▁personal ized ▁settings ▁for ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁software ▁installed ▁on ▁the ▁computer ; ▁including ▁Windows ▁itself . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁user ▁logs ▁on , ▁N T USER . DAT ▁becomes ▁merged ▁with ▁the ▁computer ' s ▁registry , ▁such ▁that ▁it ▁appears ▁as ▁the ▁H KEY _ CUR RENT _ USER ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁registry ▁tree . ▁ ▁N T USER . DAT ▁is ▁held ▁open ▁for ▁writing ▁( i . e ., ▁" locked ") ▁whenever ▁the ▁user ▁is ▁logged ▁on . ▁▁▁ ▁My ▁Document s ▁This ▁folder ▁is ▁intended ▁to ▁contain ▁the ▁user ' s ▁work , ▁and ▁in ▁Windows ▁XP - aware ▁programs , ▁dialog ▁boxes ▁will ▁typically ▁prompt ▁the ▁user ▁to ▁store ▁documents ▁here . ▁" My ▁Document s " ▁as ▁a ▁shortcut ▁also ▁appears ▁on ▁the ▁desktop , ▁and ▁in ▁My ▁Computer . ▁It ▁is ▁here ▁that ▁these ▁shortcut s ▁point . ▁ ▁F avor ites , ▁Cook ies , ▁and ▁History ▁These ▁folders ▁are ▁used ▁by ▁Microsoft ' s ▁Internet ▁Explorer ▁web ▁browser ▁to ▁store ▁sur f ing ▁data . ▁ ▁They ▁are ▁not ▁used ▁by ▁alternative ▁browsers ▁such ▁as ▁Firefox ▁or ▁Opera , ▁which ▁typically ▁store ▁their ▁data ▁under ▁" Application ▁Data ." ▁ ▁N eth ood , ▁Prin th ood ▁These ▁folders ▁contain ▁the ▁network ▁shares ▁and ▁printer s ▁discovered ▁by ▁the ▁user ▁with ▁the ▁My ▁Network ▁Places ▁app let , ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁shortcut s . ▁▁ ▁Start ▁Menu ▁This ▁folder ▁contains ▁the ▁shortcut s ▁present ▁on ▁the ▁same - named ▁Des ktop