Programmatically add custom folder under "This PC" Folders

Question

Is there a way to add folder Programmatically under "Folders" in This PC?

Pre-added folders are:

Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures and Videos

And I would like to add custom folder when my app is installed.

You need to work with registry. Add registry entry of that folder with GUID — NASSER, Sep 10 '15 at 08:00

NASSER · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-10T11:00:00.803

You need to work with registry. Add registry entry of that folder with GUID
Use the following code to do this, this code is tested on x64 OS (Windows 8 and higher) with x64 Build. You need to download Windows API and add reference & run application as an Administrator to write registry keys.

    private void btnAddCustomFolder_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        var folderBrowserDialog1 = new FolderBrowserDialog();
        if (folderBrowserDialog1.ShowDialog(this) != DialogResult.OK) return;
        string cLSID = string.Format("{{{0}}}", Guid.NewGuid());
        string subkey = @"CLSID\" + cLSID;
        string folder = folderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath;
        string fileName = Path.GetFileName(folder);
        RegistryKey key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey);
        key.SetValue("", fileName);

        key.SetValue("performer", ProductName);
        key.SetValue("InfoTip", folder);
        key.Close();
        ProcessStartInfo startInfo = new ProcessStartInfo {
            FileName = "reg.exe",
            Arguments = string.Format(@"ADD HKCR\{0} /v ""{{305ca226-d286-468e-b848-2b2e8e697b74}} 2"" /t REG_DWORD /d 0xffffffff /f", subkey),
            WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden
        };
        Process.Start(startInfo);
        key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\DefaultIcon");
        key.SetValue("", @"%SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,3");
        key.Close();
        key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\InProcServer32");
        key.SetValue("", "shdocvw.dll");
        key.SetValue("ThreadingModel", "Both");
        key.Close();
        key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\Instance");
        key.SetValue("CLSID", "{0afaced1-e828-11d1-9187-b532f1e9575d}");
        key.Close();
        key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\Instance\InitPropertyBag");
        key.SetValue("Attributes", 0x15, RegistryValueKind.DWord);
        key.SetValue("Target", folder, RegistryValueKind.ExpandString);
        key.Close();
        Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\ShellEx").Close();
        Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers").Close();
        key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers\tab 1 general");
        key.SetValue("", "{21b22460-3aea-1069-a2dc-08002b30309d}");
        key.Close();
        key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers\tab 2 customize");
        key.SetValue("", "{ef43ecfe-2ab9-4632-bf21-58909dd177f0}");
        key.Close();
        key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers\tab 3 sharing");
        key.SetValue("", "{f81e9010-6ea4-11ce-a7ff-00aa003ca9f6}");
        key.Close();
        key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers\tab 4 security");
        key.SetValue("", "{1f2e5c40-9550-11ce-99d2-00aa006e086c}");
        key.Close();
        key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\ShellFolder");
        key.SetValue("WantsFORPARSING", "");
        key.SetValue("HideAsDeletePerUser", "");
        key.Close();
        startInfo.FileName = "reg.exe";
        startInfo.Arguments = string.Format(@"ADD HKCR\{0}\ShellFolder /v Attributes /t REG_DWORD /d 0xf080004d /f", subkey);
        startInfo.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden;
        Process.Start(startInfo);
        key = Registry.LocalMachine.CreateSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace");
        RegistryKey key2 = key.CreateSubKey(cLSID);
        if (key2 != null)
        {
            key2.SetValue("performer", ProductName, RegistryValueKind.String);
            key2.Close();
        }
        key.Close();
        if (AppManager.is64BitProcess)
        {
            subkey = @"Wow6432Node\CLSID\" + cLSID;
            key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey);
            key.SetValue("", fileName);
            key.SetValue("performer", ProductName);
            key.SetValue("InfoTip", folder);
            key.Close();
            startInfo = new ProcessStartInfo {
                FileName = "reg.exe",
                Arguments = string.Format(@"ADD HKCR\{0} /v ""{{305ca226-d286-468e-b848-2b2e8e697b74}} 2"" /t REG_DWORD /d 0xffffffff /f", subkey),
                WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden
            };
            Process.Start(startInfo);
            key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\DefaultIcon");
            key.SetValue("", @"%SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,3");
            key.Close();
            key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\InProcServer32");
            key.SetValue("", "shdocvw.dll");
            key.SetValue("ThreadingModel", "Both");
            key.Close();
            key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\Instance");
            key.SetValue("CLSID", "{0afaced1-e828-11d1-9187-b532f1e9575d}");
            key.Close();
            key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\Instance\InitPropertyBag");
            key.SetValue("Attributes", 0x15, RegistryValueKind.DWord);
            key.SetValue("Target", folder, RegistryValueKind.ExpandString);
            key.Close();
            Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\ShellEx").Close();
            Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers").Close();
            key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers\tab 1 general");
            key.SetValue("", "{21b22460-3aea-1069-a2dc-08002b30309d}");
            key.Close();
            key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers\tab 2 customize");
            key.SetValue("", "{ef43ecfe-2ab9-4632-bf21-58909dd177f0}");
            key.Close();
            key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers\tab 3 sharing");
            key.SetValue("", "{f81e9010-6ea4-11ce-a7ff-00aa003ca9f6}");
            key.Close();
            key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers\tab 4 security");
            key.SetValue("", "{1f2e5c40-9550-11ce-99d2-00aa006e086c}");
            key.Close();
            key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(subkey + @"\ShellFolder");
            key.SetValue("WantsFORPARSING", "");
            key.SetValue("HideAsDeletePerUser", "");
            key.Close();
            startInfo.FileName = "reg.exe";
            startInfo.Arguments = string.Format(@"ADD HKCR\{0}\ShellFolder /v Attributes /t REG_DWORD /d 0xf080004d /f", subkey);
            startInfo.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden;
            Process.Start(startInfo);
            key = Registry.LocalMachine.CreateSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace");
            RegistryKey key3 = key.CreateSubKey(cLSID);
            if (key3 != null)
            {
                key3.SetValue("performer", ProductName, RegistryValueKind.String);
                key3.Close();
            }
            key.Close();
        }
        AddToFolders(cLSID);
    }

