Custom folder added under this pc not auto selected by explorer

Question

I successfully added a custom folder under this pc creating a new user shell folder generating a new clsid.

I’m hardly trying to achieve what happens with the default user shell folders like music, pictures and the others.

That is, if I type win key + r and write down the path C:\Users\username\Pictures explorer opens with the pictures folder selected on the left navigation pane.

The same happens when you open a file or folder dialog and write down the path C:\Users\username\Pictures, that is Explorer somehow recognizes the written path and selects the pictures folder on the left navigation pane.

This does not happen with the custom folder added under this pc, instead the c drive is selected on the navigation pane.

I tried all the possible registry tweaks but with no success.

To be more precise I know that I can open an explorer window with the custom added folder selected on the navigation pane using a shortcut, that is not what I'm trying to achieve.

Is it possible to make so that explorer recognizes the custom folder added under this pc and acts like it does with the default folders under this pc as I explained above?

Answer 1

explorer [/n] [/e][,/root,object][[,/select],subobject]

`None` Explorer rooted at the Desktop 

`/n` Opens a new window.

`/e` Explorer View (default if nothing else is on the command line.)  

`/root,object` Starts Explorer with object the top item (normally Desktop is the top item). Eg: `explorer /e,/root,c:\` Starts Explorer with the C drive as the only drive available.  

`/select,subobject` Selects the specified subobject.

Replaceable parameters are %1 (one) which is the short file or folder name for a non LFN aware program and the long name for a LFN aware program and %l (L) which is the long file name.

/IDLIST

This is an additional parameter that means a Windows internal structure is being passed. eg:

Explorer.exe /e,/idlist,%I

The %I is a replacable parameter representing an IDLIST.

Rooted Views

To open an explorer item that starts with a special folder as the top folder use the following syntax.

Where the special folder is a sub folder of the desktop

explorer /e,root,::{CLSID of special folder}

Where the special folder is a sub folder of another special folder (usually, if not always My Computer)

explorer /e,root,::{CLSID of parent}/::{CLSID of special folder}

Where the special folder is part of the file system

explorer /e,root,path to folder

Examples

Note that /select is inconsistent. Sometime the / is required, sometimes it should be left out, and sometimes it doesn't matter.

Starts explorer with the Windows folder opened and selected.

explorer /e,select,c:\windows

Starts explorer with Windows the top level folder and command opened and selected.

explorer /e,/root,c:\windows,select,c:\windows\command

Starts explorer with Windows the top level folder and Tips.txt showing instead of the file listing.

explorer /e,/root,c:\windows,select,c:\windows\tips.txt

Starts explorer with My Computer the top level folder and all branches except for drives collapsed.

explorer /e,/root,::{20d04fe0-3aea-1069-a2d8-08002b30309d}

Starts explorer with C:\ the top level folder.

explorer /e,/root,c:\

Starts the Dial Up Networking folder in folder view.

explorer.exe ::{20d04fe0-3aea-1069-a2d8-08002b30309d}\::{992cffa0-f557-101a-88ec-00dd010ccc48}

Answer 2

Does it work with 3D Objects?

I think this may be due to those paths being associated with system folders via HKCU...\User Shell Folders and those system folders having a ParsingName value under HKLM...\FolderDescriptions. My entry for 3D Objects (which I've repupsed) didn't have a parsing name & instead had a "ParentFolder" value that referenced {5E6C858F-0E22-4760-9AFE-EA3317B67173} (Profile), and launching the path from Run shows the folder under my UserName folder on the Desktop. I tried deleting ParentFolder and adding a ParsingName to its FolderDescription, but doesn't seem to do the trick. But I've only restarted Explorer, not a full signout/signin.

Do you use 3D Objects or did you remove/hide it? Re-purposing that would give you a FolderDescriptions entry to play with.