Unwanted Placement of Automatically Generated Folders

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The following recent experience is representative of a problem that has followed me since Windows was invented:

I buy a new Windows 10 computer.  My Documents folder is completely clean.  I feel great.  A new start.  No clutter.  I create a single folder entitled “C# Programs.”  That’s the only sub-folder I want in the Documents folder.  I’m happy.

I download Visual Studio 2017.  During the download process, I direct Visual Studio 2017 to save all C# programs I compose into my newly created folder “C# Programs.”  Now I find in my Documents folder three additional folders entitled “IISExpress”, “My Web Sites”, and “Visual Studio 2017.”  Also, on my Local Disk (C:), there are many Visual Studio 2017 related files deposited in the Programs, and Programs(x86) folders.

My Documents folder is all messed up!  Clutter has returned!  I don’t want the three new folders in my Documents folder.  Why didn’t Visual Studio 2017 put the new folders onto the Local Disk(C:) where they belong?  If I move the three folders to the Local Disk(C:) will Visual Studio 2017 break?

I want control over my Documents folder!!!

What to do?

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I have Windows 7 and Visual Studio 2010; I’ve never done anything substantive with it, so the folders are pretty pristine. If I navigate to [ Visual Studio 2010 ] and do a DIR /a /s, it shows that I have 38 dirs and 2 files. The files are in
C:\Users\Paul\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Settings\C++ Express.
The 2 files are:
CurrentSettings.vssettings, 150 KB, 753 lines; and
CurrentSettings-2015-05-28.vssettings, 153KB 1473 lines (lines are shorter).
These may be opened with, e.g., Notepad. They are XML definitions for Studio.

One of the (38) folders is “Projects”, where presumably ‘my’ programs would end up.
I don’t have either the “IISExpress” or “My Web Sites” folders.

“If I move the three folders to the Local Disk(C:) will Visual Studio 2017 break?”
– Probably/Maybe. Some applications will re-create any ‘missing’ folders and reset to initial settings. Try it?
– If you are comfortable using Regedit, look at (for me, your location will be different) HKCU\Software\Microsoft\VCExpress\10.0\Profile. There are ‘vssettings’, and a bunch of other references defined.

“Why didn’t Visual Studio 2017 put the new folders onto the Local Disk(C:) where they belong?”
– That depends upon who is deciding where they belong. When there are dozens/scores/hundreds of inter-dependent variables involved, the designers really need to put most of this stuff in concrete.

“What to do?”
– Sigh. With functionality comes complexity. And difficult-to-redefine inflexibility.
– “We feel your pain”. Life isn’t as simple as it once was; sorry.

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