misplaced Windows Explorer file folders, what gives?

My C/Docs&Settings/myuseranme/Cookies and My Recent Docs folders wound up as unmovable Windows System folders. My user name has admin rights. I don't recall anything about why or how they got there. They belong with the rest of myusername folders don't they? Running XPSP2 and IE7, though I think it was the same issue using 6 as well. I do remember them being in their proper place in the past. I posted before but don't think I made the issue clear.

 

If they are in c:\documents and settings\yourusername\cookies and c:\documents and settings\yourusername\my recent documents then they are in the proper place. Unless you need them not to be, they are hidden by default.

 

Right, okay...but why they are located with protected system files and folders is my question.

 

Because Windows needs them to be there. Is this merely a curiosity thing, or would you like to move them somewhere else, and why?

 

Yes, I wanted to move them to the window where all of the folders are displayed when I click on my user name...I tried to move them but Windows said no. I say again, this isnt the typical location for these two items...cookies and my recent docs are not protected system files seems to me.

 

As stated eariler, the cookies and "my recent documents", have always been located under:

c:\documents and settings\username:

I.E.
c:\documents and settings\username\cookies
c:\documents and settings\username\My Recent Documents

There are ways to move them, but it is done via the registry.

 

Okay. But no one has explained how these two folders came to be deeply hidden folders that show only when unchecking the protected sytem files box in tools/folder options/view in Explorer.. I can live with them staying where they are, but some event put them there. They should show upon clicking my user name in doc and settings, unless the user has elected to hide them from view. I'd be interested in the registry tweak to get 'cookies' and 'my recent docs' out of the protected system file category. Thanks for your responses so far.

 

They are hidden by default, to prevent users from tampering something, that may cause issues with the system. Not, that deleting cookies and recent items is all that bad.

The registry entries, are merely to move the folders, not to move them away from the "protection" schema.

To, unhide them, simply:
START, run, type in: cmd (press enter).
cd\documents and settings\%username% (press enter)
attrib -r -h -s -a recent
attrib -r -h -s -a cookies
exit

this will unhide those two folders, when you recheck "Do not show hidden files and folders".

 

Thanks for the recommendation. Something remains amiss though. No user should have to unhide protected system folders or files from the folder options/view command to look at their cookies or recent documents under their user name. So far no one seems to know why or how they might have gotten there.

 

Thanks all for posting on this. Here's my last comment/question. Would having updated to sp2 from sp1 caused this change in the display of these folders in Windows? I know for sure there was a time when these folders readily displayed when clicking my user name. I had updated to sp2 when it first released, I just don't clearly remember when or what event caused this folder issue.