Where can I find out about the shell: URI?

Question

I just realized that there is a shell: URI, but every search engine seems to think that shell: and shell are the same thing.

The only thing I discovered is that you can type shell:startup directly in Windows Explorer (XP and 7) for obvious effects.
This is good already because there is no %startup% , but I want to know what else it is capable of.

Is there a link to MS? EDIT (even if it is not on MSDN)

Answer 1

Stewart seems to have found a fairly detailed list of folders; I will talk to the mechanism behind it. The availability of this function comes, at least in part, from the Url Moniker Windows function (I remember it as an IE function, but since they are integrated and that’s all ...): see http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/ library / ms775149.aspx

You can register your own Monikers URL by implementing the COM interface for the proxy server, and you can also use your application as a client. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa741006.aspx

You will notice that at least some versions of the MSDN client use this feature, as well as some other old-school browser features such as: blank (which you can navigate from the shell) also depend on this mechanism. If I remember correctly, IE depends on the implementation of the wininet.dll provider Moniker URL to go to, for example, the http and https sites. (gopher and several other protocols were also implemented there). Perhaps IE is using something more direct, although my memories of this era are rather vague and I was not closely connected.

Answer 2

There seems to be no MSDN link: there is this: http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/shell-commands-to-access-the-special-folders/

Edit: The KNOWNFOLDERID page on MSDN contains some information about folders, but not in the shell: a mechanism for opening them.

Edit 2: This is the contents of the first link, just in case it disappears:

The shell: command can be used to open a special folder directly from the Start, Search menu, or from the Run dialog box. For example, the command shell: sendto opens the SendTo folder ( %userprofile%\sendto ) of your user profile. To start the Documents folder of your user profile, enter the shell type: Personal. The following is a complete list of commands: a list of commands for Windows 10/8/7 / XP / Vista. The entire list is stored in the following registry key in Windows Vista and later:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\FolderDescriptions

Full list of Shell commands: on Windows 10

Windows 10 introduced 22 new shells. The material "SkyDrive ..." becomes "OneDrive ...", and the earlier format is discarded in Windows 10. New additions to Windows 10 are highlighted in this way.

 shell:AccountPictures shell:Roaming Tiles shell:Common Programs shell:PublicAccountPictures shell:GameTasks shell:UserProfiles shell:MyComputerFolder shell:SearchHistoryFolder shell:Local Pictures shell:SyncSetupFolder shell:DpapiKeys shell:Retail Demo shell:Favorites shell:My Video shell:SearchHomeFolder shell:RecordedTVLibrary shell:System shell:Libraries shell:ThisDeviceFolder shell:AppsFolder shell:MusicLibrary shell:CommonVideo shell:OneDriveDocuments shell:SyncResultsFolder shell:Cookies shell:CameraRollLibrary shell:Original Images shell:Recorded Calls shell:3D Objects shell:CommonMusic shell:OneDrivePictures shell:My Pictures shell:Cache shell:Local Videos shell:Downloads shell:SavedPictures shell:CommonDownloads shell:AppData shell:SyncCenterFolder shell:PublicLibraries shell:VideosLibrary shell:My Music shell:ConflictFolder shell:SavedGames shell:InternetFolder shell:HomeGroupFolder shell:Quick Launch shell:SystemCertificates shell:Contacts shell:UserProgramFiles shell:Device Metadata Store shell:Profile shell:Start Menu shell:Common AppData shell:ProgramFilesCommonX64 shell:PhotoAlbums shell:ProgramFilesX64 shell:ConnectionsFolder shell:Administrative Tools shell:ThisPCDesktopFolder shell:OneDriveCameraRoll shell:PrintersFolder shell:DocumentsLibrary shell:ProgramFilesX86 shell:Searches shell:Local Downloads shell:SearchTemplatesFolder shell:Common Startup shell:ControlPanelFolder shell:SendTo shell:ResourceDir shell:ProgramFiles shell:CredentialManager shell:PrintHood shell:MAPIFolder shell:HomeGroupCurrentUserFolder shell:User Pinned shell:CD Burning shell:Local Music shell:UsersLibrariesFolder shell:AppUpdatesFolder shell:Application Shortcuts shell:Common Start Menu shell:Common Start Menu Places shell:LocalAppDataLow shell:OneDrive shell:Templates shell:Programs shell:PicturesLibrary shell:Roamed Tile Images shell:Camera Roll shell:Recent shell:Desktop shell:Virtual Machines shell:CommonPictures shell:RecycleBinFolder shell:Screenshots shell:CryptoKeys shell:Common Templates shell:Startup shell:ImplicitAppShortcuts shell:UserProgramFilesCommon shell:Links shell:OEM Links shell:OneDriveMusic shell:Common Desktop shell:NetHood shell:Ringtones shell:Games shell:Common Administrative Tools shell:NetworkPlacesFolder shell:SystemX86 shell:History shell:Development Files shell:AddNewProgramsFolder shell:Playlists shell:ProgramFilesCommonX86 shell:PublicGameTasks shell:ChangeRemoveProgramsFolder shell:Public shell:SavedPicturesLibrary shell:CommonRingtones shell:Common Documents shell:Captures shell:CSCFolder shell:Local AppData shell:StartMenuAllPrograms shell:Windows shell:UsersFilesFolder shell:Local Documents shell:ProgramFilesCommon shell:Fonts shell:Personal 

