Changing the default folder in Emacs

Question

I am fairly new to Emacs and I have been trying to figure out how to change the default folder for C-x C-f on start-up. For instance when I first load Emacs and h

Answer 1

As you're on Windows you can do it with a shortcut.

Create a shortcut to C:\emacs\emacs-21.3\bin\runemacs.exe. Edit the properties of the shortcut and change the value of Start In: to be whatever you want your default directory to be.

Answer 2

I am using emacs 22.2.1 under Windows XP and have been helped by the answers above to get the response in the minibuffer I want to the command C-x C-f. Initially I was getting "Find file: C:\Program Files\emacs\bin/" like Anton. I have HOME set to "C:\Documents and settings\USER NAME\My Documents". The response to C-x C-f I want in the minibuffer is "Find file: ~/". By adding (setq default-directory "C:/Documents and Settings/USER NAME/My Documents") to my .emacs file I was able to get the response "Find file: C:\Documents and settings\USER NAME\My Documents/" which is functionally the same as "Find file: ~/". However, I noticed one further point. "Customize Emacs" under "Options" allowed me to inhibit the startup screen. Now when I open emacs I go immediately to the scratch buffer. When I type C-x C-f in the scratch buffer I get the exact response I want.

Answer 3

I have added to my shortcut (in Gnome, Linux) a pramater which is a blank dummy file name, and I specify the directory. Since my emacs defaults to "home" I simply say:

/Desktop/blank_file

and that opens a file called "blank_file"

That also moves the current working directory for that emacs session to the desktop.

If I happen to put stuff in "blank_file" then save it, of course, I've got that stuff saved. Which might be an annoyance or it might be a good thing, depending!

Answer 4

You can type the 'cd' emacs command. ( M-x cd ) to change the default folder as a one off.

Answer 5

Since the most annoying thing is having windows Emacs dump you into system32 when you are just using the shortcut, but want every other case to work, just use a bit of elisp...

(when (string< "C:\WINDOWS\system32" default-directory) (setq default-directory "~/"))

So it will only default to your home directory when you end up in system. The only drawback is if you really want to start emacs in system32...

Answer 6

In Windows 8, it works to create a shortcut in the Desktop and change the property 'Start In:' for the shortcut.

Now, I ran the program emacs-23.3\bin\addpm.exe as recommended, and the Windows-8 screen (that horrendous invention from Microsoft) it appeared an icon-link to Emacs. But there you have to change again the property 'Start In'. (It is different from the one in the desktop). Just right-click, choose in the bottom bar 'Open the file location' (or similar, I did it in my language), and you are taken to the folder with a new shortcut, in which you can (must) also change the property 'Start In:'.

A little involved, but in fact very easy.