Vista Tutorial - Personal User Shell Folders

**Brink** · **OPTION ONE:**

How to Fix a Personal User Shell Folder Displayed as a Standard Yellow Folder Icon in Vista

Information

If you open your personal user folder in the Start menu or from C:\Users\(user name), and a user folder has a standard yellow folder icon instead of the special green folder icon, then this will show you how to restore the green folder icon for that particular user folder.

NOTE

This usually can occur when the desktop.ini file in the shell folder is missing or incorrect, or the user folder has no read only attribute set to it.

RELATED LINKS:

EXAMPLE: Special Green Personal User Profile Folder Icons

OPTION ONE:
The User Name Folder

NOTE

This is the User Name folder that appears in the Desktop folder tree view in Windows Explorer or the Start Menu.

1. Right click on a empty area of the desktop and click on Personalize.

2. Click on Change desktop icons in the upper left corner. (See screenshot below)

3. In the lower box, click on your User Name folder to highlight it in blue. (See screenshot below)

4. Click on the Restore Default button. (See screenshot above)
A) Click on Apply.
NOTE: If it did not restore the default User Name folder icon, then proceed to step 5.

B) Go to step 6.

5. Click on the Change Icon button. (See screenshot below step 3)
A) If not already in the top line, then click on the Browse button and browse to C:\Windows\system32\imageres.dll.

B) Select the default User Name folder icon and click OK. (See highlighted in blue icon in the screenshot below)

6. Click on OK. (See screenshot below step 3)

OPTION TWO:
The User Folders in the User Name Folder

1. Verify that the user folder has it's correct default path in METHOD THREE here.

STEP ONE:
Shell Command
2. Open the Start Menu.

3. Type in the Shell command (see table below) for the Personal User folder and press Enter..
User Folder Shell Command
Contacts shell:Contacts
Desktop shell:desktop
Documents shell:Personal
Downloads shell:downloads
Favorites shell:Favorites
Links shell:Links
Music shell:My Music
Pictures shell:My Pictures
Saved Games shell:SavedGames
Searches shell:Searches
Videos shell:My Video
4. This will open the personal user folder from it's location.

5. Close the personal user folder window.

6. Check to see if the personal user folder has turned back to the special green folder in the start menu.
A) If yes, then your done.

B) If not, proceed to STEP TWO below.

STEP TWO:
Replace Desktop.ini File for User Folder

7. Have Show hidden files and folders dotted and Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) unchecked in Folder Options.
NOTE: For how, see OPTION TWO here: How to Hide or Show Hidden Files and Folders in Vista

8. Click on the download button below to download the User Folders.zip file, then click on Save and save it to the Desktop.

9. Right click on the User Folders.zip file (on Desktop) and click on Open.

10. Extract the same folder(s) for your user folder name with the standard yellow icon displayed to the Desktop.

11. Open the extracted folder and right click on the desktop.ini file and click Copy. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: This file is set as a hidden file. This is why it is faded.

12. Open the user folder that has the standard yellow folder icon displayed.
A) Right click on a empty area in the folder's window and click Paste.
NOTE: If you are asked if you want to replace the old desktop.ini file, then click Copy and Replace. (See screenshot below)

B) Repeat step 11 for each user folder you need to fix.

13. Close all windows.

14. Open a elevated command prompt.

15. If prompted, click on Continue in the UAC prompt.

16. In the elevated command prompt, type the command below (see table below) for the user folder name you need to fix. (See screenshot below table)
NOTE: This will set the user folder as Read-only. You can Copy and Paste these to make it easier for you.
WARNING: If you have changed the default location of your user folder, then you will need to type the full path of it's new location after attrib +r instead of the default %USERPROFILE% location below. For example, attrib +r D:\New location
User Folder Command
Contacts attrib +r %USERPROFILE%\Contacts
Desktop attrib +r %USERPROFILE%\Desktop
Documents attrib +r %USERPROFILE%\Documents
Downloads attrib +r %USERPROFILE%\Downloads
Favorites attrib +r %USERPROFILE%\Favorites
Links attrib +r %USERPROFILE%\Links
Music attrib +r %USERPROFILE%\Music
Pictures attrib +r %USERPROFILE%\Pictures
Saved Games attrib +r %USERPROFILE%\"Saved Games"
Searches attrib +r %USERPROFILE%\Searches
Videos attrib +r %USERPROFILE%\Videos

