What is "ignore_my_docs"?

I found a file on my SD card that I'm curious about. It only shows up when exploring through my PC. It's called "ignore_my_docs", doesn't have an extension, and when I move it to my desktop and try to open it with Notepad, there is no text.

This wouldn't bother me normally, but I think it might be behind a problem I'm having. My PocketWord doesn't filter my saved files. For example, if I click "All Folders" at the top and select something else (like "Personal"), it pauses, then goes back to "All Folders". (Even though I know there are files saved into "Personal".)

Maybe these two things aren't related, but I'd still like to know what that 'ignore' thing is about.

BTW, I also have a CF card installed, but it doesn't have anything similar on it.

Anybody know?

[derring dodette]

Hi there. It is a file which the os makes, if you don't create a "My Documents" directory before doing anything else on your card. Your CF probably had files or a directory on it, when you put it in the Axim the first time?

Pocket PC magazine had a hint on this, but this is a link to another axim forum, where I had cut-and-pasted the information:

http://www.groom-family.com/forum/sh...oremydocuments

Follow the PPC mag hints as to how to remove it (there are a few steps to follow!), and you can get rid of it. And yes it is part of the problem you're seeing on the SD.

[derring dodette]

Here's the little article, in case you don't want to follow the link. Thanks, PPC magazine!

*********

The “ignore_my_documents” problem on SD and CF Storage Cards
By Diane Dumas

The “ignore_my_documents” file is a hidden, zero-byte file that is created by the Pocket PC 2002 OS when you save a document from Pocket Word or Pocket Excel to a storage card that has no My Documents folder on it. This can cause problems if you later create a “My Documents” folder on that card. When you try to store a document, your Pocket PC becomes confused about where to store it, and this causes a slowdown or an “infinite hour-glass” problem.

To prevent this from happening, create a My Documents folder on every storage card before you put it into use. If it’s too late for that now, here is how to solve the problem:

Insert the problematic storage card into your Pocket PC.
Since the “ignore_my_documents” file is a hidden file, you will need to use your desktop PC to find and delete it if it’s there.

Sync your Pocket PC with your desktop PC and click the Explore button on the ActiveSync menu. This will launch the folder viewer.
Navigate to the storage card on your Pocket PC.
At the top of the folder viewer menu, click Tools > Folder Options.
Click the View tab, and under Advanced Settings look for “Hidden files and folders.”

Click the radio button next to “Show hidden files and folders.”

Click the “OK” box to close the Folder Options menu.

Refresh the view by pressing View > Refresh on the folder menu.
After setting your folder to view hidden files and refreshing the display, if you see an “ignore_my_documents” file, don’t delete it yet!

First, move all documents into the card’s My Documents folder (create one if it doesn’t already have one). Now delete that pesky file.

******

[Phoneman]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by derring dodette
[B]Here's the little article, in case you don't want to follow the link. Thanks, PPC magazine!

Thanks for that, doddette.... Geez, I learned something already, and it's not even 9 AM.. I love this site...:D

That explains everything. I did create a My Documents folder in the SD card, but it was only as an afterthought--probably a week after I started using it.

Thanks derring dodette!

[derring dodette]

Glad it was helpful! :D

I'm adding this

ignore_my_documents

to make searching for this thread easier. Nothing like quotation marks for confusing search engines!

[Caspan]

Actually I just figured out another reason as to why that file is there. Have you ever used pocket word to open a document and you get the open dialog box which lets you select a file from your My Documents directory?? And for some reason Microsoft will only let you browse files on you My Documents folder from your ROM and SD or CF card to open. Now if you have a file called ignore_my_doc on your SD or CF or Built in storage and do not have a folder called My Documents then the open dialog will search the entire Storage Card with that file on it one folder deep for any documents pertaining to the applications extension. So now you don't have to save all your files in you my documents directory. I found this out with nester i just keep a dir on my SD card called NES ROM's and the program picks up the files in that directory because i have no folder called My Documents and teh file ignore_my_docs is there. But rember it will only go one folder deep to search for files, so if i had \SD Card\ROM's\Nes\ it would not find the files to open because it is 2 folders deep in the storage card.