Public Folders - Restore

How to Restore Public Folders in Windows 7​

   Information

This tutorial will show you how to restore any missing or moved Windows 7 Public folders located at C:\Users\Public.

You will need to be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

   Note

The hidden Favorites, Libraries, and nonhidden Public Recorded TV public folders are not included in this tutorial.

EXAMPLE: Public folders



Here's How:

   Warning

If you have any duplicate public folders, or public folders that do not have a Location properties tab, 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 Public Desktop FolderA) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.Restore_Default_Public_Desktop_Folder.reg


Download




2. To Restore Default Public Documents FolderA) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.Restore_Default_Public_Documents_Folder.reg


Download




3. To Restore Default Public Downloads FolderA) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.Restore_Default_Public_Downloads_Folder.reg


Download




4. To Restore Default Public Music FolderA) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.Restore_Default_Public_Music_Folder.reg


Download




5. To Restore Default Public Pictures FolderA) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.Restore_Default_Public_Pictures_Folder.reg


Download




6. To Restore Default Public Videos FolderA) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.Restore_Default_Public_Videos_Folder.reg


Download




7. Click on Save, and save the .reg file to the Desktop.

8. Right click on the downloaded .reg file and click on Merge.

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

10. Open the C:\Users\Public folder. If a public folder is missing, then create a New Folder and rename it with the name below for each missing specific public folder.Public Folders Names


NOTE: The names in red are hidden system folders.

• Libraries
• Desktop
• Documents
• Downloads
• Music
• Pictures
• Recorded TV
• Videos

11. Open an elevated command prompt (Right click -> Run as administrator).

12. In the elevated command prompt, Copy and Paste the command below for the public folder, and press Enter. This will restore the default attributes for the public folder. (see table below)

Public Folder	Command
Libraries	attrib +h +r -s %Public%\Libraries /S /D
Desktop	attrib +h +r -s %Public%\Desktop /S /D
Documents	attrib +r -s -h %Public%\Documents /S /D
Downloads	attrib +r -s -h %Public%\Downloads /S /D
Music	attrib +r -s -h %Public%\Music /S /D
Pictures	attrib +r -s -h %Public%\Pictures /S /D
Videos	attrib +r -s -h %Public%\Videos /S /D

13. You may need to log off and log on, or restart the computer, to finish restoring the default public folder location.
NOTE: Sometimes you may need to restart more than once for the changes to be applied.

14. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file(s) on the desktop if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Restore the Default Location of Windows 7 User Folders
• How to Turn Public Folder Sharing On or Off in Windows 7

 

[Brink]

Brink,
many thanks for the prompt reply. Before I proceed, I'd like to confirm something. Am I correct in thinking that the names of the folders under the public user should, in fact, be 'Music', 'Pictures' and 'Videos' rather than 'Public Music', 'Public Pictures' and 'Public Videos'? Or do you really mean the 'exact same name as the ones in the screenshot '? (I assume that Windows 'helpfully' adds the 'Public' just as it adds 'My'). It was trying to rename them with the actual 'Public' prefix that seemed to have started the problem - which is why I felt it safer to try to go back to the Windows default names.

I now wonder whether the backup utility had problems finding the folder 'C:\Users\Public\Public Music' or did it really mean 'C:\Users\Public\Music'. If the former, where would it be trying to get the name from?

Thanks again.

They should be the exact same names as in the tutorial, 'Music', 'Pictures' and 'Videos', etc....

 

[BorderReiver]

Thanks very much.

However, please now satisfy my curiosity! I've just looked at someone else's laptop. Under the public user, when I looked at the properties of these folders, the general tab may say 'Public Music' but, in the location tab, it says 'C:\Users\Public\Music'. If I create 'C:\Users\Public\Public Music', is it restoring the public folder or creating another folder that satisfies the same goal?

I'm concerned that my problems seemed to stem from when I changed the location from 'C:\Users\Public\Music' to 'C:\Users\Public\Public Music'.

