Finding the Windows system folders you need can be a hassle. Especially if you've moved to Windows Vista, where Microsoft has relocated many of them for no apparent reason. Can you remember where Windows stores your cookies, for instance? Your Send To shortcuts, desktop themes, saved searches?
Spend a while browsing in Explorer and you'll probably find whatever you need, eventually, but there's a much quicker and easier way: the shell command. Click Start (or Start > Run in Windows XP), type shell: and the folder name and you'll see the folder immediately. So entering shell:Cookies will display the cookies folder; shell:SendTo reveals the Send To shortcuts; shell:ResourceDir brings up your themes, and any searches you've saved are just a shell:searches command away.
Some shell folders work well as shortcuts. For example, Windows Vista SP1 took the Search button away from the Start menu, but now it's easy to add it back.
Right-click an empty part of the desktop, click New > Shortcut and enter the command explorer.exe shell:SearchHomeFolder
Click Next, type Search as the shortcut name and click Finish.
Drag the shortcut over the Start button, drop it at the very top of the Start menu, then click this to call up the Search tool whenever you need it.
There are plenty of other shell folders available, more than 80 in Windows Vista and around half that in XP. We've sorted them into bite-sized categories below for easier digestion, but if you insist on having the full, low-level gory details then you'll find them all in the Registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\FolderDescriptions (Windows Vista) or HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders (XP).
Internet Explorer
shell:Cache
Displays the Temporary Internet Files folder
Applies to XP, Vista
shell:Cookies
Displays the Internet Explorer Cookies folder
Applies to XP, Vista
shell:Favorites
Displays the Internet Explorer Favorites folder
Applies to XP, Vista
shell:InternetFolder
Displays Internet Explorer
Applies to XP, Vista
Applets and applications
shell:AddNewProgramsFolder
Displays the Control Panel "Install a program from the network" applet
Applies to Vista
shell:Administrative Tools
Displays shortcuts to the applets in your Control Panel\Administrative Tools folder
Applies to XP, Vista
shell:ChangeRemoveProgramsFolder
Displays the Control Panel "Uninstall or change a program" applet
Applies to Vista
shell:Common Administrative Tools
Displays shortcuts to the Public applets in your Control Panel\Administrative Tools folder
Applies to XP, Vista
shell:ConnectionsFolder
Displays the list of Network Connections
Applies to Vista
shell:ControlPanelFolder
Displays Control Panel
Applies to Vista
shell:SearchHomeFolder
Displays the Windows Vista Search tool
Applies to Vista
Multimedia
shell:My Music
Displays the user Music folder
Applies to XP, Vista
shell:CommonMusic
Displays the Public Music folder
Applies to XP, Vista
shell:SampleMusic
Displays the Sample Music folder
Applies to Vista
shell:My Pictures
Displays the user Pictures folder
Applies to XP, Vista
shell:CommonPictures
Displays the Public Pictures folder
Applies to XP, Vista
shell:SamplePictures
Displays the Sample Pictures folder
Applies to Vista
shell:SamplePlaylists
Displays the Sample Playlists folder
Applies to Vista
shell:Original Images
Displays the folder containing the original versions of images tweaked by Windows Photo Gallery
Applies to Vista
shell:PhotoAlbums
Displays the user Pictures\Slide Shows folder
Applies to Vista
shell:My Video
Displays the user Video folder
Applies to XP, Vista
shell:CommonVideo
Displays the Public Video folder
Applies to XP, Vista
shell:SampleVideos
Displays the Sample Videos folder
Applies to Vista
Windows Vista Sync Centre
shell:ConflictFolder
Displays Sync Centre Conflicts
Applies to Vista
shell:SyncCenterFolder
Displays Sync Centre
Applies to Vista
shell:SyncResultsFolder
Displays Sync Centre Results
Applies to Vista
shell:SyncSetupFolder
Displays the Sync Centre Setup options
Applies to Vista
System Folders
shell:AppUpdatesFolder
Displays installed Windows Updates
Applies to Vista
shell:Common AppData
Displays the Public Application Data folder
Applies to XP, Vista
shell:Common Desktop
Displays the Public Desktop
Applies to XP, Vista
Your comments (1) Click to add a new comment
koposhi
September 17th 2008
1. First I don't understand all there is about using Shell: but do know to show all of the above the short way is to initiate Internet Explorer if that is what's being used Click Tools- View and Tick "Show all Files and Folders. Went through this today with a friend who is not Computer literate.
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