17. Repeat step 16 for each user folder that you replaced the desktop.ini file for.

18. Close the elevated command prompt.

19. Restart the computer, or logoff and login again for the changes to take effect.

20. Confirm that the folder icon is back to normal.

21. You can now delete the downloaded folders on the desktop and set your hidden files and folders settings back to normal in step 7 above.

That's it,
Shawn

**Brink** · 09-13-2007

Updated to include more details.

Shawn

b0tch89 · 01-30-2008

Hi Shawn,
I accidentally deleted my "My Music" shell folder, (consequently iTunes won't work) and i obviously no longer have the special blueish icon. However, under my user folder with all the other shell folders listed it has "Music" but it is just a shortcut to nothing.

I tried following your steps but can not view the hidden file you packaged in in the download. I also don't know if this will fix the problem as I currently don't have a "Music" shell folder. Are there different steps to recreating this folder, different to this thread which seems more like a repair of a shell folder?

Thanks in advance, I can provide screen shots if it'd help, and i'm a little concerned that I can't view the hidden file, even though I'm following your steps exactly.

Henry

**Brink** · 01-30-2008

Hi Henry,

Welcome to Vista Forums.

In STEP TWO step 1, did you make sure that you changed both items on Folder Options? You will not see the hidden protected system file in the download unless you did. If you did, then try pressing F5 to refresh the screen to see if that reveals them.

I would like to see if replacing the Desktop.ini file will solve your problem before we proceed to a more involved solution.

Shawn

b0tch89 · 01-30-2008

Okay, I got the hidden items to work and placed it in the music folder etc and followed the rest of your steps. Upon restart, the arbitrary folder that i created called Music, now had the special blue icon, so i was happy, but it still isn't the same as the original Music folder. However, in my shell Henry, where the list of shell folders is (documents, music etc) there is an empty shortcut with no properties and can't be adjusted. It isn't even a folder, just a shortcut to nothing. This shortcut used to be the Music shell but now it is nothing.

**Brink** · 01-31-2008

Ok Henry,

Since you created the new Music folder manually, it will not work. Go ahead and delete it. Do this tutorial instead for a missing personal user folder using the Shell command shell:My Music . If that doesn't bring back the Music folder, then make sure that the path location is correct in the registry locations at the top of this tutorial below.

Personal User Shell Folders - Move Location

Shawn

**david boylan** · 05-03-2008

Hi , i am not the sharpest knife in the draw when it comes to computers so i suspect i am doing something wrong , when i follow your instructions specifically to change my Music Folder back to the blue one it leaves it as the yellow folder but changes my desktop folder to the new music folder with the blue logo when i click it it opens as it should with desktop stuff , and the yellow folder for my music is still the same weird
can you shed any light

Cheers Dave

**david boylan** · 05-03-2008

Think i have sorted it what i had to do was create a new folder in the same place as the rest don't name , cut and paste the thing from your zip folder into this, then cut and paste in my case the music folder in to the new folder that created a folder with the blue folder and icon then cut and paste it out of there back into the main folder area , it makes sense to me but i did work delete the old folder

Regards Dave

**Brink** · 05-04-2008

Dave, I'm glad to hear that you got it sorted. Thank you for the feedback.

Shawn

suirauqa · 05-12-2008

Hi! When all on a sudden the Downloads folder on my Vista Home Premium machine vanished to be replaced by a non-functional icon, I was worried. I could still access the folder through C:\Users\owner\downloads, but could not access it in Explorer from the cute icons. I did not expect to find a solution... Therefore, imagine my surprise and joy, when a Google search brought me to this website and the "Shell:downloads" command instantly brought back the folder to its original place. Thank you very much.

I still don't understand though, why it happened in the first place!!

