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]

Ok. Have my fingers crossed, and a sledge hammer handy for you if you want to use it.

 

[Chronia]

Well seems to be okay now after restarting my computer a couple times and stuff it's still the green folder icon. I wonder if when I initially moved my files back into the music folder once the shell command re-created it if it moved the hidden destop.ini file with my files and replaced the good one with the damaged one. I'm not sure, but it seems to be working now. *crosses fingers it stays that way* I'll be back if it changes yet again :P

 

[Brink]

Chronia,

If you get the option to "Copy and Replace" the desktop.ini file when you copy your files over, then do not do it.

 

[dinesh]

Nice tutorial Shawn but do you have any idea as to what causes this issue?
I have been using vista for more than a year but never came across such issues.
Is it due to a corrupt user account? Or corrupt system files?

 

[Brink]

Hi Dinesh,

It's usually do to some mistake made by the user or something moving the user folder to a different location and/or modifying or deleting the desktop.ini file.

 

[Chronia]

Shawn,

When I moved my files back from the temporary folder I'd made into the user music folder after doing this the first time, it didn't give me that message so maybe it was something else, I dunno but it seems to be working alright now (knock on wood) hopefully it'll stay that way

 

[Brink]

Chronia, I'm happy to hear that it seems to be sorted.

 

[Businessman07]

Hi, After I typed "attrib +r %USERPROFILE%\Music" into the command prompt, the command promped replied with the message "Parameter format not correct" I have no Idea what this means, can someone help me out?

-Thanks

 

[Brink]

Hello Businessman07, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Double check to make sure that the default location for the Music folder is set correctly in OPTION THREE of this tutorial.

Next, double check to make sure that you have a elevated command prompt open and that you do not have a typo in the command. You might copy and paste it to make it easier.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Businessman07]

Weird. Ok Brink,

what I was going to do was rename the file then create another (Original) folder. after I renamed it, the Music Icon popped up, and I just changed the folders name back to music. Thanks alot, hope this helps trouble shoot others.

Vista is Finky!

 

[Brink]

I happy to hear that you got it sorted though. Thank you for sharing your results.

 

[ChazWP]

Hi how's it going. Brink, I must say you have a very precise and easy to follow tutorial here. I followed your steps, and saw that I was missing the desktop.ini file in my bland ,yellow, user videos folder. Now it's back to normal. Thanks a lot, that yellow folder was really bugging me.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Chaz, and welcome to Vista Forums.

 

[OldGrantonian]

All my personal folders are the correct colour - green.

However, as well as a green "Desktop" folder, I also have an empty, yellow "Desktop" folder.

If I delete the yellow folder to the Recycle Bin, the green folder turns yellow

If I then restore the deleted folder, it is restored as a yellow folder, and the populated folder changes back to green

I can live with this, but does anyone know how to delete the yellow folder without causing the green folder to change colour?
.

 

[Brink]

Hello OldGrantonian,

Your Desktop folder may not have it's default location set correctly. Double check using OPTION THREE in the tutorial below to help see if does.

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

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[desktop]

It didn't work for the desktop folder, neither by re-login nor by restart. It worked for other folders however. Workaround: delete desktop.ini from the desktop folder, restart your computer, then copy the right desktop.ini to the desktop folder then log off then log in and it should work.

 

[reneeinpa]

hi there
i have 'fixed' my desktop folder several times using your method but it keeps reverting back to yellow. i checked the location and it is correct. do you have any advice? i know it's not a huge problem but it's driving me crazy! thanks!

 

[Brink]

Hello Renee, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Is there anything particular that you notice that you may be doing before it does this? Which method are you using?

As a test, create a new administrator account and see if it stays as it should. If it does after a while, then you can copy the contents that you want of your old user account user folders into the corresponding new account's user folders. Afterwards, delete the old account from within the new one.

 

[reneeinpa]

thanks brink..i created a new user account and since then the folder in the original account has reverted but not in the new user account. i'll see how that goes for a few days and then if it 'sticks' i'll switch user accounts. i wish i could figure out what is happening to make it revert, i can't seem to pinpoint any specific events. would rebuilding the icon cache help?

 

[Brink]

Renee,

It wouldn't hurt anything to try, but rebuilding the icon cache most likely wouldn't help in this case since that folder's icon is controlled by the desktop.ini file in it instead.