Shell: commands to access the special folders
March 15th, 2007 • Related • Filed Under
The shell: command can be used to open a special folder directly from the Start, Search menu. For example, the command shell:sendto opens the SendTo folder (%userprofile%\sendto) of your user profile. To launch the Documents folder of your user profile, you’d type shell:Personal. Below is a complete shell: commands listing for Windows Vista. The entire listing is stored in the following registry key in Windows Vista:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ explorer \ FolderDescriptions
Credits to MS-MVP Keith Miller for this tip.
shell: commands for Windows Vista
- shell:Common Programs
- shell:GameTasks
- shell:UserProfiles
- shell:MyComputerFolder
- shell:SyncSetupFolder
- shell:DpapiKeys
- shell:SamplePlaylists
- shell:Favorites
- shell:My Video
- shell:SearchHomeFolder
- shell:System
- shell:CommonVideo
- shell:SyncResultsFolder
- shell:LocalizedResourcesDir
- shell:Cookies
- shell:Original Images
- shell:CommonMusic
- shell:My Pictures
- shell:Cache
- shell:Downloads
- shell:CommonDownloads
- shell:AppData
- shell:SyncCenterFolder
- shell:My Music
- shell:ConflictFolder
- shell:SavedGames
- shell:InternetFolder
- shell:Quick Launch
- shell:SystemCertificates
- shell:Contacts
- shell:TreePropertiesFolder
- shell:Profile
- shell:Start Menu
- shell:Common AppData
- shell:PhotoAlbums
- shell:ConnectionsFolder
- shell:Administrative Tools
- shell:PrintersFolder
- shell:Default Gadgets
- shell:ProgramFilesX86
- shell:Searches
- shell:Common Startup
- shell:ControlPanelFolder
- shell:SampleVideos
- shell:SendTo
- shell:ResourceDir
- shell:ProgramFiles
- shell:CredentialManager
- shell:PrintHood
- shell:MAPIFolder
- shell:CD Burning
- shell:AppUpdatesFolder
- shell:Common Start Menu
- shell:LocalAppDataLow
- shell:Templates
- shell:Gadgets
- shell:Programs
- shell:Recent
- shell:SampleMusic
- shell:Desktop
- shell:CommonPictures
- shell:RecycleBinFolder
- shell:CryptoKeys
- shell:Common Templates
- shell:Startup
- shell:Links
- shell:OEM Links
- shell:SamplePictures
- shell:Common Desktop
- shell:NetHood
- shell:Games
- shell:Common Administrative Tools
- shell:NetworkPlacesFolder
- shell:SystemX86
- shell:History
- shell:AddNewProgramsFolder
- shell:Playlists
- shell:ProgramFilesCommonX86
- shell:PublicGameTasks
- shell:ChangeRemoveProgramsFolder
- shell:Public
- shell:Common Documents
- shell:CSCFolder
- shell:Local AppData
- shell:Windows
- shell:UsersFilesFolder
- shell:ProgramFilesCommon
- shell:Fonts
- shell:Personal
shell: commands for Windows XP
- shell:Common Programs
- shell:Favorites
- shell:My Video
- shell:System
- shell:CommonVideo
- shell:LocalizedResourcesDir
- shell:Cookies
- shell:My Pictures
- shell:Cache
- shell:AppData
- shell:My Music
- shell:InternetFolder
- shell:Profile
- shell:Start Menu
- shell:Common AppData
- shell:ConnectionsFolder
- shell:Administrative Tools
- shell:PrintersFolder
- shell:ProgramFiles
- shell:Common Startup
- shell:ControlPanelFolder
- shell:SendTo
- shell:ResourceDir
- shell:ProgramFiles
- shell:PrintHood
- shell:CD Burning
- shell:Common Start Menu
- shell:Templates
- shell:Programs
- shell:Recent
- shell:Desktop
- shell:CommonPictures
- shell:RecycleBinFolder
- shell:Common Templates
- shell:Startup
- shell:Common Desktop
- shell:NetHood
- shell:Common Administrative Tools
- shell:SystemX86
- shell:History
- shell:Common Documents
- shell:Local AppData
- shell:Windows
- shell:Fonts
- shell:Personal
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Pingback by Unable to rename or move folders in Windows Vista | The Winhelponline.com Blog on 10 March 2008:
[...] to launch special folders using the Shell: command. For example, when you run the command shell:My Music, you may receive the following [...]
Pingback by Accidentally deleted a special folder in Vista | The Winhelponline.com Blog on 19 March 2008:
[...] Shell: commands to access the special folders | The Winhelponline.com Blog [...]
Pingback by Speed up the Send To menu in Windows - The Winhelponline Blog on 11 May 2008:
[...] To add or remove items to the Send To folder, type the command shell:sendto in Start, Search box and press enter. The SendTo folder of your user profile opens. (For other shell: commands in Windows XP and Windows Vista, see article Shell: commands to access the special folders.) [...]