How to access remapped special folders using PowerShell?

Question

I remapped/changed the target/location of a few of my special folders using the windows explorer gui. Now some of my powershell scripts broke. I don't want to resort to hard-coding paths, unless I have to, and then, only as a temp fix.

[System.Environment]::GetFolderPath('Desktop') shows the wrong path. [System.Environment]::GetFolderPath('Downloads') doesn't work.

To recreate: Right click on "Downloads" in the win explorer gui, and change target location to d:\downloads. Do the same for Desktop to something like d:\desktop.

According to Get Path To "Links" (AKA Favorites) Folder, there may be a way to P/Invoke SHGetKnownFolderPath, but I am not versed in how to perform that, and botched attempts to date. However, I found Boe Prox' function, https://github.com/proxb/PInvoke/blob/master/Get-KnownFolderPath.ps1, which does use SHGetKnownFolderPath, and that function does not show the remapped values for either desktop or downloads.

How would you access the remapped location using PowerShell?

UPDATE: To narrow things down, this issue seems to only impact Windows 7 (64-bit, 32-bit wasn't tested). The Get-KnownFolderPath.ps1 script reports correctly in Windows 10. PowerShell is v5 in all tests. How would one script access the remapped locations of both operating systems?

`Downloads` in not a member of the [SpecialFolders enum](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.environment.specialfolder(v=vs.110).aspx) — TravisEz13, Dec 27 '16 at 21:14
I tried the P/Invoke method and still get the wrong path. I posted my [attempt here](https://gist.github.com/TravisEz13/5961e69007aaee3ba21d6666a10b4b0e). Even after a reboot. — TravisEz13, Dec 27 '16 at 21:20
Have you seen this post? http://stackoverflow.com/questions/17794507/reload-the-path-in-powershell — Mike, Dec 27 '16 at 21:21
`[System.Environment]::GetFolderPath('MyDocuments')` worked for my redirected documents folder. It returned the UNC path. What is listed in the Registry in `HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders` for the values? Are they correct? — AtomicFireball, Dec 27 '16 at 21:26
@AtomicFireball The registry entries in that path are not in line with my remapped locations (d:\foo), but are also not in line with [System.Environment]::GetFolderPath('Desktop') (C:\Users\username\Desktop). They show yet another path (C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop). — Bewc, Dec 27 '16 at 21:40
Sorry, try `HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shel‌l Folders`. Just realized I forgot the User in Shell Folders. — AtomicFireball, Dec 27 '16 at 21:50
@AtomicFireball Those entries all start with %USERPROFILE%. Desktop is %USERPROFILE%\Desktop, which resolves to C:\Users\username\Desktop. There is no Downloads entry there. — Bewc, Dec 27 '16 at 21:57
Downloads are not in the context of this enum as @TravisEz13 stated. How exactly are you redirecting the folders? — AtomicFireball, Dec 27 '16 at 22:32
What is the output of `Get-ItemProperty 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders' | Select-Object -Expand '{374DE290-123F-4565-9164-39C4925E467B}'`? — Ansgar Wiechers, Dec 27 '16 at 22:33
@AtomicFireball In the windows explorer gui, top left side, under favorites, right click on the folder, choose Properties and change the location. And before anyone says it's only explorer, it isn't. Other SW, like chrome, automatically download to the remapped location. — Bewc, Dec 28 '16 at 13:13
That is exactly how I redirected mine. Hmm. What happens if you change the path, click apply, change it back, and click OK? Does it work then? — AtomicFireball, Dec 28 '16 at 13:41
My guess is that it failed to update all of the keys with the new path. — AtomicFireball, Dec 28 '16 at 13:42

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 28 '16 at 05:21

You can use the shell32 in that case. Just define the class before that. You can pick the GUID for Downloads and utilize it.

