How to find system folders such as...

the favorites folder, the history folder, etc

Heres an Example of how to do it :)

VB Code:

Option Explicit
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Copyright ©1996-2001 VBnet, Randy Birch, All Rights Reserved.
' Some pages may also contain other copyrights by the author.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' You are free to use this code within your own applications,
' but you are expressly forbidden from selling or otherwise
' distributing this source code without prior written consent.
' This includes both posting free demo projects made from this
' code as well as reproducing the code in text or html format.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
 
Public Const CSIDL_DESKTOP = &H0                 '{desktop}
Public Const CSIDL_INTERNET = &H1                'Internet Explorer (icon on desktop)
Public Const CSIDL_PROGRAMS = &H2                'Start Menu\Programs
Public Const CSIDL_CONTROLS = &H3                'My Computer\Control Panel
Public Const CSIDL_PRINTERS = &H4                'My Computer\Printers
Public Const CSIDL_PERSONAL = &H5                'My Documents
Public Const CSIDL_FAVORITES = &H6               '{user}\Favourites
Public Const CSIDL_STARTUP = &H7                 'Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Public Const CSIDL_RECENT = &H8                  '{user}\Recent
Public Const CSIDL_SENDTO = &H9                  '{user}\SendTo
Public Const CSIDL_BITBUCKET = &HA               '{desktop}\Recycle Bin
Public Const CSIDL_STARTMENU = &HB               '{user}\Start Menu
Public Const CSIDL_DESKTOPDIRECTORY = &H10       '{user}\Desktop
Public Const CSIDL_DRIVES = &H11                 'My Computer
Public Const CSIDL_NETWORK = &H12                'Network Neighbourhood
Public Const CSIDL_NETHOOD = &H13                '{user}\nethood
Public Const CSIDL_FONTS = &H14                  'windows\fonts
Public Const CSIDL_TEMPLATES = &H15
Public Const CSIDL_COMMON_STARTMENU = &H16       'All Users\Start Menu
Public Const CSIDL_COMMON_PROGRAMS = &H17        'All Users\Programs
Public Const CSIDL_COMMON_STARTUP = &H18         'All Users\Startup
Public Const CSIDL_COMMON_DESKTOPDIRECTORY = &H19'All Users\Desktop
Public Const CSIDL_APPDATA = &H1A                '{user}\Application Data
Public Const CSIDL_PRINTHOOD = &H1B              '{user}\PrintHood
Public Const CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA = &H1C          '{user}\Local Settings _
                                                 '\Application Data (non roaming)
Public Const CSIDL_ALTSTARTUP = &H1D             'non localized startup
Public Const CSIDL_COMMON_ALTSTARTUP = &H1E      'non localized common startup
Public Const CSIDL_COMMON_FAVORITES = &H1F
Public Const CSIDL_INTERNET_CACHE = &H20
Public Const CSIDL_COOKIES = &H21
Public Const CSIDL_HISTORY = &H22
Public Const CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA = &H23          'All Users\Application Data
Public Const CSIDL_WINDOWS = &H24                 'GetWindowsDirectory()
Public Const CSIDL_SYSTEM = &H25                  'GetSystemDirectory()
Public Const CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES = &H26           'C:\Program Files
Public Const CSIDL_MYPICTURES = &H27              'C:\Program Files\My Pictures
Public Const CSIDL_PROFILE = &H28                 'USERPROFILE
Public Const CSIDL_SYSTEMX86 = &H29               'x86 system directory on RISC
Public Const CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILESX86 = &H2A        'x86 C:\Program Files on RISC
Public Const CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMON = &H2B    'C:\Program Files\Common
Public Const CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMONX86 = &H2C 'x86 Program Files\Common on RISC
Public Const CSIDL_COMMON_TEMPLATES = &H2D        'All Users\Templates
Public Const CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENTS = &H2E        'All Users\Documents
Public Const CSIDL_COMMON_ADMINTOOLS = &H2F       'All Users\Start Menu\Programs _
                                                  '\Administrative Tools
Public Const CSIDL_ADMINTOOLS = &H30              '{user}\Start Menu\Programs _
                                                  '\Administrative Tools
Public Const CSIDL_FLAG_CREATE = &H8000&          'combine with CSIDL_ value to force 
                                                  'create on SHGetSpecialFolderLocation()
Public Const CSIDL_FLAG_DONT_VERIFY = &H4000      'combine with CSIDL_ value to force 
                                                  'create on SHGetSpecialFolderLocation()
Public Const CSIDL_FLAG_MASK = &HFF00             'mask for all possible flag values
Public Const SHGFP_TYPE_CURRENT = &H0             'current value for user, verify it exists
Public Const SHGFP_TYPE_DEFAULT = &H1
 