Full list of Shell commands: on Windows 8

 shell:AccountPictures shell:Roaming Tiles shell:Common Programs shell:PublicAccountPictures shell:GameTasks shell:UserProfiles shell:MyComputerFolder shell:SearchHistoryFolder shell:SyncSetupFolder shell:DpapiKeys shell:Favorites shell:My Video shell:SearchHomeFolder shell:RecordedTVLibrary shell:System shell:Libraries shell:ThisDeviceFolder shell:AppsFolder shell:MusicLibrary shell:CommonVideo shell:SkyDriveDocuments shell:SyncResultsFolder shell:Cookies shell:Original Images shell:CommonMusic shell:SkyDrivePictures shell:My Pictures shell:Cache shell:Downloads shell:CommonDownloads shell:AppData shell:SyncCenterFolder shell:PublicLibraries shell:VideosLibrary shell:My Music shell:ConflictFolder shell:SavedGames shell:InternetFolder shell:HomeGroupFolder shell:Quick Launch shell:SystemCertificates shell:Contacts shell:UserProgramFiles shell:Device Metadata Store shell:Profile shell:Start Menu shell:Common AppData shell:PhotoAlbums shell:ConnectionsFolder shell:Administrative Tools shell:ThisPCDesktopFolder shell:SkyDriveCameraRoll shell:PrintersFolder shell:DocumentsLibrary shell:ProgramFilesX86 shell:Searches shell:SearchTemplatesFolder shell:Common Startup shell:ControlPanelFolder shell:SendTo shell:ResourceDir shell:ProgramFiles shell:CredentialManager shell:PrintHood shell:MAPIFolder shell:HomeGroupCurrentUserFolder shell:User Pinned shell:CD Burning shell:UsersLibrariesFolder shell:AppUpdatesFolder shell:Application Shortcuts shell:Common Start Menu shell:LocalAppDataLow shell:OneDrive shell:Templates shell:Programs shell:PicturesLibrary shell:Roamed Tile Images shell:Camera Roll shell:Recent shell:Desktop shell:CommonPictures shell:RecycleBinFolder shell:Screenshots shell:CryptoKeys shell:Common Templates shell:Startup shell:ImplicitAppShortcuts shell:UserProgramFilesCommon shell:Links shell:OEM Links shell:SkyDriveMusic shell:Common Desktop shell:NetHood shell:Ringtones shell:Games shell:Common Administrative Tools shell:NetworkPlacesFolder shell:SystemX86 shell:History shell:AddNewProgramsFolder shell:Playlists shell:ProgramFilesCommonX86 shell:PublicGameTasks shell:ChangeRemoveProgramsFolder shell:Public shell:CommonRingtones shell:Common Documents shell:CSCFolder shell:Local AppData shell:StartMenuAllPrograms shell:Windows shell:UsersFilesFolder shell:ProgramFilesCommon shell:Fonts shell:Personal 