    using System;
    using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

    public static class KnownFolder
    {
        public static readonly Guid AddNewPrograms = new Guid( "de61d971-5ebc-4f02-a3a9-6c82895e5c04" );
        public static readonly Guid AdminTools = new Guid( "724EF170-A42D-4FEF-9F26-B60E846FBA4F" );
        public static readonly Guid AppUpdates = new Guid( "a305ce99-f527-492b-8b1a-7e76fa98d6e4" );
        public static readonly Guid CDBurning = new Guid( "9E52AB10-F80D-49DF-ACB8-4330F5687855" );
        public static readonly Guid ChangeRemovePrograms = new Guid( "df7266ac-9274-4867-8d55-3bd661de872d" );
        public static readonly Guid CommonAdminTools = new Guid( "D0384E7D-BAC3-4797-8F14-CBA229B392B5" );
        public static readonly Guid CommonOEMLinks = new Guid( "C1BAE2D0-10DF-4334-BEDD-7AA20B227A9D" );
        public static readonly Guid CommonPrograms = new Guid( "0139D44E-6AFE-49F2-8690-3DAFCAE6FFB8" );
        public static readonly Guid CommonStartMenu = new Guid( "A4115719-D62E-491D-AA7C-E74B8BE3B067" );
        public static readonly Guid CommonStartup = new Guid( "82A5EA35-D9CD-47C5-9629-E15D2F714E6E" );
        public static readonly Guid CommonTemplates = new Guid( "B94237E7-57AC-4347-9151-B08C6C32D1F7" );
        public static readonly Guid ComputerFolder = new Guid( "0AC0837C-BBF8-452A-850D-79D08E667CA7" );
        public static readonly Guid ConflictFolder = new Guid( "4bfefb45-347d-4006-a5be-ac0cb0567192" );
        public static readonly Guid ConnectionsFolder = new Guid( "6F0CD92B-2E97-45D1-88FF-B0D186B8DEDD" );
        public static readonly Guid Contacts = new Guid( "56784854-C6CB-462b-8169-88E350ACB882" );
        public static readonly Guid ControlPanelFolder = new Guid( "82A74AEB-AEB4-465C-A014-D097EE346D63" );
        public static readonly Guid Cookies = new Guid( "2B0F765D-C0E9-4171-908E-08A611B84FF6" );
        public static readonly Guid Desktop = new Guid( "B4BFCC3A-DB2C-424C-B029-7FE99A87C641" );
        public static readonly Guid Documents = new Guid( "FDD39AD0-238F-46AF-ADB4-6C85480369C7" );
        public static readonly Guid Downloads = new Guid( "374DE290-123F-4565-9164-39C4925E467B" );
        public static readonly Guid Favorites = new Guid( "1777F761-68AD-4D8A-87BD-30B759FA33DD" );
        public static readonly Guid Fonts = new Guid( "FD228CB7-AE11-4AE3-864C-16F3910AB8FE" );
        public static readonly Guid Games = new Guid( "CAC52C1A-B53D-4edc-92D7-6B2E8AC19434" );
        public static readonly Guid GameTasks = new Guid( "054FAE61-4DD8-4787-80B6-090220C4B700" );
        public static readonly Guid History = new Guid( "D9DC8A3B-B784-432E-A781-5A1130A75963" );
        public static readonly Guid InternetCache = new Guid( "352481E8-33BE-4251-BA85-6007CAEDCF9D" );
        public static readonly Guid InternetFolder = new Guid( "4D9F7874-4E0C-4904-967B-40B0D20C3E4B" );
        public static readonly Guid Links = new Guid( "bfb9d5e0-c6a9-404c-b2b2-ae6db6af4968" );
        public static readonly Guid LocalAppData = new Guid( "F1B32785-6FBA-4FCF-9D55-7B8E7F157091" );
        public static readonly Guid LocalAppDataLow = new Guid( "A520A1A4-1780-4FF6-BD18-167343C5AF16" );
        public static readonly Guid LocalizedResourcesDir = new Guid( "2A00375E-224C-49DE-B8D1-440DF7EF3DDC" );
        public static readonly Guid Music = new Guid( "4BD8D571-6D19-48D3-BE97-422220080E43" );
        public static readonly Guid NetHood = new Guid( "C5ABBF53-E17F-4121-8900-86626FC2C973" );
