Start Menu User Folder Buttons - Open to Users Instead of Libraries

How to Make Windows 7 Start Menu User Folder Buttons Open to Users Instead of Libraries Location​

   Information

This will show you how to make the Windows 7 Start Menu My Documents, Pictures, Music, and Videos buttons open to the real C:\Users\(user-name) location instead of the default Libraries location for all users.

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

   Note

Credit belongs to our member Foe for this.

EXAMPLE: Start Menu User Folder Buttons

OPTION ONE

Set Start Menu User Folder Buttons to Open to "Users" Location

1. Set Start Menu Documents Button to Open to Users Location
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Start_Menu_My_Documents_Open_to_Users.reg

Download


2. Set Start Menu Music Button to Open to Users Location
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Start_Menu_Music_Open_to_Users.reg

Download


3. Set Start Menu Pictures Button to Open to Users Location
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Start_Menu_Pictures_Open_to_Users.reg

Download


4. Set Start Menu Recorded TV Button to Open to Public Location
NOTE: Special thanks to Foe for this addition.
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Start_Menu_Recored_TV_Open_to_Public.bat

Download


5. Set Start Menu Videos Button to Open to Users Location
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Start_Menu_Videos_Open_to_Users.reg

Download


6. Save the .reg or. bat file to the desktop.

7. Double click on the downloaded .reg or .bat file.

8. Click on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK when prompted.

9. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply.

10. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

OPTION TWO

Set Start Menu User Folder Buttons to Open to Default "Libraries" Location

1. Set Start Menu Documents Button back to Open to Default Libraries Location
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Default_Start_Menu_My_Documents_Open_to_Library.reg

Download


2. Set Start Menu Music Button back to Open to Default Libraries Location
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Default_Start_Menu_Music_Open_to_Library.reg

Download


3. Set Start Menu Pictures Button back to Open to Default Libraries Location
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Default_Start_Menu_Pictures_Open_to_Library.reg

Download


4. Set Start Menu Recorded TV Button back to Open to Default Public Libraries Location
NOTE: Special thanks to Foe for this addition.
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Start_Menu_Recored_TV_Open_to_Public_Library.reg

Download


5. Set Start Menu Videos Button back to Open to Default Libraries Location
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Default_Start_Menu_Videos_Open_to_Library.reg

Download


6. Save the .reg file to the desktop.

7. Double click on the downloaded .reg file.

8. Click on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK when prompted.

9. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply.

10. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Customize the Windows 7 Start Menu
• How to Add or Remove the Libraries Desktop Icon in Windows 7
• How to Add or Remove the Windows 7 Libraries Folder from the Navigation Pane
• How to Hide or Show a Library in the Windows 7 Navigation Pane

 

[xxxdannyxxx]

Hi Foe

Thanks for looking at this.
All im trying to do is get the start menu Recorded TV library to point to c:\users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries instead or the default public Recorded TV library.

Ive read through your posts and must admit ive become a little lost.Could you walk me through it.

Danny

 

[foe]

I think my last post was pretty clear & short... try reading that first...
Here it is:

Ok, i will put the instruction in a new post. I you would like to change the recorded tv library from public to personal, use this reg file:View attachment 160445

copy the file C:\users\Public\Libraries\RecordedTV.library-ms to %userprofile%\appdata\roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries\RecordedTV.library-ms

if you want to keep the references in the old file that is.

Log off an back on.

I did not test this, but it seems plausible for the library to no longer be shared with other users on the same system as well, since the references are now kept in the %userprofile%\appdata sub-directory...

I must admit, i could have left out my trial and error, and just have told about the usefull stuff

 

[xxxdannyxxx]

Yes sorry was posting as you were so didnt see it.

 

[foe]

Yeah, it happens sometimes

Tell us if it worked, ok?

 

[xxxdannyxxx]

The short answer is no sorry

Its still pointing to the default location



Danny

 

[foe]

you did relogin no doubt. Ok, could you export everything in your registry below HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{1A6FDBA2-F42D-4358-A798-B74D745926C5} and send it to me? I'll look at it tomorrow (evening probably).

 

[xxxdannyxxx]

you did relogin no doubt. Ok, could you export everything in your registry below HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{1A6FDBA2-F42D-4358-A798-B74D745926C5} and send it to me?

Hi Foe

Yes logged off and restarted just to be sure.Here is the reg entry

Thankyou Danny

View attachment Danny Reg.zip

 

[foe]

Ok, the parent folder string seems ok. Ill have a further look at it tomorrow, but you can try deleting %userprofile%\appdata\roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries\RecordedTV.library-ms. Relogin, let it auto-generate, see what it does... It sure did work for me...

Tell us if it auto-generated at all.

 

[xxxdannyxxx]

No it isnt re creating itself,however ive deleted it from the location above but its still visable in the explorer side bar.If i right click\delete that it instantly recreate so I have one in the bin and one still on the navigation ber.

