Boon or blessing?

4th time, not the charm
 

pyotr filipivich wrote:
Big Al on Sun, 13 Jan 2019 07:14:15 -0500 typed
in alt.windows7.general the following:
On 1/12/19 10:44 PM, pyotr filipivich wrote:
I have had a very educational day.

I am no closer to fixing my problem of not having new account
profiles created, but I have watch 4 MS tech try and figure out what
wasn't working. Sigh.

Something is corrupted. And, unfortunately because "we: were
logged into the new Test account, I think the download went into the
twilight zone.

Fnord.

Oh, and if you use robocopy to copy a profile, use the /XJ switch.
Otherwise, you will have Appdata/local/Application Data/Application
Data/Application Data/Application Data/Application Data/Application
Data/Application Data/Application Data unto the 17th or 34th
generation.
Which you cannot delete, because the path/filename is too long.

Fortunately "unlocker.exe" worked. "Unlocked" everything, and
then it was just "delete, delete, delete". (download from
unlocker.emptyloop.com - it has been a boon many times.)

It has been a long day. And tomorrow is going to be another one.

Aren't computers fun!!! :-)

"My heart soars like a bored bat."
Nice find on Unlocker though.

I run Linux on a dual boot, and Linux doesn't care about some of these
special characters like windows does, and writing files to a Windows
folders using Linux will drive me crazy on Windows. Luckily I can go
back and boot Linux to alter the file.

Wee.

My latest "What were they thinking? Were they thinking?" is the
magic folders/link/shortcut. As in "it says 'My Music' but it is
really "\D". And by \D I mean that if you search F:\Bakups it will
find the directory RawFIles. On Drive D. Which is kind of cool,
until you want to remove said 'link', only if you delete "My Music",
you are asked if you mean to delete all 385 gigs in the directory. No,
I just want to delete the link, but this being Windows, you can't do
dat.

Argge.

junction -s c:\ list_of_junctions_for_c.txt

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sys...loads/junction

That will allow you to review the "weird" ones that no longer
point to default locations.

The GUI allows you to work in the reverse direction, and has
a button to "restore default". Whereas the Junction program,
I don't think it knows what the default is.

If you install a reference OS in a virtual machine, you can
run "Junction" in there, and develop a "reference image" for
determining what the default values should be.

Paul

4th time, not the charm
 

In message , Big Al
writes:
On 1/12/19 10:44 PM, pyotr filipivich wrote:
[]
Oh, and if you use robocopy to copy a profile, use the /XJ
switch.
Otherwise, you will have Appdata/local/Application Data/Application
Data/Application Data/Application Data/Application Data/Application
Data/Application Data/Application Data unto the 17th or 34th
generation.
Which you cannot delete, because the path/filename is too long.
Fortunately "unlocker.exe" worked. "Unlocked" everything, and
then it was just "delete, delete, delete". (download from
unlocker.emptyloop.com - it has been a boon many times.)
[]
("Take ownership" is another good one.) If it's just overlong
file/pathnames that are your problem, then the old DOS command SUBST
still works up to at least W7.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

After I'm dead I'd rather have people ask why I have no monument than why I
have one. -Cato the Elder, statesman, soldier, and writer (234-149 BCE)

4th time, not the charm
 

Paul on Sun, 13 Jan 2019 11:57:21 -0500 typed
in alt.windows7.general the following:
pyotr filipivich wrote:
Big Al on Sun, 13 Jan 2019 07:14:15 -0500 typed
in alt.windows7.general the following:
On 1/12/19 10:44 PM, pyotr filipivich wrote:
I have had a very educational day.

I am no closer to fixing my problem of not having new account
profiles created, but I have watch 4 MS tech try and figure out what
wasn't working. Sigh.

Something is corrupted. And, unfortunately because "we: were
logged into the new Test account, I think the download went into the
twilight zone.

Fnord.

Oh, and if you use robocopy to copy a profile, use the /XJ switch.
Otherwise, you will have Appdata/local/Application Data/Application
Data/Application Data/Application Data/Application Data/Application
Data/Application Data/Application Data unto the 17th or 34th
generation.
Which you cannot delete, because the path/filename is too long.

Fortunately "unlocker.exe" worked. "Unlocked" everything, and
then it was just "delete, delete, delete". (download from
unlocker.emptyloop.com - it has been a boon many times.)