New Shell: Commands in Windows 7

In addition to most shell commands in Windows Vista, Windows 7 also has the following new commands:

 shell:Libraries shell:MusicLibrary shell:VideosLibrary shell:OtherUsersFolder shell:Device Metadata Store shell:PublicSuggestedLocations shell:SuggestedLocations shell:RecordedTVLibrary shell:UserProgramFiles shell:DocumentsLibrary shell:User Pinned shell:UsersLibrariesFolder shell:PicturesLibrary shell:ImplicitAppShortcuts shell:UserProgramFilesCommon shell:Ringtones shell:CommonRingtones 

shell: commands in Windows Vista h2>

 shell:Common Programs shell:GameTasks shell:UserProfiles shell:MyComputerFolder shell:SyncSetupFolder shell:DpapiKeys shell:SamplePlaylists shell:Favorites shell:My Video shell:SearchHomeFolder shell:System shell:CommonVideo shell:SyncResultsFolder shell:LocalizedResourcesDir shell:Cookies shell:Original Images shell:CommonMusic shell:My Pictures shell:Cache shell:Downloads shell:CommonDownloads shell:AppData shell:SyncCenterFolder shell:My Music shell:ConflictFolder shell:SavedGames shell:InternetFolder shell:Quick Launch shell:SystemCertificates shell:Contacts shell:TreePropertiesFolder shell:Profile shell:Start Menu shell:Common AppData shell:PhotoAlbums shell:ConnectionsFolder shell:Administrative Tools shell:PrintersFolder shell:Default Gadgets shell:ProgramFilesX86 shell:Searches shell:Common Startup shell:ControlPanelFolder shell:SampleVideos shell:SendTo shell:ResourceDir shell:ProgramFiles shell:CredentialManager shell:PrintHood shell:MAPIFolder shell:CD Burning shell:AppUpdatesFolder shell:Common Start Menu shell:LocalAppDataLow shell:Templates shell:Gadgets shell:Programs shell:Recent shell:SampleMusic shell:Desktop shell:CommonPictures shell:RecycleBinFolder shell:CryptoKeys shell:Common Templates shell:Startup shell:Links shell:OEM Links shell:SamplePictures shell:Common Desktop shell:NetHood shell:Games shell:Common Administrative Tools shell:NetworkPlacesFolder shell:SystemX86 shell:History shell:AddNewProgramsFolder shell:Playlists shell:ProgramFilesCommonX86 shell:PublicGameTasks shell:ChangeRemoveProgramsFolder shell:Public shell:Common Documents shell:CSCFolder shell:Local AppData shell:Windows shell:UsersFilesFolder shell:ProgramFilesCommon shell:Fonts shell:Personal 

shell: commands in Windows XP

 shell:Common Programs shell:Favorites shell:My Video shell:System shell:CommonVideo shell:LocalizedResourcesDir shell:Cookies shell:My Pictures shell:Cache shell:AppData shell:My Music shell:InternetFolder shell:Profile shell:Start Menu shell:Common AppData shell:ConnectionsFolder shell:Administrative Tools shell:PrintersFolder shell:ProgramFiles shell:Common Startup shell:ControlPanelFolder shell:SendTo shell:ResourceDir shell:ProgramFiles shell:PrintHood shell:CD Burning shell:Common Start Menu shell:Templates shell:Programs shell:Recent shell:Desktop shell:CommonPictures shell:RecycleBinFolder shell:Common Templates shell:Startup shell:Common Desktop shell:NetHood shell:Common Administrative Tools shell:SystemX86 shell:History shell:Common Documents shell:Local AppData shell:Windows shell:Fonts shell:Personal