In fact the only way I could get things back no normal was to run the default location reg file from this tutorial.

Danny

I tried again from scratch and ended up with 2 rec tv libraries both pointing to public libraries.

 

[foe]

Odd, perhaps one of the parents are broken? What do you have below
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{1B3EA5DC-B587-4786-B4EF-BD1DC332AEAE}

and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{DFDF76A2-C82A-4D63-906A-5644AC457385}

Do you have an HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions ?

If you do delete it.

 

[xxxdannyxxx]

Hi Foe

This is what I have in the locations you posted.
1

2

I have noticed some discrepencies in what you have in your origional rec tv start menu properties.
This is what I have on right click rec tv edit with notepad++


Have a look see what you think

Thanks Danny

 

[xxxdannyxxx]

Also after following the steps you gave i still end up with 2 rec tv libraries in the navigation bar

Both have the location of the public libraries

Danny

 

[foe]

ok, i am a bit lost...

Try this: move all the recorded tv libraries (the .library-ms files) to the recycle bin.
Log out and back in.
Did some of the files recreate? Which one did?

*edit*
BTW i seem to have asked you a wrong key, i meant to ask this one:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{48daf80b-e6cf-4f4e-b800-0e69d84ee384}

 

[xxxdannyxxx]

Tried this deleted both libraries labelled rec tv and logged off and on only the public library recreated itself.This is the regedit you requested.


Regards Danny

 

[foe]

Ok, this info should keep me going for a while...

 

[xxxdannyxxx]

Ok after a lot of messing ive got it to work only problem is im unsure at what step it happened.This is what I did.-

1-Used the default reg file from this tut to set everything back to normal.

2-Cut(not copy) the c:\users\public\recorded tv library and pasted to c:\users\username\appdata\microsoft\windows\libraries.

3-Ran brinks reg file which never previously worked for me and rebooted.

4-Then ran your reg file and reebooted

5-This changed the location of the start menu rec tv to c:\users\username\appdata\microsoft\windows\libraries\recorded tv but the library wouldnt show in the navigation bar only in the above location.

6-Deleted the library and recreated it from c:\users\username\appdata\microsoft\windows\libraries.

7-And that seemed to do the trick rebooted again and bingo.The only difference is mine opens as libraries\recorded tv and not c:\users\username\appdata\microsoft\windows\libraries\recorded tv

Not sure why but at least its working now.



Thankyou to all that helped with this.

@Foe and Brink any thoughts on why ive managed to get it to open as libraries\rec tv like the other libraries rather than c:\users\username\appdata\microsoft\windows\libraries\recorded tv like you had.

Regards Danny

PS This is how it looks in the registry now

 

[Brink]

That's great news Danny. I'm happy to hear that it's working for you now. Thank you Foe for helping to get him there.

 

[xxxdannyxxx]

That's great news Danny. I'm happy to hear that it's working for you now. Thank you Foe for helping to get him there.

Yes thankyou both I can be a real pain when I get a bee in my bonnet

 

[foe]

Ok after a lot of messing ive got it to work only problem is im unsure at what step it happened.This is what I did.-

1-Used the default reg file from this tut to set everything back to normal.

2-Cut(not copy) the c:\users\public\recorded tv library and pasted to c:\users\username\appdata\microsoft\windows\libraries.

3-Ran brinks reg file which never previously worked for me and rebooted.

4-Then ran your reg file and reebooted

5-This changed the location of the start menu rec tv to c:\users\username\appdata\microsoft\windows\libraries\recorded tv but the library wouldnt show in the navigation bar only in the above location.

6-Deleted the library and recreated it from c:\users\username\appdata\microsoft\windows\libraries.

7-And that seemed to do the trick rebooted again and bingo.The only difference is mine opens as libraries\recorded tv and not c:\users\username\appdata\microsoft\windows\libraries\recorded tv

Not sure why but at least its working now.

View attachment 160731

Thankyou to all that helped with this.

@Foe and Brink any thoughts on why ive managed to get it to open as libraries\rec tv like the other libraries rather than c:\users\username\appdata\microsoft\windows\libraries\recorded tv like you had.

Regards Danny

PS This is how it looks in the registry now

View attachment 160737

I keep thinking that the 'parent' key is involved. Not sure why that did not work at first. Perhaps because you had 2 libraries with the same name, or something like that. Don't worry, it opens to 'libraries\recorded tv' for me two. (this suggests that is was indeed the 'parent' key that made this possible)

@ brink
Did it really open at c:\users\username\appdata\microsoft\windows\libraries\recorded tv, aka the full path for you, or was it theoretically?

 

[xxxdannyxxx]

Foe have a look at post#31 there is a screenshot Shawn posted displaying the full path.I too think you had the right idea to start with it was probably an issue with my system.

Thanks Danny

EDIT-Just curious for this to work for you did you just copy the library and run your reg file