It has been a long day. And tomorrow is going to be another one.

Aren't computers fun!!! :-)

"My heart soars like a bored bat."
Nice find on Unlocker though.

I run Linux on a dual boot, and Linux doesn't care about some of these
special characters like windows does, and writing files to a Windows
folders using Linux will drive me crazy on Windows. Luckily I can go
back and boot Linux to alter the file.

Wee.

My latest "What were they thinking? Were they thinking?" is the
magic folders/link/shortcut. As in "it says 'My Music' but it is
really "\D". And by \D I mean that if you search F:\Bakups it will
find the directory RawFIles. On Drive D. Which is kind of cool,
until you want to remove said 'link', only if you delete "My Music",
you are asked if you mean to delete all 385 gigs in the directory. No,
I just want to delete the link, but this being Windows, you can't do
dat.

Argge.

junction -s c:\ list_of_junctions_for_c.txt

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sys...loads/junction

That will allow you to review the "weird" ones that no longer
point to default locations.

The GUI allows you to work in the reverse direction, and has
a button to "restore default". Whereas the Junction program,
I don't think it knows what the default is.

If you install a reference OS in a virtual machine, you can
run "Junction" in there, and develop a "reference image" for
determining what the default values should be.

Thanks.

I realized over lunch, all I "have to do" is unplug the external
drive (F:), plug it into a computer without a drive D;, and delete it.
I hope that works.
--
pyotr filipivich
Next month's Panel: Graft - Boon or blessing?

4th time, not the charm
 

"J. P. Gilliver (John)" on Sun, 13 Jan 2019
17:24:04 +0000 typed in alt.windows7.general the following:
In message , Big Al
writes:
On 1/12/19 10:44 PM, pyotr filipivich wrote:
[]
Oh, and if you use robocopy to copy a profile, use the /XJ
switch.
Otherwise, you will have Appdata/local/Application Data/Application
Data/Application Data/Application Data/Application Data/Application
Data/Application Data/Application Data unto the 17th or 34th
generation.
Which you cannot delete, because the path/filename is too long.
Fortunately "unlocker.exe" worked. "Unlocked" everything, and
then it was just "delete, delete, delete". (download from
unlocker.emptyloop.com - it has been a boon many times.)
[]
("Take ownership" is another good one.) If it's just overlong
file/pathnames that are your problem, then the old DOS command SUBST
still works up to at least W7.

I tried taking ownership - it threw conniption fits.
I tried subst. That kind of worked - I could switch to drive X:
(which was point to the 15th Application Data directory) and - still
couldn't delete things. Arrgh.
Fortunately, unlocker worked.

"Arrgle bargle, freeping 21st century problems!..."


--
pyotr filipivich
Next month's Panel: Graft - Boon or blessing?

4th time, not the charm
 

pyotr filipivich wrote:
[...]
Big Al on Sun, 13 Jan 2019 07:14:15 -0500 typed
[...]
My latest "What were they thinking? Were they thinking?" is the
magic folders/link/shortcut. As in "it says 'My Music' but it is
really "\D". And by \D I mean that if you search F:\Bakups it will
find the directory RawFIles. On Drive D. Which is kind of cool,
until you want to remove said 'link', only if you delete "My Music",
you are asked if you mean to delete all 385 gigs in the directory. No,
I just want to delete the link, but this being Windows, you can't do
dat.

If I understand you correctly. I think you're confusing the *Library*
'My Music' with the *folder*(s) it is pointing to.

If you go to 'Desktop' in File Explorer, you will see a 'thing' called
'Libraries'. 'Libraries; contains your list of libraries, which probably
includes '[My] Documents', '[My] Music', '[My] Pictures' and '[My]
Videos'.

Right-click on the *library* '[My] Music' and select Properties. There
you will see that you *can* 'Add...' and 'Remove' the *folders* - called
'Library locationss' - to which the *library* '[My] Music' is pointing.

Argge.

Elementary, dear Watson, just relax! :-)

So yes, you *can* delete the 'link' (read: library) 'My Music', but if
you do not want to delete the folders it's pointing to, you first have
to 'Remove' those folders from the list of 'Library locations:' in the
Properties of the 'My Music' library.

