Rainmeter Installation on Windows 11 Issue

[mercury52]

Installed Rainmeter on my Windows 11 laptop and the skins file goes to C:program files/rainmeter/default instead of what is shown in the Rainmeter settings file. I've tried uninstalling and re-installing but the same thing happens. How do I get my skins relocated into c:\users\xxx\documents\rainmeter\skin?

[Yincognito]

Installed Rainmeter on my Windows 11 laptop and the skins file goes to C:program files/rainmeter/default instead of what is shown in the Rainmeter settings file. I've tried uninstalling and re-installing but the same thing happens. How do I get my skins relocated into c:\users\xxx\documents\rainmeter\skin?

I'm still on Win 10 so I can't replicate what you have, but does this happen for all skins or just a specific one? Also, did you install Rainmeter normally, i.e. not a portable install?

P.S. The exact version of your Win 11 and / or Rainmeter might be useful to know as well.

[SilverAzide]

Installed Rainmeter on my Windows 11 laptop and the skins file goes to C:program files/rainmeter/default instead of what is shown in the Rainmeter settings file. I've tried uninstalling and re-installing but the same thing happens. How do I get my skins relocated into c:\users\xxx\documents\rainmeter\skin?

Are you an admin on your machine? (Don't install Rainmeter as an admin, just be sure you have this role). Another question; do you have OneDrive set so it takes over your Documents folder and puts everything there in your OneDrive?

[balala]

How do I get my skins relocated into c:\users\xxx\documents\rainmeter\skin?

If Yincognito's and SilverAzide's idea didn't help, relocating the skin can be done by right clicking the Rainmeter icon in the Notification Area and clicking Edit settings. The settings of Rainmeter opens in your default text editor. Locate the [Rainmeter] section (usually it's the first section, but also might be bellow) and alter there the SkinPath option to SkinPath=c:\users\xxx\documents\rainmeter\skin (just additionally the name of last folder usually is Skins, not skin, but I assume it should work even if the name is used as skin, if this is given into the SkinPath option, described above). This has to indicate the proper place, where the Skins folder is located on your hard drive. Not necessary has to be on the C: drive. I have it for instance on D:.
If you did this, restart Rainmeter (a complete restart is needed: right click Rainmeter icon in the Notification Area, click Exit, then restart it from the Start menu).

[Yincognito]

I've tried uninstalling and re-installing but the same thing happens.

For the record, in order to not reinstall while having the same settings (including the location of the skins among others), uninstalling should be done by checking the 2nd box below (this will delete your skins too):

Rainmeter Uninstall.jpg

[mercury52]

Thanks for all the suggestions and so quickly, to boot. Here are my responses to your suggestions/questions.

I am administrator and did not install as administrator. Used standard recommended install but the skins were loaded into the program files folder as I mentioned earlier. When uninstalling I did check second box. (I even restarted PC between uninstall and reinstall.

The EDIT SETTINGS in the rainmeter skin DOES show the correct area SkinPath=c:\users\xxx\documents\rainmeter\skin but it still installed it in PROGRAM FILES/rainmeter/defaults with two folders: layouts and skins.

I'm up to date on all Windows 11 updates and downloaded 4.5.17 of rainmeter

And Yes, Windows 11 did do some funny stuff with onedrive and my documents folder. I quickly got rid of that option.

I have been using rainmeter for several years on my Windows 10 desktop and microsoft surface laptop (also Windows 10) and never encountered this issue.

I will just keep on trying different things until I hit on the solution.

[Yincognito]

The EDIT SETTINGS in the rainmeter skin DOES show the correct area SkinPath=c:\users\xxx\documents\rainmeter\skin but it still installed it in PROGRAM FILES/rainmeter/defaults with two folders: layouts and skins.

For comparison, on Win 10 (if that matters), Rainmeter creates the Defaults folder with roughly the same contents (the plugins from the corresponding folder are ActionTimer, RunCommand and UsageMonitor as .dll files) for me:

Rainmeter Defaults.jpg

The difference is that the skins I install after the Rainmeter installation go into the correct user Documents folder, with only the Illustro skin and layout being present in both the Defaults and the Documents as a result of the Rainmeter installation. So, my point is, it's not a problem to have the Defaults folder with that contents, as long as only Illustro is being placed there at the start.

The only thing I can think of right now that might explain what you experience is some weird redirection of your user Documents folder(s), either as a folder shortcut or from the registry. This is highly unlikely, of course, so maybe others have better ideas / explanations...

[balala]

The EDIT SETTINGS in the rainmeter skin DOES show the correct area SkinPath=c:\users\xxx\documents\rainmeter\skin but it still installed it in PROGRAM FILES/rainmeter/defaults with two folders: layouts and skins.

If your skins are in the Program Files\Rainmeter folder this takes me to think to a portable installation of your Rainmeter. When Rainmeter is installed this way, you get both the Skins and Layouts folder into the Rainmeter folder. This Rainmeter folder might be placed into the Program Files folder, but this folder structure indicates a portable installation.
However in this case not sure why the SkinPath option is showing the not-right place of your skin, unless it has been altered manually. If you did so, this can cause lot of troubles.

And Yes, Windows 11 did do some funny stuff with onedrive and my documents folder. I quickly got rid of that option.

Not just Windows 11. Skins placed in OneDrive cause headache, no matter of Windows version. It's not recommended to place them there.