09-13-2007
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 (7600) x64 25,806 posts	Re: Personal User Shell Folders Updated to include more details. Shawn
My System Specs

01-30-2008
b0tch89 Newbie Join Date: Jan 2008 Vista Home Premium 32bit. 2 posts	Re: Personal User Shell Folders Hi Shawn, I accidentally deleted my "My Music" shell folder, (consequently iTunes won't work) and i obviously no longer have the special blueish icon. However, under my user folder with all the other shell folders listed it has "Music" but it is just a shortcut to nothing. I tried following your steps but can not view the hidden file you packaged in in the download. I also don't know if this will fix the problem as I currently don't have a "Music" shell folder. Are there different steps to recreating this folder, different to this thread which seems more like a repair of a shell folder? Thanks in advance, I can provide screen shots if it'd help, and i'm a little concerned that I can't view the hidden file, even though I'm following your steps exactly. Henry
My System Specs

01-30-2008
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 (7600) x64 25,806 posts	Re: Personal User Shell Folders Hi Henry, Welcome to Vista Forums. In STEP TWO step 1, did you make sure that you changed both items on Folder Options? You will not see the hidden protected system file in the download unless you did. If you did, then try pressing F5 to refresh the screen to see if that reveals them. I would like to see if replacing the Desktop.ini file will solve your problem before we proceed to a more involved solution. Shawn
My System Specs

01-30-2008
b0tch89 Newbie Join Date: Jan 2008 Vista Home Premium 32bit. 2 posts	Re: Personal User Shell Folders Okay, I got the hidden items to work and placed it in the music folder etc and followed the rest of your steps. Upon restart, the arbitrary folder that i created called Music, now had the special blue icon, so i was happy, but it still isn't the same as the original Music folder. However, in my shell Henry, where the list of shell folders is (documents, music etc) there is an empty shortcut with no properties and can't be adjusted. It isn't even a folder, just a shortcut to nothing. This shortcut used to be the Music shell but now it is nothing.
My System Specs

01-31-2008
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 (7600) x64 25,806 posts	Re: Personal User Shell Folders Ok Henry, Since you created the new Music folder manually, it will not work. Go ahead and delete it. Do this tutorial instead for a missing personal user folder using the Shell command shell:My Music . If that doesn't bring back the Music folder, then make sure that the path location is correct in the registry locations at the top of this tutorial below. Personal User Shell Folders - Move Location Shawn
My System Specs

05-03-2008
david boylan Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Vista Home Premium 45 posts	Re: Personal User Shell Folders Hi , i am not the sharpest knife in the draw when it comes to computers so i suspect i am doing something wrong , when i follow your instructions specifically to change my Music Folder back to the blue one it leaves it as the yellow folder but changes my desktop folder to the new music folder with the blue logo when i click it it opens as it should with desktop stuff , and the yellow folder for my music is still the same weird can you shed any light Cheers Dave
My System Specs

05-03-2008
david boylan Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Vista Home Premium 45 posts	Re: Personal User Shell Folders Think i have sorted it what i had to do was create a new folder in the same place as the rest don't name , cut and paste the thing from your zip folder into this, then cut and paste in my case the music folder in to the new folder that created a folder with the blue folder and icon then cut and paste it out of there back into the main folder area , it makes sense to me but i did work delete the old folder Regards Dave
My System Specs

05-04-2008
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 (7600) x64 25,806 posts	Re: Personal User Shell Folders Dave, I'm glad to hear that you got it sorted. Thank you for the feedback. Shawn
My System Specs

05-12-2008
suirauqa Newbie Join Date: May 2008 Vista Home Premium 32 bit 1 posts	Re: Personal User Shell Folders Hi! When all on a sudden the Downloads folder on my Vista Home Premium machine vanished to be replaced by a non-functional icon, I was worried. I could still access the folder through C:\Users\owner\downloads, but could not access it in Explorer from the cute icons. I did not expect to find a solution... Therefore, imagine my surprise and joy, when a Google search brought me to this website and the "Shell:downloads" command instantly brought back the folder to its original place. Thank you very much. I still don't understand though, why it happened in the first place!!
My System Specs

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