N.B. I wrote '[My] Music', etc., because AFAIK the name on Windows 7 is
still 'My Music', while on Windows 8.1 (which I have), it's just 'Music'.

HTH.

P.S. You can also *add* libraries. For example I have one called NetNews
which points to my local NetNews/Usenet 'cache'.

4th time, not the charm
 

On Sun, 13 Jan 2019 17:24:04 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
wrote:

In message , Big Al
writes:
On 1/12/19 10:44 PM, pyotr filipivich wrote:
[]
Oh, and if you use robocopy to copy a profile, use the /XJ
switch.
Otherwise, you will have Appdata/local/Application Data/Application
Data/Application Data/Application Data/Application Data/Application
Data/Application Data/Application Data unto the 17th or 34th
generation.
Which you cannot delete, because the path/filename is too long.
Fortunately "unlocker.exe" worked. "Unlocked" everything, and
then it was just "delete, delete, delete". (download from
unlocker.emptyloop.com - it has been a boon many times.)
[]
("Take ownership" is another good one.) If it's just overlong
file/pathnames that are your problem, then the old DOS command SUBST
still works up to at least W7.

Another quick and dirty way to deal with cases where the filepath is too
long is to rename from the top down, assigning a random single letter to
each folder until the total filepath length is within limits. I tend to
use that method because it's what I think of first, but SUBST is a
cleaner, better way, and works up through at least 8.1.

--

Char Jackson

4th time, not the charm
 

Frank Slootweg wrote:
pyotr filipivich wrote:
[...]
Big Al on Sun, 13 Jan 2019 07:14:15 -0500 typed
[...] My latest "What were they thinking? Were they thinking?"
is the
magic folders/link/shortcut. As in "it says 'My Music' but it is
really "\D". And by \D I mean that if you search F:\Bakups it will
find the directory RawFIles. On Drive D. Which is kind of cool,
until you want to remove said 'link', only if you delete "My Music",
you are asked if you mean to delete all 385 gigs in the directory. No,
I just want to delete the link, but this being Windows, you can't do
dat.

If I understand you correctly. I think you're confusing the *Library*
'My Music' with the *folder*(s) it is pointing to.

If you go to 'Desktop' in File Explorer, you will see a 'thing' called
'Libraries'. 'Libraries; contains your list of libraries, which probably
includes '[My] Documents', '[My] Music', '[My] Pictures' and '[My]
Videos'.

Right-click on the *library* '[My] Music' and select Properties. There
you will see that you *can* 'Add...' and 'Remove' the *folders* - called
'Library locationss' - to which the *library* '[My] Music' is pointing.

Argge.

Elementary, dear Watson, just relax! :-)

So yes, you *can* delete the 'link' (read: library) 'My Music', but if
you do not want to delete the folders it's pointing to, you first have
to 'Remove' those folders from the list of 'Library locations:' in the
Properties of the 'My Music' library.

N.B. I wrote '[My] Music', etc., because AFAIK the name on Windows 7 is
still 'My Music', while on Windows 8.1 (which I have), it's just 'Music'.

HTH.

P.S. You can also *add* libraries. For example I have one called NetNews
which points to my local NetNews/Usenet 'cache'.

So the "advantage" of using "libraries" (if you choose) is that you can
group some different, but related, things together for a more convenient
access in one link?

4th time, not the charm
 

Bill in Co surly_curmudgeon@earthlink wrote:
Frank Slootweg wrote:
pyotr filipivich wrote:
[...]
Big Al on Sun, 13 Jan 2019 07:14:15 -0500 typed
[...] My latest "What were they thinking? Were they thinking?"
is the
magic folders/link/shortcut. As in "it says 'My Music' but it is
really "\D". And by \D I mean that if you search F:\Bakups it will
find the directory RawFIles. On Drive D. Which is kind of cool,
until you want to remove said 'link', only if you delete "My Music",
you are asked if you mean to delete all 385 gigs in the directory. No,
I just want to delete the link, but this being Windows, you can't do
dat.

If I understand you correctly. I think you're confusing the *Library*
'My Music' with the *folder*(s) it is pointing to.

If you go to 'Desktop' in File Explorer, you will see a 'thing' called
'Libraries'. 'Libraries; contains your list of libraries, which probably
includes '[My] Documents', '[My] Music', '[My] Pictures' and '[My]
Videos'.