        public static readonly Guid NetworkFolder = new Guid( "D20BEEC4-5CA8-4905-AE3B-BF251EA09B53" );
        public static readonly Guid OriginalImages = new Guid( "2C36C0AA-5812-4b87-BFD0-4CD0DFB19B39" );
        public static readonly Guid PhotoAlbums = new Guid( "69D2CF90-FC33-4FB7-9A0C-EBB0F0FCB43C" );
        public static readonly Guid Pictures = new Guid( "33E28130-4E1E-4676-835A-98395C3BC3BB" );
        public static readonly Guid Playlists = new Guid( "DE92C1C7-837F-4F69-A3BB-86E631204A23" );
        public static readonly Guid PrintersFolder = new Guid( "76FC4E2D-D6AD-4519-A663-37BD56068185" );
        public static readonly Guid PrintHood = new Guid( "9274BD8D-CFD1-41C3-B35E-B13F55A758F4" );
        public static readonly Guid Profile = new Guid( "5E6C858F-0E22-4760-9AFE-EA3317B67173" );
        public static readonly Guid ProgramData = new Guid( "62AB5D82-FDC1-4DC3-A9DD-070D1D495D97" );
        public static readonly Guid ProgramFiles = new Guid( "905e63b6-c1bf-494e-b29c-65b732d3d21a" );
        public static readonly Guid ProgramFilesX64 = new Guid( "6D809377-6AF0-444b-8957-A3773F02200E" );
        public static readonly Guid ProgramFilesX86 = new Guid( "7C5A40EF-A0FB-4BFC-874A-C0F2E0B9FA8E" );
        public static readonly Guid ProgramFilesCommon = new Guid( "F7F1ED05-9F6D-47A2-AAAE-29D317C6F066" );
        public static readonly Guid ProgramFilesCommonX64 = new Guid( "6365D5A7-0F0D-45E5-87F6-0DA56B6A4F7D" );
        public static readonly Guid ProgramFilesCommonX86 = new Guid( "DE974D24-D9C6-4D3E-BF91-F4455120B917" );
        public static readonly Guid Programs = new Guid( "A77F5D77-2E2B-44C3-A6A2-ABA601054A51" );
        public static readonly Guid Public = new Guid( "DFDF76A2-C82A-4D63-906A-5644AC457385" );
        public static readonly Guid PublicDesktop = new Guid( "C4AA340D-F20F-4863-AFEF-F87EF2E6BA25" );
        public static readonly Guid PublicDocuments = new Guid( "ED4824AF-DCE4-45A8-81E2-FC7965083634" );
        public static readonly Guid PublicDownloads = new Guid( "3D644C9B-1FB8-4f30-9B45-F670235F79C0" );
        public static readonly Guid PublicGameTasks = new Guid( "DEBF2536-E1A8-4c59-B6A2-414586476AEA" );
        public static readonly Guid PublicMusic = new Guid( "3214FAB5-9757-4298-BB61-92A9DEAA44FF" );
        public static readonly Guid PublicPictures = new Guid( "B6EBFB86-6907-413C-9AF7-4FC2ABF07CC5" );
        public static readonly Guid PublicVideos = new Guid( "2400183A-6185-49FB-A2D8-4A392A602BA3" );
        public static readonly Guid QuickLaunch = new Guid( "52a4f021-7b75-48a9-9f6b-4b87a210bc8f" );
        public static readonly Guid Recent = new Guid( "AE50C081-EBD2-438A-8655-8A092E34987A" );
        public static readonly Guid RecycleBinFolder = new Guid( "B7534046-3ECB-4C18-BE4E-64CD4CB7D6AC" );
        public static readonly Guid ResourceDir = new Guid( "8AD10C31-2ADB-4296-A8F7-E4701232C972" );
        public static readonly Guid RoamingAppData = new Guid( "3EB685DB-65F9-4CF6-A03A-E3EF65729F3D" );
        public static readonly Guid SampleMusic = new Guid( "B250C668-F57D-4EE1-A63C-290EE7D1AA1F" );
        public static readonly Guid SamplePictures = new Guid( "C4900540-2379-4C75-844B-64E6FAF8716B" );
        public static readonly Guid SamplePlaylists = new Guid( "15CA69B3-30EE-49C1-ACE1-6B5EC372AFB5" );
        public static readonly Guid SampleVideos = new Guid( "859EAD94-2E85-48AD-A71A-0969CB56A6CD" );
