Changing default folders

[Nick]

I don't want to use  "My documents" at all not even when moved and renamed; Windoze bungs everything in there unless you keep a very close eye on things else you can never find anything, I think it's one of the worst features of Windoze.

Obviously, how you want to use your computer is entirely your business, but it seems a bit harsh to blame MS/Windows. Stuff only goes direct into My Docs at top level because either the user doesn't change the application defaults or an application programme won't allow them to. Windows itself doesn't put anything there that I can think of offhand.

It's a bit like the pile of papers at the end of my desk. I put papers on the pile because I can't be bothered to sort out a better home for them. If I can't find things in the pile, there's no point in me blaming the desk: I need to sort the pile out. About twice a year usually...

At least My Docs doesn't end up overflowing onto the floor or falling into the wastebin! 

[MalcolmInN]

Following up on this, perhaps, problem, not knowing Dorsetmikes particular configuration :-
I ref earlier to a possible mishap if one moves the 'My thingies' to a USBdevice that has its drive letter changed (by various means, not least pluging in other USB's before/previously !)

The only way round this that I have found, thus far, is to allocate (by geekish microsoft means) a drive letter to it that is ** never likely to be upset by one plugging in an assortment of one's other USB machines/devices. Example = give it a drive letter of W, not likely to plug in that many other devices to corrupt that allocation.
One could equally assign X Y or Z but in a senior moment one might double this trick to one of those as well, for another stick,, - - see my drift ?
Is there a more elegant solution to permanently assign a particular drive letter to a specific USB hardware/item -
without delving into the perplexing Microsoft archives I am sure y'all must have something on this ?? ?

Edit later for clarity ** (so far down the alphabet that it is)

[Nick]

I do the same thing - I set my external USB drive to N:. I can't remember why I picked N:, but it sits there quite happily without problems.