Right-click on the *library* '[My] Music' and select Properties. There
you will see that you *can* 'Add...' and 'Remove' the *folders* - called
'Library locationss' - to which the *library* '[My] Music' is pointing.

Argge.

Elementary, dear Watson, just relax! :-)

So yes, you *can* delete the 'link' (read: library) 'My Music', but if
you do not want to delete the folders it's pointing to, you first have
to 'Remove' those folders from the list of 'Library locations:' in the
Properties of the 'My Music' library.

N.B. I wrote '[My] Music', etc., because AFAIK the name on Windows 7 is
still 'My Music', while on Windows 8.1 (which I have), it's just 'Music'.

HTH.

P.S. You can also *add* libraries. For example I have one called NetNews
which points to my local NetNews/Usenet 'cache'.

So the "advantage" of using "libraries" (if you choose) is that you can
group some different, but related, things together for a more convenient
access in one link?

Yes, and these things can be on different drives, can be on Network
Shares, can be subfolders, etc..

For example my 'Music' library points to:

C:\Users\Frank\Music\something I.e. a subfolder.
C:\Music I.e. a top level folder.
\\DISKSTATION\music I.e. a Network Share (Media Server)

So when I browse my 'Music' library, I have all this music in one
'tree', but I don't see the fluff in C:\Users\Frank\Music which is
music-*related*, but isn't music (for example backup of my music
library, playlists, lyrics, list of Internet radio stations, etc..).

Moral: Not all Microsoft/Windows 'inventions' are bad! :-)

4th time, not the charm
 

In message , pyotr
filipivich writes:
"J. P. Gilliver (John)" on Sun, 13 Jan 2019
17:24:04 +0000 typed in alt.windows7.general the following:
In message , Big Al
writes:
On 1/12/19 10:44 PM, pyotr filipivich wrote:
[]
Oh, and if you use robocopy to copy a profile, use the /XJ
switch.
Otherwise, you will have Appdata/local/Application Data/Application
Data/Application Data/Application Data/Application Data/Application
Data/Application Data/Application Data unto the 17th or 34th
generation.
Which you cannot delete, because the path/filename is too long.
Fortunately "unlocker.exe" worked. "Unlocked" everything, and
then it was just "delete, delete, delete". (download from
unlocker.emptyloop.com - it has been a boon many times.)
[]
("Take ownership" is another good one.) If it's just overlong
file/pathnames that are your problem, then the old DOS command SUBST
still works up to at least W7.

I tried taking ownership - it threw conniption fits.
I tried subst. That kind of worked - I could switch to drive X:
(which was point to the 15th Application Data directory) and - still
couldn't delete things. Arrgh.
Fortunately, unlocker worked.

"Arrgle bargle, freeping 21st century problems!..."


I _think_ you can subst: to something that's already substed. But you
got it sorted.

I think another thing that might have worked was just to repeatedly type
(in a command window)
cd applic~1 (I'm not sure if cd "Application Data"
dir would have worked)
(using the up-arrow to repeat the commands)
until you get to the end, then
del *.*
cd ..
rd whatever
back out again.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

A dishwasher is rubbish at making treacle sponge. - Marjorie in UMRA, 2017-1-15

4th time, not the charm
 

In message , Frank Slootweg
writes:
pyotr filipivich wrote:
[...]
Big Al on Sun, 13 Jan 2019 07:14:15 -0500 typed
[...]
My latest "What were they thinking? Were they thinking?" is the
magic folders/link/shortcut. As in "it says 'My Music' but it is
really "\D". And by \D I mean that if you search F:\Bakups it will
find the directory RawFIles. On Drive D. Which is kind of cool,
until you want to remove said 'link', only if you delete "My Music",
you are asked if you mean to delete all 385 gigs in the directory. No,
I just want to delete the link, but this being Windows, you can't do
dat.

If I understand you correctly. I think you're confusing the *Library*
'My Music' with the *folder*(s) it is pointing to.

If you go to 'Desktop' in File Explorer, you will see a 'thing' called
'Libraries'. 'Libraries; contains your list of libraries, which probably
includes '[My] Documents', '[My] Music', '[My] Pictures' and '[My]
Videos'.