    private void AddToFolders(string CLSID)
    {
        RegistrySecurity security;
        RegistrySecurity originalRegSec = Permissions.RetrieveRegistryRights(@"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\" + CLSID, out security);
        RegistryKey key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(@"CLSID\" + CLSID);
        int num = (int) key.GetValue("OldDescriptionID", -222);
        if (num == -222)
        {
            int num2 = (int) key.GetValue("DescriptionID", -1);
            key.SetValue("OldDescriptionID", num2);
        }
        key.SetValue("DescriptionID", 3);
        key.Close();
        Permissions.RestoreRegistryRights(@"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\" + CLSID, originalRegSec);
        if (AppManager.is64BitProcess)
        {
            originalRegSec = null;
            originalRegSec = Permissions.RetrieveRegistryRights(@"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Wow6432Node\CLSID\" + CLSID, out security);
            key = Registry.ClassesRoot.CreateSubKey(@"Wow6432Node\CLSID\" + CLSID);
            num = (int) key.GetValue("OldDescriptionID", -222);
            if (num == -222)
            {
                int num3 = (int) key.GetValue("DescriptionID", -1);
                key.SetValue("OldDescriptionID", num3);
            }
            key.SetValue("DescriptionID", 3);
            key.Close();
            Permissions.RestoreRegistryRights(@"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Wow6432Node\CLSID\" + CLSID, originalRegSec);
        }
    }

This kind of did something... I sure have folders in OpenFileDialog. However regular file explorer is missing my added folder. — Panu Oksala, Sep 10 '15 at 09:48
@Mino I have updated the post with `FolderBrowserDialog`, check it. — NASSER, Sep 10 '15 at 10:21

user3844214 · Answer 2 · 2015-09-10T09:08:52.663

0

Try this

string path= @"C:\Users\username\Documents\MyNewFolderToCreate"; System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(pathString);

edited Sep 10 '15 at 09:08

answered Sep 10 '15 at 06:53

user3844214

23
4

I'm trying to get "link" for custom folder under "Folders" section in file explorer. Quick Access folder would be fine also. – Panu Oksala Sep 10 '15 at 07:55
@PanuOksala Making a directory appear under "Folders" there in Windows 10 does not seem to be something the user himself can do, with simple mouse clicks. Therefore, the answer by NASSER involving Windows Registry gymnastics may be the best solution. But in the comment here you mention **pinning to "Quick access"**. That is something a user can do easily for their own folder by right-clicking the folder and choosing "Pin to Quick access". So you could ask in another thread whether you can also pin to Quick access through C# (without `Microsoft.Win32.Registry`, preferably). – Jeppe Stig Nielsen Jul 21 '21 at 13:14
(In continuation of my previous comment) I see that the thread [Is it possible programmatically add folders to the Windows 10 Quick Access panel in the explorer window?](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/30051634/) and its linked threads have something to say about it. – Jeppe Stig Nielsen Jul 21 '21 at 13:22

Programmatically add custom folder under "This PC" Folders

2 Answers2