Duplicate user folder on desktop

Question

I recently reinstalled windows 10 21H1 because I had some system file corruption. After I was sure everything was ok I removed Windows.old using the remove function in settings/storage/temp files. I noticed that there is a folder on my desktop with my user name. It is the same as the one in c:\users. Everything in there is the same in each of those two folders.. Is this an artifact from windows.old that did not get removed? Is it safe to delete the one on the desktop? Which one is the correct one? If I delete one will the other also disappear?

Answer 1

Hi Richard

No problem I understand now, it is just a shortcut on your desktop.

Open the Settings App (hear icon on your Start Menu)

Go to Personalization - Themes

Click Desktop Icon Settings, and turn off that user icon from there

That's It!

Answer 2

Hi Richard

Okay, well done, that folder is the only thing I see listed, that you may need to sort out, otherwise everything else looks okay.

Answer 3

Here is the screen shot

Answer 4

Hi Richard,

I am Dave, an Independent Advisor, I will help you with this.

1

Right click that folder on your Desktop and select Properties, please provide a screenshot of the resulting dialog.

2

If you create a new text document on your Desktop and then drag that into the user folder on your Desktop, does that file also appear in the user folder on the C drive?

3

Click your Start Button, type regedit and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.

Click View and make sure 'Address Bar' is turned on.

Paste this into the Address Bar at the top and hit Enter.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

Please provide a screenshot of that Registry Editor page.

Answer 5

Hi RichardMase

Is it a shortcut?

If yes, it's safe to delete that.

To see whether it's a shortcut or not, right click on that icon.

If you see any option named Open file location, it is a shortcut.