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Resolved Question

Accessing My Documents

Mar 25, 2015 10:00PM PDT

I've recently had trouble with my Gateway Netbook in accessing the My Documents folder. As I've tried to open it, the following error message has displayed: "'Documents.library-ms' is no longer working".
I'd like to know if copying the "My Documents" folder from my Lenovo ThinkPad would re-enable access to Office apps and stored documents.
The Gateway Netbook is using Win 7 Starter and is on the NTFS platform. And the ThinkPad is using Win 7-Home Premium and its platform is FAT32.
Other differences of the systems include different versions of the Office suite. The Gateway has Office 2010 and the ThinkPad uses Office XP-Pro.
If copying the ThinkPad's My Documents folder can re-enable that folder of the Gateway, what directory should it be pasted into?
And I don't have the option of unistalling/reinstalling Windows because it was pre-installed in each laptop and I don't have it on removable media.

-David

Discussion is locked

MousePotato has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer
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Clarification Request
Since Explorer has failed, what about all our older methods?
Mar 26, 2015 3:15AM PDT

We have the command line to access folders and files along with alternative file/folder browsers like Gyula's Navigator, http://sourceforge.net/projects/mcwin32/ and others. Relying on Windows Explorer alone may cause folk to not have options.

Try a few options to copy your files out. DO NOT MOVE FILES. COPY.

About pre-installed Windows. Every laptop/PC I've had with that allowed me to a) make restore media, b) clone that drive, and c) backup my files. There are a lot of folk that are still learning that we only lose what we don't backup. PCs are not reliable enough to go without backups.
Bob

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Making a Restore Disk for Reinstalling Win 7
Mar 26, 2015 7:13AM PDT

Can Windows Help give me the easy-to-follow instructions for creating a setup disk for reinstalling Win 7 Home Premium?
Another question I have is about the media for storing that setup. Recently, I've checked my supply of blank CD-R's, CD-RW's and DVD's. And the largest of those has less than 5GB capacity. So I'd like to know if Win can be installed from a thumb drive or any other usb HDD than is large enough.

Another question I have is about the My Documents folder that I lost access to. Upon installing the free Win 10 preview, would a new My Docs folder be created during that setup?

Thanks,

-David

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That's a simple no.
Mar 26, 2015 7:26AM PDT

Best Answer

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Re: Accessing My Documents
Mar 26, 2015 7:51AM PDT

What I would do:
1. Make a new user account in Control Panel.
2. Boot from a Linux disk (or USB) to copy the files from the old My Documents to the new My Documents and possibly other files from your profile that you can't copy from a backup and still would like to have..
3. Delete the old user account.

This works, assuming it's not an issue caused by a damaged OS, but by a damaged profile. If the OS is damaged, you need to reinstall it (and it seems you can't at the moment).

Kees

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Answer
you can try to fix
Mar 26, 2015 7:36AM PDT

you may be able to fix the problem. see if the following can help.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_programs/documentslibrary-ms-is-no-longer-working/0845e8c3-4097-47e8-887a-ae875aa7c4b6

you have a netbook so you do not have a cd/dvd drive but you can install your os using usb if needed. give the full model number of your netbook and someone may be able to help, if nothing else, create a usb restore media for future use.

you can copy the files in your my documents folder to another computer. however depending on what they are, you may have to take ownership if you want to edit them

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/add-take-ownership-to-explorer-right-click-menu-in-vista/

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Drives of my netbook
Mar 26, 2015 11:09AM PDT

Actually, I have an external usb DVD burner for my netbook. But it hasn't recently been able to detect a blank disk in its tray.

-David