Windows 7 - User Folder - Create Your Own Special Folders

SquonkSC

How to Create Your Own Special User Folder

I am dutch but for this tutorial I set my mui to English to make it easier on you.

Here I have a folder called "Installatie" (that's dutch for Installation)

I want to make a special folder in my username (in this case Michel on the left pane), that I will call "Installatie" also, for easy reference.

Here's How:

1. Open a elevated command prompt.
By default it will open in C:\Windows\System32 even if you are on x64 windows.

2. Type cd\users\username (in my case username is Michel)
The prompt will now show "c:\users\username>

We will now use the "MKLINK" command.

3. Type mklink /d Installatie d:\Installatie and press enter.
Explanation:
mklink /d is the command means, link to folder

where I typed Installatie, you have to type the name you want to give to your special folder.

where I typed d:\Installatie, you have to type the location of the folder you want to point to.

If you did it right, you should get an output saying:
symbolic link created for Installatie <<===>> d:\installatie

See the screenshot.

Now in the explorer you will see the following.

I gave the folder another icon, through the properties-> customize->change icon.
Warning!! for chosing a icon don't use shell32.dll because the icons will show up to small in the right pane, browse to \windows\system32\imageres.dll instead and chose an icon from there.

You might also notice that your folder has an shortcut arrow and mine doesn't.

For getting rid of the shortcut arrows, you can go to this great tutorial of our esteemed colleague "Brink":
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...e-restore.html

Good luck.

Related Tutorials

**pacinitaly** · 08-07-2009

I tried this on my vista 32bit laptop.
sorry, it does not work.
It created the folder, I choose the icon from the .dll, then I tried to open it and got the attached error

**mickey megabyte** · 08-07-2009

it's a tutorial for window 7

SquonkSC · 08-07-2009

Quote: Originally Posted by pacinitaly

I tried this on my vista 32bit laptop.
sorry, it does not work.
It created the folder, I choose the icon from the .dll, then I tried to open it and got the attached error

Should work for Vista also.

The screenshot's error message tells you what's wrong.

Your link is pointing to a location that does not exist, or the location is not accessible. (user rights)

But for now, I assume you mistyped the location, or made a mistake in the mklink syntax.

Just read the tutorial thoroughly and try it again, and pay attention to spaces and other details.

Good luck

edit: Make sure you use your own location names, not the ones I typed.
they serve merely as example.

**pacinitaly** · 08-07-2009

forget it...

thanks anyway, it just won't work. I took ownership of my profile folder too.
It's cool, I can create a folder in the links folder as I've done B4

the folder is there, I'm able to change icon but can't open it. everytime I click the folder, I get this:

C:\Users\carmine\2review\2review\2review\2review\2review\2review\2review\2review\2review\2review\2re view\2review\2review\2review\2review\2review\2review\2review\2review\2review\2review\2review\2review \2review\2review\2review\2review\2review\2review\2review

SquonkSC · 08-07-2009

Quote: Originally Posted by pacinitaly

forget it...

thanks anyway, it just won't work. I took ownership of my profile folder too.
It's cool, I can create a folder in the links folder as I've done B4

Good,

That "links folder" makes the mklink kind of obsolete anyway.

note:
the mklink dates back to win2000 and works on xp, vista and Windows 7.

Don't know why it won't work for you, but Iam sure it has something to do with your security settings.

But I'm glad you found a (better) alternative.

greetz

**pacinitaly** · 08-07-2009

thank you, stay well

**lucazav** · 01-07-2010

Hi,

I create my special folder as you explain on Windows 7. It works great! But when I right-click on this new folder, I can't see the "Location" tab... Is there something I miss?
Thank you.

**psikofunkster** · 04-23-2010

Thanks for your tutorial SquonkSC.

**jberghem** · 07-17-2010

This is not creating a "special folder"

This is simply the old DOS way of making a shortcut.

cd\users\username = change directory to \users\username the same as just hitting the "username" link in your start menu.
mklink /d Installatie d:\Installatie = make a link (synonym to shortcut) to the directory d:\Installatie and call it Installatie and this is just the same command the windows GUI sends when you right click in the folder than go to new -> shortcut.

That is also why you get the shortcut arrow. Sorry no special folder at all!!

Please do not write tutorials if you're not really sure of what you're doing!

Is there no moderator in this forum that checks these tutorials?

BTW: if you want a "special folder" (which is actually just a regular folder in your user directory) and have it appear in the favorites list in the left panel, just create a folder, name it and drag and drop it to the favorites list.

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