Right-click on the *library* '[My] Music' and select Properties. There
you will see that you *can* 'Add...' and 'Remove' the *folders* - called
'Library locationss' - to which the *library* '[My] Music' is pointing.

If I look at the "Properties" of my Documents library (or any of the
other three) I can see "Remove", but not "Add". Is this one of the
differences between Home (which is what I have) and Pro?

Argge.

Elementary, dear Watson, just relax! :-)

So yes, you *can* delete the 'link' (read: library) 'My Music', but if
you do not want to delete the folders it's pointing to, you first have
to 'Remove' those folders from the list of 'Library locations:' in the
Properties of the 'My Music' library.

So can I "Remove" _all_ the entries in (say) the "Documents" Library,
then remove the library itself, without actually any files being removed
from my discs? Or will it not let me delete the last one?

I see
[/] My Documents (C:\Users\username)
Public Documents (C:\Users\Public)
(where [/] is a tick in a box). Where I keep my actual documents is
D:\document.s . Is there anything to be lost by getting rid of the four
libraries (other than the possible loss of the ability to use libraries,
which I can't see ever doing)?

N.B. I wrote '[My] Music', etc., because AFAIK the name on Windows 7 is
still 'My Music', while on Windows 8.1 (which I have), it's just 'Music'.

FWIW, on my 7-32 Home, I have no "My"s, just the four words.

HTH.

P.S. You can also *add* libraries. For example I have one called NetNews
which points to my local NetNews/Usenet 'cache'.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

A dishwasher is rubbish at making treacle sponge. - Marjorie in UMRA, 2017-1-15

4th time, not the charm
 

Frank Slootweg wrote:
Bill in Co surly_curmudgeon@earthlink wrote:
Frank Slootweg wrote:
pyotr filipivich wrote:
[...]
Big Al on Sun, 13 Jan 2019 07:14:15 -0500 typed
[...] My latest "What were they thinking? Were they thinking?"
is the
magic folders/link/shortcut. As in "it says 'My Music' but it is
really "\D". And by \D I mean that if you search F:\Bakups it will
find the directory RawFIles. On Drive D. Which is kind of cool,
until you want to remove said 'link', only if you delete "My Music",
you are asked if you mean to delete all 385 gigs in the directory. No,
I just want to delete the link, but this being Windows, you can't do
dat.

If I understand you correctly. I think you're confusing the *Library*
'My Music' with the *folder*(s) it is pointing to.

If you go to 'Desktop' in File Explorer, you will see a 'thing' called
'Libraries'. 'Libraries; contains your list of libraries, which probably
includes '[My] Documents', '[My] Music', '[My] Pictures' and '[My]
Videos'.

Right-click on the *library* '[My] Music' and select Properties. There
you will see that you *can* 'Add...' and 'Remove' the *folders* - called
'Library locationss' - to which the *library* '[My] Music' is pointing.

Argge.

Elementary, dear Watson, just relax! :-)

So yes, you *can* delete the 'link' (read: library) 'My Music', but if
you do not want to delete the folders it's pointing to, you first have
to 'Remove' those folders from the list of 'Library locations:' in the
Properties of the 'My Music' library.

N.B. I wrote '[My] Music', etc., because AFAIK the name on Windows 7 is
still 'My Music', while on Windows 8.1 (which I have), it's just
'Music'.

HTH.

P.S. You can also *add* libraries. For example I have one called NetNews
which points to my local NetNews/Usenet 'cache'.

So the "advantage" of using "libraries" (if you choose) is that you can
group some different, but related, things together for a more convenient
access in one link?

Yes, and these things can be on different drives, can be on Network
Shares, can be subfolders, etc..

For example my 'Music' library points to:

C:\Users\Frank\Music\something I.e. a subfolder.
C:\Music I.e. a top level folder.
\\DISKSTATION\music I.e. a Network Share (Media Server)

So when I browse my 'Music' library, I have all this music in one
'tree', but I don't see the fluff in C:\Users\Frank\Music which is
music-*related*, but isn't music (for example backup of my music
library, playlists, lyrics, list of Internet radio stations, etc..).

Moral: Not all Microsoft/Windows 'inventions' are bad! :-)

I can see how this can be useful if you have a lot of things scattered
around in different locations or on different drives. But for a simple and
minimalistic approach, I think it just adds another layer of abstraction.
(Not as bad as those so called junction points, however).