This document reviews all the CSIDL_XXX constants
that represent the special folders implemented in Shell32.dll.
Constants were introduced in different versions of Shell32.dll.
This information in this document is derived from a document on MSDN. Virtual
constants are coloured thus: CSIDL_XXX.
All these special folders are supported by the DelphiDabbler Shell Folders Unit.
CSIDL_ADMINTOOLS
The file system directory that is used to store administrative tools for an individual user. The Microsoft Management Console (MMC) will save customized consoles to this directory, and it will roam with the user.
CSIDL_ALTSTARTUP
The file system directory that corresponds to the user's nonlocalized Startup program group.
CSIDL_APPDATA
The file system directory that serves as a common repository
for application-specific data. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application
Data. This CSIDL is supported by the redistributable Shfolder.dll
for systems that do not have the Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 integrated
Shell installed.
CSIDL_BITBUCKET
The virtual folder containing the objects in the user's Recycle Bin.
CSIDL_CDBURN_AREA
The file system directory acting as a staging area for files
waiting to be written to CD. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local
Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\CD Burning.
CSIDL_COMMON_ADMINTOOLS
The file system directory containing administrative tools for all users of the computer.
CSIDL_COMMON_ALTSTARTUP
The file system directory that corresponds to the nonlocalized Startup program group for all users. Valid only for Microsoft Windows NT systems.
CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA
The file system directory containing application data for all
users. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data.
CSIDL_COMMON_DESKTOPDIRECTORY
The file system directory that contains files and folders that
appear on the desktop for all users. A typical path is C:\Documents and
Settings\All Users\Desktop. Valid only for Windows NT systems.
CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENTS
The file system directory that contains documents that are common
to all users. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents.
Valid for Windows NT systems and Microsoft Windows 95 and Windows 98 systems
with Shfolder.dll installed.
CSIDL_COMMON_FAVORITES
The file system directory that serves as a common repository for favorite items common to all users. Valid only for Windows NT systems.
CSIDL_COMMON_MUSIC
The file system directory that serves as a repository for music
files common to all users. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\All
Users\Documents\My Music.
CSIDL_COMMON_PICTURES
The file system directory that serves as a repository for image
files common to all users. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\All
Users\Documents\My Pictures.
CSIDL_COMMON_PROGRAMS
The file system directory that contains the directories for the
common program groups that appear on the Start menu for all users. A typical
path is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs.
Valid only for Windows NT systems.
CSIDL_COMMON_STARTMENU
The file system directory that contains the programs and folders
that appear on the Start menu for all users. A typical path is C:\Documents
and Settings\All Users\Start Menu. Valid only for Windows NT systems.
CSIDL_COMMON_STARTUP
The file system directory that contains the programs that appear
in the Startup folder for all users. A typical path is C:\Documents and
Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. Valid only for Windows
NT systems.
CSIDL_COMMON_TEMPLATES
The file system directory that contains the templates that are
available to all users. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\All
Users\Templates. Valid only for Windows NT systems.
CSIDL_COMMON_VIDEO
The file system directory that serves as a repository for video
files common to all users. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\All
Users\Documents\My Videos.
CSIDL_CONTROLS
The virtual folder containing icons for the Control Panel applications.
CSIDL_COOKIES
The file system directory that serves as a common repository
for Internet cookies. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Cookies.
CSIDL_DESKTOP
The virtual folder representing the Windows desktop, the root of the namespace.
CSIDL_DESKTOPDIRECTORY
The file system directory used to physically store file objects
on the desktop (not to be confused with the desktop folder itself). A typical
path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Desktop.
CSIDL_DRIVES
The virtual folder representing My Computer, containing everything on the local computer: storage devices, printers, and Control Panel. The folder may also contain mapped network drives.
CSIDL_FAVORITES
The file system directory that serves as a common repository
for the user's favorite items. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Favorites.
CSIDL_FONTS
A virtual folder containing fonts. A typical path is C:\Windows\Fonts.
CSIDL_HISTORY
The file system directory that serves as a common repository for Internet history items.
CSIDL_INTERNET
A virtual folder representing the Internet.
CSIDL_INTERNET_CACHE
The file system directory that serves as a common repository
for temporary Internet files. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local
Settings\Temporary Internet Files.
CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA
The file system directory that serves as a data repository for
local (nonroaming) applications. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local
Settings\Application Data.
CSIDL_MYDOCUMENTS
The virtual folder representing the My Documents desktop item. This should not be confused with CSIDL_PERSONAL, which represents the file system folder that physically stores the documents.
CSIDL_MYMUSIC
The file system directory that serves as a common repository
for music files. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Documents\My
Music.
CSIDL_MYPICTURES
The file system directory that serves as a common repository
for image files. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\My
Documents\My Pictures.
CSIDL_MYVIDEO
The file system directory that serves as a common repository
for video files. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\My
Documents\My Videos.
CSIDL_NETHOOD
A file system directory containing the link objects that may
exist in the My Network Places virtual folder. It is not the same as CSIDL_NETWORK,
which represents the network namespace root. A typical path is C:\Documents
and Settings\username\NetHood.
CSIDL_NETWORK
A virtual folder representing Network Neighborhood, the root of the network namespace hierarchy.
CSIDL_PERSONAL
The file system directory used to physically store a user's common
repository of documents. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\My
Documents. This should be distinguished from the virtual My Documents
folder in the namespace, identified by CSIDL_MYDOCUMENTS.
To access that virtual folder, use SHGetFolderLocation, which returns the ITEMIDLIST
for the virtual location.
CSIDL_PRINTERS
The virtual folder containing installed printers.
CSIDL_PRINTHOOD
The file system directory that contains the link objects that
can exist in the Printers virtual folder. A typical path is C:\Documents
and Settings\username\PrintHood.
CSIDL_PROFILE
The user's profile folder. A typical path is C:\Documents
and Settings\username. Applications should not create files or folders
at this level; they should put their data under the locations referred to by
CSIDL_APPDATA or CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA.
CSIDL_PROFILES
The file system directory containing user profile folders. A
typical path is C:\Documents and Settings.
CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES
The Program Files folder. A typical path is C:\Program
Files.
CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMON
A folder for components that are shared across applications.
A typical path is C:\Program Files\Common. Valid only for Windows
NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP systems. Not valid for Windows Millennium Edition
(Windows Me).
CSIDL_PROGRAMS
The file system directory that contains the user's program groups
(which are themselves file system directories). A typical path is C:\Documents
and Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs.
CSIDL_RECENT
The file system directory that contains shortcuts to the user's
most recently used documents. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\My
Recent Documents. To create a shortcut in this folder, use SHAddToRecentDocs.
In addition to creating the shortcut, this function updates the Shell's list
of recent documents and adds the shortcut to the My Recent Documents submenu
of the Start menu.
CSIDL_SENDTO
The file system directory that contains Send To menu items. A
typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\SendTo.
CSIDL_STARTMENU
The file system directory containing Start menu items. A typical
path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Start Menu.
CSIDL_STARTUP
The file system directory that corresponds to the user's Startup
program group. The system starts these programs whenever any user logs onto
Windows NT or starts Windows 95. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Start
Menu\Programs\Startup.
CSIDL_SYSTEM
The Windows System folder. A typical path is C:\Windows\System32.
CSIDL_TEMPLATES
The file system directory that serves as a common repository
for document templates. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Templates.
CSIDL_WINDOWS
The Windows directory or SYSROOT. This corresponds to the %windir%
or %SYSTEMROOT% environment variables. A typical path is C:\Windows.