FMI - Windows ME

[Mark O'Brien]

Can anyone tell me what other versions of Windows have a tendency to hide harmless directories from you by default?

I reinstalled WinME for the last time I think it's getting trashed soon. Anyway, I spent a while trying to find the "Send To" folder so that I can add my normal additions, like specific printers and Notepad, that sort of thing. I couldn't find the folder, I even searched for it! Eventually, I remembered that this was one of the folders that WinME hides from you, so that you can't "break it". Once I'd made all hidden folders visible, we were golden.

Now, the flavours of Windows I know that do not do this are:

Win 95
Win 98
Win NT3.51
Win NT4

...but, does Win2k or WinXP do this as well? It's very, very annoying. (I'm getting easily annoyed today. Bugger, I've just remembered that I've got to do something really annoying this afternoon as well.)

[Corticus]

Hi Mark,

I hate WindowsME. My roommate got a Gateway recently, with ME installed. Did you know that your OS could destroy your hard drive? Well 2 months and 3 hard drives later, it was time to move to 2000. I don't know what we would have done had Gateway not supported their product so well, and kept sending us replacement hard drives.
I've got 2000 at work, and 98 and XP at home (and a shredded up copy of ME).
But, in attempts to answer your question (if I understand it), both 2000 and XP do have hidden folders. You can go to tools|folder- options|view and select to unhide anything hidden. I believe XP is the same, but I'd have to check at home to be sure. I really like XP so far, but there's 2 little drawbacks I know of.
1. Its cartoony. You can set most things to resemble Win2000, though.
2. XP (and 2000) tries to force you to do things its way, ie, save where it wants you, send certain file types where it wants, etc.
It does seem remarbably stable, and I love the ~20 second boot time.

Did I mention that I hate WindowsME?

Hope this is of some assistance, I'm not even close to an OS guru, but I have used all the OSs in question.

[Mark O'Brien]

Cool. Yeah, my question is more related to "Do Microsoft hide folders from you in Win2K and WinXP". Rather than "Can you hide folders in Win2K and OfficeXP".

I get the impression that they do. I will be going up to WinXP and OfficeXP soon enough. Once I get my bonus and the CCs are paid off. I need to get a 3 Wood for my wife as well, but that's a different story. :D

[Corticus]

I worded my response oddly,

Yes, Windows XP and 2k hide folders from you by default. Some examples would be:

Some hidden directories on C:\
RECYCLER
System Volume Information

Some hidden files on C:\
Autoexec.bat
Config.Sys
NTDetect.com
MSDos.sys

A few more devious ones in C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\
folders:
Application Data
Local Settings (Application Data, History, Temp, Temporary Internet Files)
Recent
NetHood
PrintHood
SendTo
Templates
files:
NTUser.dat

just to name a few.

Did I mention that I hate WindowsME?
:)

HTH,

[Mark O'Brien]

Great, that totally clears things up.

Why don't they just hide the "WinNT" or "Windows" folders if they're so determined to play silly buggers? A$$holes. :D

[Jack in the UK]

Hi Mark

All OS will hide of covert file and dirs by default they are suppost to, thats how they are designed.

You should be able to unhide but they might be eryed out so you know in later versions of Windows


We dont want pesky little fingers all over these critical files now do we??

Jack

[Mark O'Brien]

Jack,

I agree, that's also the beauty of having a well adminstered system. Especially using something that inherently protects the system, like Linux. :)

I'm in a bad mood with M$ right now. My PC specs far exceed the requirements for the game Links 2003, which is a M$ game. My OS is M$, my hardware all have the M$ seal of approval (can't remember the actual acronym MSHCM or something stupid like that) and I have reverted to the last set of drivers for my hardware that M$ said would work with DirectX8.1.

At random intervals, the bloody game freezes the whole machine!!!! It's doing nothing for my blood pressure. I'm trying to get WINE working in Linux to try the game on that OS. :)

[Jack in the UK]

Hi Mark


My days of MCSE and being guru of the techi are dying, i have not studdied all that for a very long time and have nothing of any worth.

OK game on a PC ??

You are lucky here as i am a friend [you could email me] i will let you into secrets

Im the techi games guru!!!

Game as peasky little things some are like men, like blondes others reds. Direct X dont come into it. But the version and refresh does.

DX 8.1 or wahtever it is fine but some -will hang or freeze.

You will need to look into the windows version just as it says XP dont me a lot.

I have a buddy who have 128 Graphics and P4 and still agrs, he has to load different versions of DX for different games, now he has 2 PC's

I will check what i can for this game and get back. are there any other that agro your PC or just this one?



Jack