Add specific folders to Navigation Pane

bamajon1974 · 02 Jan 2022

bamajon1974 said:

Good afternoon @KeithM . I want to add User Folder, Recent Folders, and Recent Items to the File Explorer Navigation Pane and want to understand some of the registry details.

These are the three registry keys to modify:

User Folder

Code:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}]

Recent Folders

Code:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{22877a6d-37a1-461a-91b0-dbda5aaebc99}]

Recent Items

Code:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{4564b25e-30cd-4787-82ba-39e73a750b14}]

Each key needs a "System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree"=dword:00000001 to appear on the navigation pane.

Relevant Subkeys
1. For User Folders:
(a) InProcServer32 subkey: strings Default=Windows.Storage.dll and ThreadingModel=Apartment
(b) ShellFolder subkey: dwords Attributes = f084012d and FolderValueFlags=00500229

2. For Recent Folders:
(a) InProcServer32 subkey: strings Default=Windows.Storage.dll and ThreadingModel=Apartment
(b) ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers\{A8E64375-B645-4314-9EFC-C085981786FA} subkey
(c) ShellFolder subkey, dwords Attributes = 30040000, FolderValueFlags=00000800, and RestrictedAttributes= 00000032 dwords correct?

3. For Recent Items:
(a) InProcServer32 subkey: strings Default=Windows.Storage.dll and ThreadingModel=Both
(b) Instance subkey: string CLSID = {0C39A5CF-1A7A-40C8-BA74-8900E6DF5FCD}
(c) Instance\InitPropertyBag subkey: dwords Filter=1, MaxItems =64, UserKnownFolder=1
(d) ShellFolder subkey, dwords Attributes = 30040000, FolderValueFlags=00000410, and RestrictedAttributes= 00000032 dwords correct?

Questions:
(1) Why does User Folder and Recent Folders use apartment threading model and recent items use both? Does it matter?
(2) Why does Recent Folders have Context Menu Handlers but not Recent Items and is it relevant to a navigation pane entry?
(3) Why does Recent Items have Instance and InitPropertyBag subkeys and not Recent Folders and should the latter be modified similarly?
(4) What is the difference between foldervalueflags=00000800 for Recent Folders and 00000410 for recent items and should they be the same?
(5) Should the user folders have the same shellfolders and instance subkeys as recent folders and recent items?

Thanks!

Some help with my question please?

FosterGrants · 22 Jun 2022

--SOLVED--
OK, boys and girls, here's the Cliff Note's version of this thread on how to put a custom item in the Windows 10/11 navigation pane without 3rd party tools.

This is based on a modified version of @KeithM registry script, which as @LordTrilobyte pointed out, had a glitch that put an unwanted and undeletable icon on the desktop in addition to adding the special folder to the navigation pane. The script, below, fixes that. To make this script more useful, I recommend installing Link Shell Extension
which allows unrestricted shell links. For example, I have a special custom Icons folder. If I were to create an ordinary shortcut to that Icons folder within the special "Favorites" folder created by the script, below, then right-clicked on any shortcut to change its icon to browse for a new Icon within the Favorites folder, Windows would not open my Icon folder, hence the need for Link Shell Extension, which creates "hard links". In any event, this script works just fine without that utility if you want to just add standard shortcuts within the Favorites folder; to be safe, however, I recommend you generate a new GUID code and substitute that code for each instance of "19bcbc9e-03d0-48e9-8eb3-43547fb94b7b" in the script, below:

PHP Code:


Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 
 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{19bcbc9e-03d0-48e9-8eb3-43547fb94b7b}] 
; below, is the name of the special folder displayed in the Navigation pane; you can change it to any name you want 
@="Favs" 
"CreatedBy"="SCRIPT AUTHOR NAME GOES HERE" 
"InfoTip"="My Favorites folder with Link Shell Extension" 
"System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree"=dword:00000001 
; Putting sort index at 50, or any lower value, should put the new entry at the top of the navigation panel. 
"SortOrderIndex"=dword:00000042 
 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{19bcbc9e-03d0-48e9-8eb3-43547fb94b7b}\DefaultIcon] 
; below, is the path to Favorites or special Navigation pane folder Icon; you can change it to the path you want 
@="C:\\Bin\\Icons\\Folder Fonts.ico,0" 
 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{19bcbc9e-03d0-48e9-8eb3-43547fb94b7b}\InProcServer32] 
@=hex(2):25,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,72,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\ 
  00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,00,68,00,\ 
  65,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00 
 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{19bcbc9e-03d0-48e9-8eb3-43547fb94b7b}\Instance] 
"CLSID"="{0E5AAE11-A475-4c5b-AB00-C66DE400274E}" 
 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{19bcbc9e-03d0-48e9-8eb3-43547fb94b7b}\Instance\InitPropertyBag] 
"Attributes"=dword:00000011 
; below, is the path to Favorites or special Navigation pane folder; you can change it to the path you want 
"TargetFolderPath"="C:\\1HOME\\Favs" 
 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{19bcbc9e-03d0-48e9-8eb3-43547fb94b7b}\ShellFolder] 
"FolderValueFlags"=dword:00000028 
"Attributes"=dword:f080004d 
 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{19bcbc9e-03d0-48e9-8eb3-43547fb94b7b}] 
 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel] 
"{19bcbc9e-03d0-48e9-8eb3-43547fb94b7b}"=dword:00000001

bamajon1974 · 05 Jul 2022

FosterGrants said:

--SOLVED--
OK, boys and girls, here's the Cliff Note's version of this thread on how to put a custom item in the Windows 10/11 navigation pane without 3rd party tools.

