Windows 7 - User Folders - Restore Default Location

**Brink** · **User Folder** **Folder Name**

How to Restore the Default Location of Windows 7 User Folders

Information

This will show you how to restore the default location of all or a single Windows 7 user folder of your choice.

Tip

If you have duplicate user folders instead, then you will need to backup the contents of the duplicate user folders, do OPTION TWO below, delete the duplicate folders, then you may need to restart the computer a couple of times first before the default location is restored.

EXAMPLE: User folders
NOTE: This is at the default C:\Users\(user-name) and Start Menu (shell:UsersFilesFolder) locations.

OPTION ONE

Restore User Folders using it's Folder Properties

NOTE: If using this option does not restore the user folder back to the default location, then use OPTION TWO below instead.

1. If you a part of a homegroup, then you will need to change the homegroup settings to no longer share the user folder (ex: My Music) that you want to move first by unchecking the folder and clicking on Save Changes. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: This is so the user folder (ex: My Music) will not be shared on the homegroup anymore.

2. Open the Start Menu, and type shell:UsersFilesFolder in the search line and press enter.
NOTE: This will open your C:\Users\(user-name) folder.

3. Right click on the user folder (ex: My Music) that you want to restore the default location for, and click on Properties.

4. Click on the Location tab, and Restore Default button. (See screenshot below)

5. Click on OK. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: Notice that the location has changed to the default C:\Users\(user-name) location.

6. Click on Yes. (See screenshot below)

Note

If you have a folder in the default location named for the user folder already, then you will not see this dialog box.

User Folder Folder Name
Contacts Contacts
Desktop Desktop
My Documents Documents
Downloads Downloads
Favorites Favorites
Links Links
My Music Music
My Pictures Pictures
Saved Games Saved Games
Searches Searches
My Videos Videos

7. Click on Yes. (See screenshot below)
WARNING: If you do not click on Yes, then you will have two copies of this user folder at the C:\Users\(user-name) location. One will be a normal folder (same name) with the contents and the other as the now restored user folder. It is recommended that you click on YES.

8. After a few seconds when the location has been restored, the Properties window (screenshot under step 5) will then close.

9. If you a part of a homegroup, then you can now change the homegroup settings back to share the user folder (ex: My Music) again if you like by checking the folder and clicking on Save Changes. (see screenshot below)

OPTION TWO

Manually Restore User Folders using a Reg File Download & Registry Editor

Note

This is a more thorough method of restoring a user folder's default location, or restore missing user folders.

The reg files in the ZIP downloads below will restore the default values at this registry location below.

Code:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

User Folders - Restore Default Location-user_shell_folders_reg.jpg

Warning

If you have any duplicate user folders, or user folders that do not have a Location properties tab (Option One), then you will need to:

Backup only the folder's contents to another location to be safe.
Now proceed with the steps below

1. To Restore Default Contacts Folder Location
A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.
Restore_Default_Contacts_Location.zip

2. To Restore Default Desktop Folder Location
A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.
Restore_Desktop_Default_Location.zip

3. To Restore Default My Documents Folder Location
A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.
Restore_Documents_Default_Location.zip

4. To Restore Default Downloads Folder Location
A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.
Restore_Downloads_Default_Location.zip

5. To Restore Default Favorites Folder Location
A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.
Restore_Favorites_Default_Location.zip

6. To Restore Default Links Folder Location
A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.
Restore_Default_Links_Location.zip

7. To Restore Default My Music Folder Location
A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.
Restore_Music_Default_Location.zip

8. To Restore Default My Pictures Folder Location
A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.
Restore_Pictures_Default_Location.zip

9. To Restore Default Saved Games Folder Location
A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.
Restore_Default_Saved_Games_Location.zip

10. To Restore Default Searches Folder Location
A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.
Restore_Default_Searches_Location.zip

11. To Restore Default My Videos Folder Location
A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.
Restore_Videos_Default_Location.zip

12. Click on Save, and save the .zip file to the Desktop.

13. Open the downloaded .zip file and extract the .reg file to the desktop.

14. Right click on the extracted .reg file and click on Merge.

15. Click on Run, Yes, Yes, and OK when prompted.

16. Open the Start Menu, then type regedit in the search box and press enter.

17. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes (administrator) or enter administrator's password (if standard user).

18. In regedit, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)
Code:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
19. In the right pane of Shell Folders, right click on the user folder in the Name column (see table below) that you want to restore the default location of, then click on Modify. (see screenshot above)
NOTE: If the Name entry in the table below is not there, then right click on a empty space in the right pane, click on New and String Value, and give it the name in bold below for that user folder.
User Folder Name in Registry
Contacts {56784854-C6CB-462B-8169-88E350ACB882}
Desktop Desktop
My Documents Personal
Downloads {374DE290-123F-4565-9164-39C4925E467B}
Favorites Favorites
Links {BFB9D5E0-C6A9-404C-B2B2-AE6DB6AF4968}
My Music My Music
My Pictures My Pictures
Saved Games {4C5C32FF-BB9D-43B0-B5B4-2D72E54EAAA4}
Searches {7D1D3A04-DEBB-4115-95CF-2F29DA2920DA}
My Videos My Video
20. Type in the full default path (see table below) of the user folder, and click on OK. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: Substitute User-Name in the full path with your user account name instead.

User Folder Default Path
Contacts C:\Users\User-Name\Contacts
Desktop C:\Users\User-Name\Desktop
My Documents C:\Users\User-Name\Documents
Downloads C:\Users\User-Name\Downloads
Favorites C:\Users\User-Name\Favorites
Links C:\Users\User-Name\Links
My Music C:\Users\User-Name\Music
My Pictures C:\Users\User-Name\Pictures
Saved Games C:\Users\User-Name\Saved Games
Searches C:\Users\User-Name\Searches
My Videos C:\Users\User-Name\Videos
21. Close Regedit.

