Public Folders - Restore

Brink · 01 Aug 2011

BorderReiver said:

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 · 01 Aug 2011

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 · 01 Aug 2011

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 · 02 Aug 2011

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 · 02 Aug 2011

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 · 28 Mar 2012

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 · 28 Mar 2012

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

Brink · 28 Mar 2012

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

vicktor · 03 Jan 2014

thanks..this was helpful

svnpenn · 19 Nov 2014

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

Code:

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

However, these folder appear as

Code:

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

Code:

ATTRIB +R C:\Users\Public\Documents

2. create these files

Code:

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

Code:

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

Code:

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

Code:

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

Code:

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

Code:

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

Public Folders - Restore

(Partial) success