User Library folders invisible under shell:UsersFilesFolder, but not when navigating through C:\Users\

Midas Klare 1 Reputation point
2022-01-23T16:05:58.863+00:00

Hello! I initially asked questions about this on answers.microsoft.com, but I was sent to ask the question again here after just one quick exchange.
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-files/user-library-folders-invisible-under/80fa744d-4a3c-4611-8cee-0cd12c1bf059?messageId=5e358f03-317a-4647-96ca-e7263ff77356

I'm running into a problem where my user library folders such as C:\Users\Midas\Videos and C:\Users\Midas\Documents are disappearing in the shell representation of my user folder.

If I navigate all the way from the drive root in order to avoid getting into this shell location, they're still here.

Also typing "Documents" and "Videos" into the path bar also brings me there; but I would like to be able to navigate to my libraries by clicking on my user folder under quick access. Unfortunately this always brings me into this shell representation where the folders are hidden for some reason..

I've already tried moving the locations of these libraries and then back again, but it seems that specifically a folder named "Documents" folder inside my user folder is being hidden, so it will show the same behavior again as soon as I recreate the old folder and move things back. I need the locations to have these path names, as most applications I use use absolute paths for file locations, rather than finding the file through the library location.

I obviously already have hidden folders enabled.

I couldn't find anything on this forum, but maybe I'm blind...
So here's the two solutions I could come up with, but I don't know how to execute either of them;

  1. Disable automatically moving me into the shell folder representation inside explorer.exe, because I never want that anyway; I would prefer the path to show the C root always.
  2. Figure out which registry/policy is hiding these folders from me inside the shell view and revert the change.

Hopefully someone here knows how; Thank you very much!

Windows for business Windows Client for IT Pros User experience Other
0 comments No comments
{count} votes

2 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
  1. Limitless Technology 39,916 Reputation points
    2022-01-24T15:21:01.507+00:00

    Hello MidasKlare

    In this case I would recommend you to check in the registry the next (applicable both Documents or Videos)

    Go Start and search for regedt32. Click to run "Registry Editor Utility".
    Go through this path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
    Check the name and data of the Documents folder, which should be Personal, %USERPROFILE%\Documents. Make sure they are correct. If not, you can manually change the name and data value.

    Also from an elevated command prompt execute the next command to restore the properties of the folder attributes
    attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Documents /S /D


    --If the reply is helpful, please Upvote and Accept as answer--

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments

  2. Midas Klare 1 Reputation point
    2022-01-24T20:31:55.277+00:00

    Hello!! thank you so much for your reply
    unfortunately, both of these solutions did not manage to solve my issue...

    My user shell folder paths seem to be ok
    resetting attributes also didn't change anything..
    168006-image.png

    0 comments No comments

Your answer

Answers can be marked as Accepted Answers by the question author, which helps users to know the answer solved the author's problem.