        public static readonly Guid SavedGames = new Guid( "4C5C32FF-BB9D-43b0-B5B4-2D72E54EAAA4" );
        public static readonly Guid SavedSearches = new Guid( "7d1d3a04-debb-4115-95cf-2f29da2920da" );
        public static readonly Guid SEARCH_CSC = new Guid( "ee32e446-31ca-4aba-814f-a5ebd2fd6d5e" );
        public static readonly Guid SEARCH_MAPI = new Guid( "98ec0e18-2098-4d44-8644-66979315a281" );
        public static readonly Guid SearchHome = new Guid( "190337d1-b8ca-4121-a639-6d472d16972a" );
        public static readonly Guid SendTo = new Guid( "8983036C-27C0-404B-8F08-102D10DCFD74" );
        public static readonly Guid SidebarDefaultParts = new Guid( "7B396E54-9EC5-4300-BE0A-2482EBAE1A26" );
        public static readonly Guid SidebarParts = new Guid( "A75D362E-50FC-4fb7-AC2C-A8BEAA314493" );
        public static readonly Guid StartMenu = new Guid( "625B53C3-AB48-4EC1-BA1F-A1EF4146FC19" );
        public static readonly Guid Startup = new Guid( "B97D20BB-F46A-4C97-BA10-5E3608430854" );
        public static readonly Guid SyncManagerFolder = new Guid( "43668BF8-C14E-49B2-97C9-747784D784B7" );
        public static readonly Guid SyncResultsFolder = new Guid( "289a9a43-be44-4057-a41b-587a76d7e7f9" );
        public static readonly Guid SyncSetupFolder = new Guid( "0F214138-B1D3-4a90-BBA9-27CBC0C5389A" );
        public static readonly Guid System = new Guid( "1AC14E77-02E7-4E5D-B744-2EB1AE5198B7" );
        public static readonly Guid SystemX86 = new Guid( "D65231B0-B2F1-4857-A4CE-A8E7C6EA7D27" );
        public static readonly Guid Templates = new Guid( "A63293E8-664E-48DB-A079-DF759E0509F7" );
        public static readonly Guid TreeProperties = new Guid( "5b3749ad-b49f-49c1-83eb-15370fbd4882" );
        public static readonly Guid UserProfiles = new Guid( "0762D272-C50A-4BB0-A382-697DCD729B80" );
        public static readonly Guid UsersFiles = new Guid( "f3ce0f7c-4901-4acc-8648-d5d44b04ef8f" );
        public static readonly Guid Videos = new Guid( "18989B1D-99B5-455B-841C-AB7C74E4DDFC" );
        public static readonly Guid Windows = new Guid( "F38BF404-1D43-42F2-9305-67DE0B28FC23" );
    }

    public class shell32
    {
        [DllImport("shell32.dll")]
        private static extern int SHGetKnownFolderPath(
             [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStruct)] 
             Guid rfid,
             uint dwFlags,
             IntPtr hToken,
             out IntPtr pszPath
         );

         public static string GetKnownFolderPath(Guid rfid)
         {
            IntPtr pszPath;
            if (SHGetKnownFolderPath(rfid, 0, IntPtr.Zero, out pszPath) != 0)
                return ""; // add whatever error handling you fancy
            string path = Marshal.PtrToStringUni(pszPath);
            Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem(pszPath);
            return path;
         }
    }

"@
## Calling the method
[shell32]::GetKnownFolderPath([KnownFolder]::Downloads)

Hope it helps...

I can get it to run is I add "add-type @" for the first line. I don't understand this well, but it seems to do something very similar to the Get-KnownFolderPath.ps1 script I referenced. If I misunderstand, would you please update and clarify? — Bewc, Dec 28 '16 at 18:34
@Bewc: Sure. Add-type will help you to run any c# code. In powershell, you are telling to run c# code. This is what you meant I believe — Ranadip Dutta, Dec 29 '16 at 04:17

How to access remapped special folders using PowerShell?

1 Answers1