22. Open a elevated command prompt (Right click -> Run as administrator).

23. In the elevated command prompt, Copy and Paste the command below exactly as is for the user folder icon that you want to restore to default. (see table below)
NOTE: This will set the user folder attributes back to default. You can Copy and Paste these to make it easier for you.
User Folder Command
Contacts attrib +r -s -h "%USERPROFILE%\Contacts" /S /D
Desktop attrib +r -s -h "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop" /S /D
My Documents attrib +r -s -h "%USERPROFILE%\Documents" /S /D
Downloads attrib +r -s -h "%USERPROFILE%\Downloads" /S /D
Favorites attrib +r -s -h "%USERPROFILE%\Favorites" /S /D
Links attrib +r -s -h "%USERPROFILE%\Links" /S /D
My Music attrib +r -s -h "%USERPROFILE%\Music" /S /D
My Pictures attrib +r -s -h "%USERPROFILE%\Pictures" /S /D
Saved Games attrib +r -s -h "%USERPROFILE%\Saved Games" /S /D
Searches attrib +r -s -h "%USERPROFILE%\Searches" /S /D
My Videos attrib +r -s -h "%USERPROFILE%\Videos" /S /D
24. Close the elevated command prompt.

25. Open your C:\Users\(user-name) folder. If the user folder is missing, then create a New Folder and rename it with the name below for that user folder.
User Folder Rename with
Contacts Contacts
Desktop Desktop
My Documents Documents
Downloads Downloads
Favorites Favorites
Links Links
My Music Music
My Pictures Pictures
Saved Games Saved Games
Searches Searches
My Videos Videos
26. Open the Start Menu, then Copy and Paste the Shell command (see table below) in the search box for the User folder that you want to restore, and press Enter.
NOTE: If this opens the missing personal user folder, then you are done and can skip step 26 and go to step 27 instead.
User Folder Shell Command
Contacts shell:Contacts
Desktop shell:desktop
My Documents shell:Personal
Downloads shell:downloads
Favorites shell:Favorites
Links shell:Links
My Music shell:My Music
My Pictures shell:My Pictures
Saved Games shell:SavedGames
Searches shell:Searches
My Videos shell:My Video
27. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to finish restoring the user folder location.
NOTE: Sometimes you may need to restart more than once for the changes to be applied.

28. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg and .zip files if you like.

29. If you have any duplicate user folders left, or user folders that do not have a Location properties tab (Option One), then you will need to:
Delete all duplicate user folders without the correct default C:\Users\(user-name)\(user-folder) path (see step 20) and user folders without a Location properties tab.

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

**crasher23** · 10-11-2009

Hi, I was doing this procedure and mistakenly click "yes" as warned in step 6, now I have to desktop folders, and I can't eliminate the duplicate. Can you please give me a link to the post were this is being solved?, I tried trough the search but I couldn't find any solution.
P.D. I now this is a how to but I don't wanna open a new post unless is necessary. Thanks a lot

**Brink** · 10-11-2009

Hello Crasher,

The duplicate Desktop folder, without the default icon and just a yellow folder, should just be a normal folder without the Location tab in it's properties page. Copy all of the contents of this folder into the true Desktop folder, with the default icon, then see if you can delete it.

If not, then do OPTION TWO in the tutorial, restart the computer, and see if you can delete the duplicate Desktop (without default icon) afterwards.

**doctorJ** · 02-07-2010

I attempted this solution several times and have rebooted a number of times, but still "My Pictures" doesn't show up under my User directory. I used method 2, the registry fix and shell command. I used regedit to look at the value and it seems right. I have checked ownership of "pictures" and I own the folder.

But nothing I do seems to make the "My Pictures" show up where it can actually be used.

I have attached a screen shot. Any and all suggestions welcome.

**Brink** · 02-07-2010

Hello DoctorJ, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Sometimes it may take a bit for it to return. When you type in the Shell command for it, where does it open to?

**doctorJ** · 02-07-2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Brink

Hello DoctorJ, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Sometimes it may take a bit for it to return. When you type in the Shell command for it, where does it open to?

It opens the correct location, My Pictures. I just can't see it in my user directory (nor can programs).

I have been trying other things, I changed to folder setting to display hidden files. It turns out "My Pictures" is a hidden folder. When I click on properties for that folder, the "hidden" property is checked, but greyed out so I can not alter it.

Any suggestions on how to unhide the folder. I think I will be good if I can restore the directory to be not hidden.

**Brink** · 02-07-2010

DoctorJ,

Open a elevated command prompt, then type the command below and press enter to see if that may help bring it out of hiding for you.

attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Pictures /S /D

**doctorJ** · 02-07-2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Brink

DoctorJ,

Open a elevated command prompt, then type the command below and press enter to see if that may help bring it out of hiding for you.

attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Pictures /S /D

That worked! For some reason it took a couple of attempts (or maybe the effect just was not immediate). But eventually it worked. Do I need to reset that folder to be a system folder? (thats what the -s does, right? make it not system).

Thank you very much for you help. All this was a fix to a previous botched attempt to move My Pictures to a different drive. I will be more careful this time.

**Brink** · 02-07-2010

You're most welcome DoctorJ.

No need to reset it. That is the default attribute setting for that user folder.

**TheTalker** · 03-21-2010

I want to say thank you very much! I've had this problem for months now---I was afraid of changing the registry. Well, I finally did it and at first I thought I messed something up but after restarting everything is back to normal.

Thank you so much!

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