Microsoft User Data Folder Mac 2018


Move the Microsoft User Data folder (revisited) | 20 comments | Create New Account

Apr 05, 2019 Skype for Business 2016 for MAC. Log out and quit Skype for Business. Go to Finder press Command+Shift+G type in /Library delete the following files: /Library/Containters com.microsoft.SkypeForBusiness /Library/Application Support Skype folder /Library/Internet Plug-Ins MeetingJoinPlugin.plugin /Library/Logs LwaTracing. Jun 05, 2018  It must not be the path of another operating system user profile folder. It must not contain any serviceable components. This setting can be used to keep system data separate from user data. If Windows is re-installed on the system volume, a user who has administrative rights can manually recover data from this location. Caution Using. Oct 10, 2018  Microsoft announced that it has identified the underlying cause of the bug that deleted data for some customers who were among the first to install the Windows 10 October 2018.

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Well, I'm curious enough to ask ... why wouldn't you want the Microsoft User data stored in the Documents folder? Since this is where (among other things) the entourage mail database is kept, wouldn't you want it backed up just the same as other documents?

Yes, I know that you can also backup prefs, etc., but this really is user data in the purest sense, i think.

Just interested in your perspective on this.

In my opinion, my Documents folder is for Documents that I specificly put there. The Microsoft User Data is data for an application (just like my Mail.app mailboxes) that should be stored in Application Support or other such place in my Library folder.
I think Apple has published guidelines for developers about where support files should be placed, guidelines that Microsoft seem to ignore.

The ~/Library/Application Support folder would be the most logical place. So many programs have hijacked the Documents folder that it has become almost useless to me. All of the data folders added by applications (on my system) would be better off in the Application Support folder. The good news is that many developers are storing such data in the right place. On my system, the ratio of programs that store application-centric data in the Application Support folder versus the Documents folder is 68:9 — very good, but not quite satisfactory. Besides Microsoft, another notable offender is Adobe (although it straddles the fence, with data files in both places).

The phrase 'ratio of programs that store' should have been 'ratio of folders that contain' ... just to be precise.

Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to work with MSN Messenger...

Mac

Thank you so much for this hint. This has long been an annoyance of mine as I have found ways of moving most of the applications folders that hi-jack my Documents folder, but not Microsoft's.

Microsoft User Data Folder Location

It does not work for me ;-(
As soon as I open Word, a new Microsoft User Data folder is created in Documents folder. Am I missing something?

BTW, I moved my original MS User Data folder in ~/Library/Application Support before launching Word.

It's probably because the hint said to move it to the Preferences folder, not the Application Support folder. The latter folder was only mentioned as that's where this stuff probably should go.

Yup you are right. Thanks.

I agree with the comment about the Entourage database - it _should_ be in ~/Documents, since that's what you probably back up. However, if you don't use Entourage, there's no reason to leave that folder where it is, as long as you remember that your Normal.dot file is there, and this holds a lot of your customizations. As long as you back up your entire home folder, you'll be safe.
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If you are not backing up files in ~/Library, and more especially in ~/Library/Application Support, you very likely risk losing lots of important data. I backup my whole Users folder, just for simplicity's sake. Putting the file is 'Application Support' is more consistent with Apple's own practice, and is more consistent with what most developers are doing.

Another vote to keep all applicaton-created folders out of Documents. No application (including Entourage and Mail) should keep user data in any hidden place. And Apple has set up specific places for applications to put folders they create. Any user who backs up only Documents is in big trouble anyway.
This hint also appears to work for Sound Studio's presets folder, but not for AppleWorks User Data.

I'm surprised no one mentioned the AppleWorks User Data folder…

…and it seems to be just another example of how embarrassed Apple should be about AW in general! Why do they not follow their own guidelines for AW?? Incredible really.
If anyone has a clue as to a way to move *that* folder out of documents, I'd be very happy. I'd love to just delete everything AW-related altogether, but I still have to support people that are using it, so I'm stuck with it myself.
<sigh>

The funny thing is, another offender is AppleWorks, with an 'AppleWorks User Data' right into the Documents folder. It seems to me that Microsoft is only following old customs...

see my reply to comment above?