The registry entries do not have the 'public' word in front of the folder names (e.g. 'C:\Users\Public\Music') - so I cannot understand how it would match 'C:\Users\Public\Public Music'.

Much appreciated.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome BR.

I have updated the tutorial to help you better with this. Go through it again. After merging the REG files for the missing folders, name them as in step 10. Afterwards, verify that they have a "Locations" tab. Recorded TV will not have one though.

If so, then you can rename the folder say "Music", click "Continue" if prompted by UAC, to have the name back as say "Public Music". Renaming it will also change the path in the registry, but it will still work.

 

[BorderReiver]

(Partial) success

Brink, thanks for your patience. Prior to your last reply I attempted simply deleting the 'Public xxx' folders and creating 'xxx' folders to match the entries in the registry. Not surprisingly, the shell commands all worked. The folders showed in explorer as 'xxx' and none had a location tab. I then copied back in all of the files that they should contain. After that I went into both users to add the folders to the relevant libraries and, hey presto, the folders appeared in explorer as 'public xxx' and all had a location tab.

I thought that this might have cured the original problem. i.e. for some reason in Windows Media Player, for one user, none of the videos in the video library from the public videos folder are visible. If I remove and re-add the folder they appear briefly. But they disappear when I close WMP. I had assumed it was something to do with my messing with the folder names but now I am not convinced. However, with all the aggravation I have had with this, I think that it will be something that I shall put up with for now.

Thanks for all the assistance.

BR

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome BR.

When you're ready to deal with WMP, please feel free to create a new thread on it, and we'll be happy to try and help.

 

[Yohan Perera]

Unfortunately I deleted the c:\users\Public Folder itself and that's why I think this solution didn't work.

I tried System Restore which didn't work either.

Attempted to restore the deleted folders with "Previous Version" but it only allows me to copy the folders into a location of my choice. Copying doesn't solve the problem may be because it doesn't restore the characteristics of each folder. Restore button is grayed out.

I am on a Notebook and can't run Windows 7 repair installation either as the Notebook doesn't have a DVD/RW...

Going to try "ShadowExplorer" now...

Mean while appreciate if any one has any other suggestions...

 

[Yohan Perera]

Retried with System Restore and everything is back to normal... Phew...

 

[Brink]

That's great news Yohan, and welcome to Seven Forums.

 

[vicktor]

thanks..this was helpful

 

[svnpenn]

These instructions are incomplete. On a pristine system, you have these paths

C:\Users\Public\Documents
C:\Users\Public\Downloads

However, these folder appear as

C:\Users\Public\Public Documents
C:\Users\Public\Public Downloads

Now Brink’s directions will restore the paths, but not the apparent paths. To do
that you need to

1. Mark the folder Read-only

ATTRIB +R C:\Users\Public\Documents

2. create these files

; C:\Users\Public\Documents\desktop.ini
[.ShellClassInfo]
LocalizedResourceName=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-21801

; C:\Users\Public\Downloads\desktop.ini
[.ShellClassInfo]
LocalizedResourceName=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-21808

; C:\Users\Public\Music\desktop.ini
[.ShellClassInfo]
LocalizedResourceName=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-21803

; C:\Users\Public\Pictures\desktop.ini
[.ShellClassInfo]
LocalizedResourceName=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-21802

; C:\Users\Public\Recorded TV\desktop.ini
[.ShellClassInfo]
LocalizedResourceName=@%SystemRoot%\eHome\ehepgres.dll,-304

; C:\Users\Public\Videos\desktop.ini
[.ShellClassInfo]
LocalizedResourceName=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-21804

 

[Hept0p]

These instructions are incomplete. On a pristine system, you have these paths

C:\Users\Public\Documents
C:\Users\Public\Downloads

However, these folder appear as
[...]
[/CODE]

Thanks. Also, some major typo on OP's post:
attrib +h +r -s %Public%Desktop /S /D should be
attrib +h +r -s %Public%\Desktop /S /D