This is based on a modified version of @KeithM registry script, which as @LordTrilobyte pointed out, had a glitch that put an unwanted and undeletable icon on the desktop in addition to adding the special folder to the navigation pane. The script, below, fixes that. To make this script more useful, I recommend installing Link Shell Extension
which allows unrestricted shell links. For example, I have a special custom Icons folder. If I were to create an ordinary shortcut to that Icons folder within the special "Favorites" folder created by the script, below, then right-clicked on any shortcut to change its icon to browse for a new Icon within the Favorites folder, Windows would not open my Icon folder, hence the need for Link Shell Extension, which creates "hard links". In any event, this script works just fine without that utility if you want to just add standard shortcuts within the Favorites folder; to be safe, however, I recommend you generate a new GUID code and substitute that code for each instance of "19bcbc9e-03d0-48e9-8eb3-43547fb94b7b" in the script, below:

PHP Code:


Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 
 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{19bcbc9e-03d0-48e9-8eb3-43547fb94b7b}] 
; below, is the name of the special folder displayed in the Navigation pane; you can change it to any name you want 
@="Favs" 
"CreatedBy"="SCRIPT AUTHOR NAME GOES HERE" 
"InfoTip"="My Favorites folder with Link Shell Extension" 
"System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree"=dword:00000001 
; Putting sort index at 50, or any lower value, should put the new entry at the top of the navigation panel. 
"SortOrderIndex"=dword:00000042 
 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{19bcbc9e-03d0-48e9-8eb3-43547fb94b7b}\DefaultIcon] 
; below, is the path to Favorites or special Navigation pane folder Icon; you can change it to the path you want 
@="C:\\Bin\\Icons\\Folder Fonts.ico,0" 
 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{19bcbc9e-03d0-48e9-8eb3-43547fb94b7b}\InProcServer32] 
@=hex(2):25,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,72,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\ 
  00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,00,68,00,\ 
  65,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00 
 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{19bcbc9e-03d0-48e9-8eb3-43547fb94b7b}\Instance] 
"CLSID"="{0E5AAE11-A475-4c5b-AB00-C66DE400274E}" 
 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{19bcbc9e-03d0-48e9-8eb3-43547fb94b7b}\Instance\InitPropertyBag] 
"Attributes"=dword:00000011 
; below, is the path to Favorites or special Navigation pane folder; you can change it to the path you want 
"TargetFolderPath"="C:\\1HOME\\Favs" 
 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{19bcbc9e-03d0-48e9-8eb3-43547fb94b7b}\ShellFolder] 
"FolderValueFlags"=dword:00000028 
"Attributes"=dword:f080004d 
 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{19bcbc9e-03d0-48e9-8eb3-43547fb94b7b}] 
 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel] 
"{19bcbc9e-03d0-48e9-8eb3-43547fb94b7b}"=dword:00000001

Good afternoon @FosterGrants

Thank you for your script. What do the InProcServer32, Instance, InitPropertyBag-Attributes and SHellFolder-FolderValueFlags/Attributes do and what are the choices for each?

Thanks!

FosterGrants · 13 Jul 2022

@bamajon1974. Sorry for the late reply.

It looks like InProcServer32 may not be needed. It's value just points to the Window shell32.dll icon file. So you can probably eliminate it. The InitPropertyBag has a value of "17"; not sure what changing that variable will do. But since it's in the same key that sets the target folder path, I wouldn't mess with it, same with FolderValueFlags value, which I think determines spacing and positioning of the menu item.

bamajon1974 · 13 Jul 2022

I am going to create a new thread to ask these questions. Maybe some of the more knowledgeable folks on here can give a newbie explanation.

JeepWillys58 · 31 Jan 2024

KeithM said:

You can do it without 3rd-party tools.

Generate a GUID as insttructed here.

Replace {c691b738-1048-4259-a161-68945f2e0bdf} in the following .reg file with your GUID.

Edit TargetFOlderPath to your desired folder.

Merge

Edit the name (Default) and DefaultIcon after mergiing.

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{c691b738-1048-4259-a161-68945f2e0bdf}]
@="Sandbox"
"System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree"=dword:00000001
"SortOrderIndex"=dword:00000042

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{c691b738-1048-4259-a161-68945f2e0bdf}\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\Users\\keith\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\OneDrive\\OneDrive.exe,0"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{c691b738-1048-4259-a161-68945f2e0bdf}\InProcServer32]
@=hex(2):25,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,72,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
  00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,00,68,00,\
  65,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{c691b738-1048-4259-a161-68945f2e0bdf}\Instance]
"CLSID"="{0E5AAE11-A475-4c5b-AB00-C66DE400274E}"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{c691b738-1048-4259-a161-68945f2e0bdf}\Instance\InitPropertyBag]
"Attributes"=dword:00000011
"TargetFolderPath"="C:\\Users\\Keith\\Sandbox"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{c691b738-1048-4259-a161-68945f2e0bdf}\ShellFolder]
"FolderValueFlags"=dword:00000028
"Attributes"=dword:f080004d

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{c691b738-1048-4259-a161-68945f2e0bdf}]

Attachment 280373

Hi @KeithM,

Sorry for late question, but can it be used to add a folder to all users too?

Thanks in advanced