Public Const MAX_PATH = 260
Public Const S_OK = 0
 
'Converts an item identifier list to a file system path.
Public Declare Function SHGetPathFromIDList Lib "shell32.dll" _
   Alias "SHGetPathFromIDListA" _
  (ByVal pidl As Long, _
   ByVal pszPath As String) As Long
 
Public Declare Function SHGetSpecialFolderLocation Lib "shell32.dll" _
   (ByVal hwndOwner As Long, _
    ByVal nFolder As Long, _
    pidl As Long) As Long
 
Public Declare Sub CoTaskMemFree Lib "ole32.dll" _
   (ByVal pv As Long)
'--end block--

form code in next post

here is the form code :)

VB Code:

Option Explicit
 
Private Sub Combo1_Click()
 
   Dim index As Long
   
   index = Combo1.ItemData(Combo1.ListIndex)
   
   If index > -1 Then
      Text1.Text = GetSpecialFolderLocation(index)
   End If
 
End Sub
 
 
Private Sub Form_Load()
   
   With Combo1
      .Font.Name = "Courier New"
      .Font.Size = 9
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_DESKTOP                 {desktop}"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H0
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_INTERNET                Internet Explorer (icon on desktop)"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H1
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_PROGRAMS                Start Menu\Programs"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H2
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_CONTROLS                My Computer\Control Panel"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H3
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_PRINTERS                My Computer\Printers"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H4
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_PERSONAL                My Documents"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H5
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_FAVORITES               {user}\Favourites"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H6
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_STARTUP                 Start Menu\Programs\Startup"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H7
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_RECENT                  {user}\Recent"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H8
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_SENDTO                  {user}\SendTo"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H9
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_BITBUCKET               {desktop}\Recycle Bin"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &HA
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_STARTMENU               {user}\Start Menu"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &HB
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_DESKTOPDIRECTORY        {user}\Desktop"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H10
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_DRIVES                  My Computer"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H11
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_NETWORK                 Network Neighbourhood"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H12
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_NETHOOD                 {user}\nethood"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H13
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_FONTS                   windows\fonts"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H14
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_TEMPLATES"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H15
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_COMMON_STARTMENU         All Users\Start Menu"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H16
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_COMMON_PROGRAMS          All Users\Programs"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H17
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_COMMON_STARTUP           All Users\Startup"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H18
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_COMMON_DESKTOPDIRECTORY  All Users\Desktop"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H19
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_APPDATA                  {user}\Application Data"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H1A
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_PRINTHOOD                {user}\PrintHood"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H1B
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA            {user}\Local Settings\Application Data (non roaming)"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H1C
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_ALTSTARTUP               non localized startup"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H1D
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_COMMON_ALTSTARTUP        non localized common startup"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H1E
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_COMMON_FAVORITES"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H1F
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_INTERNET_CACHE"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H20
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_COOKIES"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H21
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_HISTORY"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H22
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA           All Users\Application Data"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H23
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_WINDOWS                  GetWindowsDirectory()"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H24
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_SYSTEM                   GetSystemDirectory()"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H25
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES            C:\Program Files"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H26
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_MYPICTURES               C:\Program Files\My Pictures"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H27
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_PROFILE                  USERPROFILE"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H28
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_SYSTEMX86                x86 system directory on RISC"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H29
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILESX86         x86 C:\Program Files on RISC"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H2A
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMON     C:\Program Files\Common"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H2B
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMONX86  x86 Program Files\Common on RISC"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H2C
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_COMMON_TEMPLATES         All Users\Templates"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H2D
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENTS         All Users\Documents"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H2E
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_COMMON_ADMINTOOLS        All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H2F
      
      .AddItem "CSIDL_ADMINTOOLS               {user}\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools"
      .ItemData(.NewIndex) = &H30
   End With
 
End Sub
 
 
Private Function GetSpecialFolderLocation(CSIDL As Long) As String
 
   Dim sPath As String
   Dim pidl As Long
   
  'fill the idl structure with the specified folder item
   If SHGetSpecialFolderLocation(Me.hWnd, CSIDL, pidl) = S_OK Then
     
     'if the pidl is returned, initialize
     'and get the path from the id list
      sPath = Space$(MAX_PATH)
      
      If SHGetPathFromIDList(ByVal pidl, ByVal sPath) Then
 
        'return the path
         GetSpecialFolderLocation = Left(sPath, InStr(sPath, Chr$(0)) - 1)
         
      End If
    
     'free the pidl
      Call CoTaskMemFree(pidl)
 
    End If
   
End Function
'--end block--'

Hope that helped :d