Vista (User) Shell Folders - Registry (part 2)

Now let’s see current user profile paths.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\…\Shell Folders

- Windows XP -

HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Shell Folders
AppData	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\Application Data
Cookies	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\Cookies
Desktop	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\Desktop
Favorites	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\Favorites
NetHood	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\NetHood
Personal	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\My Documents
PrintHood	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\PrintHood
Recent	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\Recent
SendTo	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\SendTo
Start Menu	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\Start Menu
Templates	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\Templates
Programs	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\Start Menu\Programs
Startup	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Local Settings	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\Local Settings
Local AppData	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\Local Settings\Application Data
Cache	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
History	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\Local Settings\History
My Pictures	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\My Documents\My Pictures
My Music	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\My Documents\My Music
CD Burning	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\CD Burning
My Video	empty
Administrative Tools	C:\Documents and Settings\AN\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools

AN - AccountName

- Windows Vista -

HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Shell Folders
AppData	C:\Users\AN\AppData\Roaming
Cookies	C:\Users\AN\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies
Desktop	C:\Users\AN\Desktop
Favorites	C:\Users\AN\Favorites
NetHood	C:\Users\AN\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Network Shortcuts
Personal	C:\Users\AN\Documents
PrintHood	C:\Users\AN\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Printer Shortcuts
Recent	C:\Users\AN\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent
SendTo	C:\Users\AN\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo
Start Menu	C:\Users\AN\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
Templates	C:\Users\AN\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Templates
Programs	C:\Users\AN\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
Startup	C:\Users\AN\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Local Settings	none
Local AppData	C:\Users\AN\AppData\Local
Cache	C:\Users\AN\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files
History	C:\Users\AN\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\History
My Pictures	C:\Users\AN\Pictures
My Music	C:\Users\AN\Music
CD Burning	C:\Users\AN\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Burn\Burn
My Video	C:\Users\AN\Videos
Administrative Tools	C:\Users\AN\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools

AN - AccountName

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\…\User Shell Folders

%USERPROFILE% - the environment variable - C:\Documents And Settings\AN

- Windows XP -

HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\User Shell Folders
AppData	%USERPROFILE%\Application Data
Desktop	%USERPROFILE%\Desktop
Favorites	%USERPROFILE%\Favorites
NetHood	%USERPROFILE%\NetHood
Personal	%USERPROFILE%\My Documents
PrintHood	%USERPROFILE%\PrintHood
Programs	%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs
SendTo	%USERPROFILE%\SendTo
Start Menu	%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu
Startup	%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Recent	none
Templates	%USERPROFILE%\Templates
My Pictures	%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Pictures
My Music	none
My Video	none
Local Settings	%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings
Local AppData	%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data
Cache	%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
Cookies	%USERPROFILE%\Cookies
History	%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\History

%USERPROFILE% - the environment variable - C:\Users\AN

- Windows Vista -

HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\User Shell Folders
AppData	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming
Desktop	%USERPROFILE%\Desktop
Favorites	%USERPROFILE%\Favorites
NetHood	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Network Shortcuts
Personal	%USERPROFILE%\Documents
PrintHood	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Printer Shortcuts
Programs	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
SendTo	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo
Start Menu	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
Startup	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Recent	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent
Templates	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Templates
My Pictures	%USERPROFILE%\Pictures
My Music	%USERPROFILE%\Music
My Video	%USERPROFILE%\Videos
Local Settings	none
Local AppData	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local
Cache	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files
Cookies	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies
History	%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\History

Both, Windows Vista and Xp stores the current user profile in one directory (XP - C:\Documents and Settings\AccountName, Vista - C:\Users\AccountName), but in Vista the major role plays C:\Users\AccountName\AppData folder with \Roaming and \Local subfolders. The C:\User\AccountName\AppData is equivalent of the C:\Documents and Settings\AccountName\Application Data

We can also find the difference deep inside the profile folders nodes, but the main directories in the Windows Vista are: