How to Direct My Document Folder

[Martha Stone]

I keep all of my regularly used documents on our network
server. The server gets backed up regularly so that's why
I work almost exclusively off the server drive.

How can I redirect my computer to see that My Documents
are on the server drive? When I open Word and want to
open a document, I'd like it to automatically open My
Documents on the server drive instead of the My Documents
on my C drive.

Any suggestions?

 

[Ron]

Change the file path. Tools --> Options --> File Locations and then change
the Documents path from C:\yadda yadda yadda to your network location.

 

[Alf]

Change the file path. Tools --> Options --> File Locations and then change
the Documents path from C:\yadda yadda yadda to your network location.

OK. OK.
But be careful with this on XP as you might end up activating "Offline
folders" which is an almighty pain.

 

[Pop]

network location.

OK. OK.
But be careful with this on XP as you might end up activating "Offline
folders" which is an almighty pain.
...

How?
Why?
What if I do?

 

[Alf]

Well, using Wing 98 stations on our LAN I used to modify the My Documents
folder on the Desktop to point to a network folder for each user.

That way I didn't have to modify the favorite folder settings in Word, Excel
Options.

And double -clicking on My Documents automatically landed each user in his
favorite File Server folder.

But in XP this has changed.
What actually happens I don't really know and I don't know how to control it
once and for all.
Once you point to a network folder in My Documents, XP automatically
switches on Offline folder synchronisation, where it assumes that you are
not permanently connected to the server. And it does its synchro thing every
do ofthen or/and when you boot, shut down or/and at regular intervals.
Enormously resource consuming especially if you have pointed to an enormous
folder on the server.

Also there is a little box that can be checked in Outlook accounts setup if
you secify a pst Personal Folder on a network drive. The box is to specify
that the folder is offline.

I expect that this stuff was invented to keep files in sync for mobile users
with slow non permanent modem connections or something like that. But Xp
seems to have a mind of its own and decide that you need these options even
if you are on a LAN.

Anyway, these settings can be switched off in Explorer, in Tools, Offline
Files.
Strange thing is that even if you swith all this sync stuff to Off, it come
back on and I can't figure out how, when or why.
And the "Web Home page" box can become checked even if you set it to
unchecked.
I'm hoping the SP2 will sort out this mess.

Alf