Personal User Shell Folders

How to Fix a Personal User Shell Folder Displayed as a Standard Yellow Folder Icon in Vista​

   Information

If you open your personal user folder in the Start menu or from C:\Users\(user name), and a user folder has a standard yellow folder icon instead of the special green folder icon, then this will show you how to restore the green folder icon for that particular user folder.

   Note

This usually can occur when the desktop.ini file in the shell folder is missing or incorrect, or the user folder has no read only attribute set to it.

EXAMPLE: Special Green Personal User Profile Folder Icons

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OPTION ONE

For the User Name Folder

NOTE: This is the User Name folder that appears in the Desktop folder tree view in Windows Explorer or the Start Menu.

1. Right click on a empty area of the desktop and click on Personalize.​

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2. Click on Change desktop icons in the upper left corner. (See screenshot below)​

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3. In the lower box, click on your User Name folder to highlight it in blue. (See screenshot below)​

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4. Click on the Restore Default button. (See screenshot above)​

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A) Click on Apply.​

NOTE: If it did not restore the default User Name folder icon, then proceed to step 5.​

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B) Go to step 6.​

5. Click on the Change Icon button. (See screenshot below step 3)​

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A) If not already in the top line, then click on the Browse button and browse to C:\Windows\system32\imageres.dll.​

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B) Select the default User Name folder icon and click OK. (See highlighted in blue icon in the screenshot below)​

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6. Click on OK. (See screenshot below step 3)​

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OPTION TWO

For the User Folders in the User Name Folder

1. Verify that the user folder has it's correct default path in METHOD THREE here.​

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STEP ONE:​

Shell Command​

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2. Open the Start Menu.​

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3. Type in the Shell command (see table below) for the Personal User folder and press Enter..​

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[TABLE=class:-grid,-width:-300][TR][TD]
User Folder
[/TD]
[TD]
Shell Command
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Contacts
[/TD]
[TD]
shell:Contacts
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Desktop
[/TD]
[TD]
shell:desktop
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Documents
[/TD]
[TD]
shellersonal
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Downloads
[/TD]
[TD]
shell:downloads
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Favorites
[/TD]
[TD]
shell:Favorites
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Links
[/TD]
[TD]
shell:Links
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Music
[/TD]
[TD]
shell:My Music
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Pictures
[/TD]
[TD]
shell:My Pictures
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Saved Games
[/TD]
[TD]
shell:SavedGames
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Searches
[/TD]
[TD]
shell:Searches
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Videos
[/TD]
[TD]
shell:My Video
[/TD][/TR][/TABLE]

4. This will open the personal user folder from it's location.​

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5. Close the personal user folder window.​

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6. Check to see if the personal user folder has turned back to the special green folder in the start menu.​

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A) If yes, then your done.​

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B) If not, proceed to STEP TWO below.​

STEP TWO:​

Replace Desktop.ini File for User Folder​

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7. Have Show hidden files and folders dotted and Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) unchecked in Folder Options.​

NOTE: For how, see OPTION TWO here:How to Hide or Show Hidden Files and Folders in Vista​

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8. Click on the download button below to download the User Folders.zip file, then click on Save and save it to the Desktop.​

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9. Right click on the User Folders.zip file (on Desktop) and click on Open.​

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10. Extract the same folder(s) for your user folder name with the standard yellow icon displayed to the Desktop.​

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11. Open the extracted folder and right click on the desktop.ini file and click Copy. (See screenshot below)​

NOTE: This file is set as a hidden file. This is why it is faded.​

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12. Open the user folder that has the standard yellow folder icon displayed.​

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A) Right click on a empty area in the folder's window and click Paste.​

NOTE: If you are asked if you want to replace the old desktop.ini file, then click Copy and Replace. (See screenshot below)​

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B) Repeat step 11 for each user folder you need to fix.​

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13. Close all windows.​

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14. Open a elevated command prompt.​

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15. If prompted, click on Continue in the UAC prompt.​

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16. In the elevated command prompt, type the command below (see table below) for the user folder name you need to fix. (See screenshot below table)​

NOTE: This will set the user folder as Read-only. You can Copy and Paste these to make it easier for you. ​

WARNING: If you have changed the default location of your user folder, then you will need to type the full path of it's new location after attrib +r instead of the default %USERPROFILE% location below. For example, attrib +r D:\New location​

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[TABLE=class:-grid,-width:-600][TR][TD]
User Folder
[/TD]
[TD]
Command
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Contacts
[/TD]
[TD]
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Contacts /S /D
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Desktop
[/TD]
[TD]
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Desktop /S /D
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Documents
[/TD]
[TD]
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Documents /S /D
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Downloads
[/TD]
[TD]
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Downloads /S /D
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Favorites
[/TD]
[TD]
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Favorites /S /D
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Links
[/TD]
[TD]
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Links /S /D
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Music
[/TD]
[TD]
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Music /S /D
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Pictures
[/TD]
[TD]
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Pictures /S /D
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Saved Games
[/TD]
[TD]
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\"Saved Games" /S /D
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Searches
[/TD]
[TD]
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Searches /S /D
[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]
Videos
[/TD]
[TD]
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Videos /S /D
[/TD][/TR][/TABLE]

