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How can I create a new system folder so it shows up in This PC in Windows 8.1?
I have been trying many different approaches to try to accomplish this and have had no success as of yet.
My goal is to create a new system folder so it shows up under This PC in the window next to the other six system folders that are already there, i.e Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos.
I do not want to download the tweaking programs that do it for you such as Winaero or anything similar.
I know there must be a way to accomplish this in registry editor.
I found these instructions on pctools.com. They were the most promising instructions I'd found so far, however once I followed the instructions nothing happened, there was no new 7th folder.. even after a reboot.
Add Custom Folder to My Computer or the Desktop (All Windows) Popular
Create your own custom system folder, like "My Documents", that can not be deleted or renamed and place it on the desktop and My Computer.
Create the following series of keys and values in the registry at [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID] or [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID]. The GUID, globally unique identifier, can be a random number, in this example "FD4DF9E0-E3DE-11CE-BFCF-ABCD1DE12345" is used. See this article for more GUID examples.
Create a new key called [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID{FD4DF9E0-E3DE-11CE->BFCF-ABCD1DE12345}] and set (Default) to equal the name of the folder e.g. "My Folder".
Create a new sub-key under the main key called "DefaultIcon" (i.e.[HKEY_CLASSES...ABCD1DE12345}\DefaultIcon]) and set (Default) to equal the filename for the icon you want to display e.g. "c:\windows\myicon.ico".
Create a new sub-key under the main key called "InProcServer32" (i.e.[HKEY_CLASSES...ABCD1DE12345}\InProcServer32]) and set (Default) to equal shell32.dll", also create a new String value called "ThreadingModel" and set it to "Apartment".
Create a set of sub-keys starting at the main key "Shell\Open My Menu\Command"(i.e.[HKEY_CLASSES...ABCD1DE12345}\Shell\Open My Folder\Command]) and set (Default) to equal the command to execute when clicked, in this case explorer, e.g. "explorer /root,c:\MyFolder".
Create a set of sub-keys starting at the main key "ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers{FD4DF9E0-E3DE-11CE-BFCF-ABCD1DE12345}" (i.e. [HKEY_CLASSES...ABCD1DE12345}\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers{FD4DF9E0-E3DE-11CE-BFCF-ABCD1DE12345}])
Create a new sub-key under the main key called "ShellFolder" (i.e.[HKEY_CLASSES...ABCD1DE12345}\ShellFolder]) and create a new Binary value called "Attributes" and set it to "00 00 00 00".
(Optional) To place the folder on the desktop add the following key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace{FD4DF9E0-E3DE-11CE-BFCF-ABCD1DE12345}]
(Optional) To place the folder in My Computer add the following key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ Explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace{FD4DF9E0-E3DE-11CE-BFCF-ABCD1DE12345}]
Now the folder cannot be deleted from the desktop or My Computer, nor can it be renamed other than removing the CLSID and the entries under NAMESPACE.
Can someone please help me figure this out?
1Is there a special reason why you don't want to use any tools for this task? – duDE – 2014-11-16T12:55:33.437
2By the way, it’s entirely possible that doing this requires a shell extension or something similar to be registered. If that is the case, you cannot do this without either writing a program yourself or using a third-party tool. – Daniel B – 2014-11-16T12:56:32.763
Ok, so is that method which I found on pctool.com which I've listed above (that "slhck" was so kind to bold the title of and add bullet points to each of the steps) correct or incorrect? – Kinzoku – 2014-11-16T13:44:28.350
If in fact there is no way to accomplish this task through registry editor as @DanielB points out might be a possibility.. has anyone used this Winaero: This PC Tweaker freeware before? Is it safe to use? I feel a bit weary using "back alley? software. – Kinzoku – 2014-11-16T14:02:50.363
@duDE Your initial response to my question directed me to use Winaero This PC Tweaker. Are you familiar with this software? Have you ever used it before? Is it safe to use? – Kinzoku – 2014-11-16T14:09:59.447
@Kinzoku: This is basically what This PC Tweaker essentially does when I add a
– Vinayak – 2014-11-16T20:26:49.307Run
shell shortcut to the "Folders" category. I don't see any foul play here. I recommend you use the app unless you know your way around the registry. If you use it to add a custom folder, the results are largely similar, but quite a bit longer. If you're interested, take a look@Vinayak: Thank you for your very informative comment. Are you aware of any step by step detailed instructions for adding the necessary keys, string values, etc. which would achieve the desired outcome of creating and adding a custom folder to the This PC window and navigation pane? – Kinzoku – 2014-11-16T21:02:30.970
No, I'm not. But you could use Process Monitor to find out which registry keys are created/set/changed which will give you an idea on how you could achieve the same thing manually. I have only looked at registry modifications that the app makes. If it does something in addition to that, I haven't looked at what it is, but Process Monitor can help you there as well. ProcMon captures everything that's happening to the system so you'll need to use several filters to get the info you want, as you can see I've done with my screenshots
– Vinayak – 2014-11-16T21:29:39.023If you don't wish to run the software on your computer, run it inside a VM. Also, a pretty good explanation of what Process Monitor can do is available here
– Vinayak – 2014-11-16T21:33:01.447