You people who only back up your ~/Documents directory scare the socks off of me. Kudos for backing up at all, but you're working with the computer equivalent of basic liability auto insurance. Once something hits you, you're hosed.
It takes all of two minutes to make a list of stuff to backup: occasional prefs, photos, documents, databases (like entourage or mail.app). Using a convenient program like iBackup or (my preference) Synk, you can set up the whole process up almost as fast as you can make your list.
Those who backup only one directory without considering wider options typically get what they deserve.

On a similar theme - does anyone know how to get rid of the *very* annoying eBooks folder that Acrobat 6 Professional insists on creating in my Documents folder every time I launch it?
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Remember - in a million years we'll all be dust, and none of this will matter...

Thank you for this.
My 'Documents' folder is backed up with Dropbox and 'Microsoft User Data' contains nearly 2GB of data that doesn't (in my case) need to be backed up.
Moved it to ~/Library/Preferences/ and all is well

Hi there you can store the MUD folder anywhere but if you are using the symlink method you may still find it will sync with Dropbox if you have symlinked your whole Documents folder into Dropbox (not best practice IMHO).

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Note

Microsoft User Data Folder Mac 2018

Office 365 ProPlus is being renamed to Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. For more information about this change, read this blog post.

Symptoms

While using Word for Mac one or more Toolbars are missing and cannot be added.

Cause

This behavior can be caused by one of these things:

  • The oval button in the upper-right corner of the document was clicked. This button 'toggles' display of toolbars on and off.
  • There is an issue with the Normal template in Word.
  • The toolbars or menus are modified.

Resolution

To resolve this problem, try the following methods.

Method 1: Make sure that tool bar display is not turned off

  1. In the upper-right corner of the window click the oval button.

    Note

    When this button is clicked, it hides all the toolbars. A second click causes the toolbars to be displayed.

  2. If the toolbars reappear, quit, and then restart Word to make sure that the appropriate toolbars are displayed.

If Method 1 did not resolve the problem, try Method 2.

Method 2: Reset the toolbars and menus in Word

You can reset the toolbars and menus in the Customize Toolbars and Menus option, any saved customization is removed, and all settings are reverted to the original default settings.

  1. Open Word.
  2. Go to View in the menu.
  3. Choose Toolbars.
  4. Select Customize Toolbars and Menus.
  5. Select Toolbars and Menus in the top of the Customize Toolbars and Menus window.
  6. Select the item in the list you want to reset (Menu Bar, Standard, Formatting).
  7. Click Reset.
  8. Click OK when getting prompt: 'Are you sure you want to reset the changes made...'
  9. Click OK.

Note

2018

When View is missing from the menu, then you can also Control Click the Standard Toolbar and go to Customize Toolbars and Menus here.

If Method 2 did not resolve the problem, try Method 3.

Method 3: Create a new Normal template Note

When a new Normal template is created, any saved customization is removed, and all settings are reverted to the original default settings.

Microsoft User Data Mac

Step 1: Quit all programs

To quit active applications, follow these steps:

  1. On the Apple menu, click Force Quit.

  2. Select an application in the 'Force Quit Applications' window.

  3. Click Force Quit.

  4. Repeat the previous steps until you quit all active applications.

Warning

When an application is force quit, any unsaved changes to open documents are not saved.

When you are finished, click the red button in the upper-left corner and proceed to Step 2.

Step 2: Word 2008 and 2011: Move the Normal.dotm template file to the Trash

  1. Quit all Microsoft Office applications.
  2. On the Go menu, click Home.
  3. Open Library.

    Note

    The Library folder is hidden in MAC OS X Lion. To display this folder, hold down the OPTION key while you click the Go menu.

  4. Select the Application Support folder.
  5. Select the Microsoft folder.
  6. Open the Office folder.
  7. Open the User Templates folder.
  8. Move Normal.dotm to the Trash.
  9. Start Word, a new Normal.dotm template will be created when you choose Quit Word in the Word menu.

Microsoft User Data File

Note

When you had Word 2004 on your Mac previously and you now have Word 2008 or Word 2011, also check if the Word 2004 Normal file is present on the system, if so, trash this Normal template file as well.

Step 3: Word 2004: Move the Normal template file to the Trash

  1. Quit all Microsoft Office applications.
  2. On the Go menu, click Home.
  3. Select the Documents folder.
  4. Select the **Microsoft User Data **folder.
  5. Move Normal to the Trash.
  6. Start Word, a new Normal template will be created when you choose Quit Word in the Word menu.