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17. Repeat step 16 for each user folder that you replaced the desktop.ini file for.​

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18. Close the elevated command prompt.​

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19. Restart the computer, or logoff and login again for the changes to take effect.​

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20. Confirm that the folder icon is back to normal.​

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21. You can now delete the downloaded folders on the desktop and set your hidden files and folders settings back to normal in step 7 above.​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Change a Folder Icon in Vista
• How to Use the Vista Shell Command
• How to Change a Personal User Folder Location in Vista
• How to Rebuild the Icon Cache in Vista
• How to Restore a Missing Personal User Folder in Vista
• How to Fix a Public Folder Displayed as a Standard Yellow Folder Icon in Vista
• How to Change a File Extension Type Icon in Vista
• How to Prevent or Allow User Profile Folders Location Change in Vista
• How to Change the Default Location of a User Profile in Windows 7 and Vista

 

[Brink]

Harry,

The 32 bit and 64 bit versions work the same for this. If you need to change the folder back to the default location, then use Method Two for the registry in the tutorial to do so. It will work better for you.

Instead of changing the folder location to a drive partition, change it to a New Folder in the drive partition. This should keep the default green icon for the folder.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/107990-personal-user-shell-folders-move-location.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[gilmoro]

nice! Congratulations man.
well I tried WinBUBBLE but it doesn't fix the desktop icon.

Thanx really it works perfectly.

 

[Brink]

Your welcome Gilmoro, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Thank you for the feedback,
Shawn

 

[danilop2k2]

it works great for all folders except saved games , and yes it´s in its place
maybe it´s how to type an space in cmd prompt or something?

 

[danilop2k2]

finally deleted the saved games folder, how can i create a new one with the tranparent folder in it?

 

[Brink]

Hi Danilop2k2,

Welcome to Vista Forums.

See if using the Shell command shell:SavedGames in Option One of this tutorial wil bring it back for you first.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/148461-personal-user-folder-restore-missing-folder.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[foxxy]

This solution is the best!!! It works 100%..
Thank you!

 

[Brink]

Your welcome Foxxy, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Shawn

 

[Everlong]

Another excellent guide from vistax64 forums. I've used a lot of guides to tweak my Vista from here, and finally going to give my thanks.


And it did solve my missing Music folder icon, too :P

 

[Brink]

Your welcome Everlong18, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Shawn

 

[Zhang's Home Premium]

my Downloads folder lost its greenness, so to speak...
it's now a yellow folder.
tried doing what you said but the download so far gives me a attachment.php file...
isit supposed to be like that ?

 

[Brink]

Hello Zhang,

Did you left click (primary mouse button) on the Download button to have it bring up the download box for the ZIP file?

Shawn

 

[Zhang's Home Premium]

um... i don't understand which Download you refering to...
the downloads in the website or in my personal folder ?
and what's the difference?
i just pressed the download on the website and download started...
still getting attachment.php and the php is saying component missing (bunch of .dll)
i using this thing i got from the net
http://www.php.net/downloads.php
BTW, i using 7-zip and tried to extract it but it say acrhived or something

 

[Brink]

Zhang,

I'm referring to the download from Step Two above for the User Folders.zip file. See if you can download it from this post:

View attachment User Folders.zip < Click to Download.

I'm not sure where you got that download link from, but that is not the one from here.

 

[god2088]

I'm trying to change my downloads folder, but when i try to set the user folder as read only in the cmd it give me the message
"File not found - C:\Users\Administrator\downloads"
What am i doing wrong?

 

[Brink]

Hello God2088, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Double check to make sure that Downloads as the default location %USERPROFILE%\Downloads set for it in Option Two of this tutorial below. It will be the one with the long number under (Default) in the screenshot below step 5.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/148461-personal-user-folder-restore-missing-folder.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[god2088]

thanks alot Brink. I think it worked. Your help is greatly appreciated

 

[Brink]

Your welcome. I'm happy to hear that it seems like it is fixed.

Shawn

 

[Zhang's Home Premium]

still same thing.
clicked your User Folders.zip still get a download of a file called attachment.php.
the link is placed is where i download the php thing but i says some .dlll things missing.
anything, setting or programs affecting this ?
Anti-virus ? (AVG 8.0) (simply put setting)
Dowloader ? (Free Download Manager) (auto scan for virus after download using ^)
Browser ? (Firefox 2.0.0.16)
Where i am from ?? (Malaysia)

 

[Brink]

Are you trying to download it directly and not from the download manager?

I'm not sure why you would not have the User Folders.zip file download for you. It seems to work fine fine me.