Documents Folder

Windows 7 replaced the Documents folder on the desktop with the entire users profile. In a domain environment with roaming profiles, allowing users to save in the profile is a recipe for disaster. With Mandatory profiles all documents saved there are lost. With Roaming Profiles all documents saved there are roamed killing bandwidth and creating hundreds of "cached" copies of the files in computers all over the network.

Folder Redirection is necessary for the common saving locations like Documents, Pictures, Music, and Videos. The rest of the profile can be hidden using Group Policies like it is in XP.

If the profile folder is hidden, My Documents needs to go back on the desktop especially in a Domain still running Windows XP clients. In a pure Windows 7 environment you can train users to use the Libraries Desktop icon instead which requires far less registry modification

Here are the steps to put the real folder (not a shortcut) back on the desktop. CAUTION - This requires Registry changes and it is recommended you export the keys before changes are made.

The First location is the same as it was in Windows XP to show desktop icons for All Users. A few new ones have been added for Vista and 7. Make the dword value 0 to show and 1 to hide. Registry file located here

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel]

"{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}"=dword:00000000 - Documents
"{F02C1A0D-BE21-4350-88B0-7367FC96EF3C}"=dword:00000001 - Network
"{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}"=dword:00000000 - Computer
"{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}"=dword:00000000 - XP My Network Places
"{871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}"=dword:00000000 - IE
"{5399E694-6CE5-4D6C-8FCE-1D8870FDCBA0}"=dword:00000001 - Control Panel
"{59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}"=dword:00000001 - USER Profile
"{031E4825-7B94-4dc3-B131-E946B44C8DD5}"=dword:00000000 - USER Library
"{B4FB3F98-C1EA-428d-A78A-D1F5659CBA93}"=dword:00000001 - Unknown
"{9343812e-1c37-4a49-a12e-4b2d810d956b}"=dword:00000001 - Search Folder
"{4336a54d-038b-4685-ab02-99bb52d3fb8b}"=dword:00000001 - VISTA Public Folder

The Second location is in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT directory and may require that to take ownership and assign permissions before you can modify the key.

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}]

The GUID is the one assigned to the Documents Folder (My Documents in XP). This key has been modified to hide it on the desktop.

I looked at the XP settings (here) and exported and compared to the Vista/Win 7 version. I then merged the XP Version to add to/replace the Vista / Win 7 settings.

I named the (Default) string "Documents" and deleted the following value

"FullDetails"="prop:System.PropGroup......"

Under the DefaultIcon Key I made sure the Data read
%SystemRoot%\system32\imageres.dll,-112

Under the subkey Shell I deleted the key "cmd" and left only the "find" key

The Third location is the Desktop Namespace located here:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}]

You need to delete the Value

"Removal Message"="@mydocs.dll,-900"

Restart the computer and logon to see if you My Documents is on the Desktop.