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Pearson Software Consulting Services
Retrieving A User's Special Folders
On an operating system that supports multiple user
accounts (such as Windows 2000 or Windows XP), each user
of the system has
his own data folder, called the UserProfileDirectory, that contains
the
user's special folders like
My Documents, Recent Files, and the
Desktop. The exact name for these folders is different for
each user.
If your application is opening or saving files in
locations like My Documents or Application Data or on the
Desktop, you need to
retrieve the
correct folder for the current user.
This page describes two functions,
GetUserProfileFolder
and
GetSpecialFolder, that can be The function
GetUserProfileFolder
returns the current user's UserProfileDirectory.
This folder contains The function
GetSpecialFolder
returns a specific directory such as My Documents. You pass in a
predefined The complete VBA module code follows. It will
work on Windows NT 4, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. The code will also You can download a
bas module containing the code
here. The functions on this page use the
TrimToNull
function and Option Explicit Option Compare Text ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ' modGetUserDirectory ' By Chip Pearson, chip@cpearson.com , www.cpearson.com ' ' This module contains two procedures, ' GetUserProfileFolder which returns the folder in which the user's special folders (e.g., ' "My Documents" or "Recent") are stored. ' ' GetSpecialFolder which returns a specific folder for the current user (e.g., ' "My Documents" or "Recent). ' ' These functions are used to retrieve folder names that are specific the current user. ' ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Private Declare Function CloseHandle Lib "kernel32" _ (ByVal hObject As Long) As Long Private Declare Function OpenProcess Lib "kernel32" ( _ ByVal dwDesiredAccess As Long, _ ByVal bInheritHandle As Long, _ ByVal dwProcessId As Long) As Long Private Declare Function GetCurrentThread Lib "kernel32" () As Long Private Declare Function GetCurrentProcess Lib "kernel32" () As Long Private Declare Function OpenProcessToken Lib "advapi32.dll" ( _ ByVal ProcessHandle As Long, _ ByVal DesiredAccess As Long, _ ByRef TokenHandle As Long) As Long Private Declare Function SHGetFolderPath Lib "shell32.dll" Alias "SHGetFolderPathA" ( _ ByVal HWnd As Long, _ ByVal csidl As Long, _ ByVal hToken As Long, _ ByVal dwFlags As Long, _ ByVal pszPath As String) As Long Private Declare Function GetUserProfileDirectory Lib "userenv.dll" Alias "GetUserProfileDirectoryA" ( _ ByVal hToken As Long, _ ByVal lpProfileDir As String, _ ByRef lpcchSize As Long) As Long Private Declare Function FormatMessage Lib "kernel32" _ Alias "FormatMessageA" ( _ ByVal dwFlags As Long, _ ByVal lpSource As Any, _ ByVal dwMessageId As Long, _ ByVal dwLanguageId As Long, _ ByVal lpBuffer As String, _ ByVal nSize As Long, _ ByRef Arguments As Long) As Long ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ' Misc Constants ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Private Const MAX_PATH = 260& Private Const S_OK = 0& Private Const E_INVALIDARG As Long = &H80070057 Private Const S_FALSE As Long = &H1 ' odd but true that S_FALSE would be 1. ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ' Used By OpenProcessToken and OpenProcess ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Private Const TOKEN_QUERY As Long = &H8 Private Const TOKEN_QUERY_SOURCE As Long = &H10 Private Const READ_CONTROL As Long = &H20000 Private Const STANDARD_RIGHTS_READ As Long = (READ_CONTROL) Private Const TOKEN_READ As Long = (STANDARD_RIGHTS_READ Or TOKEN_QUERY) Private Const SYNCHRONIZE = &H100000 Private Const PROCESS_VM_READ As Long = (&H10) Private Const PROCESS_QUERY_INFORMATION As Long = (&H400) '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ' used by FormatMessage '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Private Const FORMAT_MESSAGE_ALLOCATE_BUFFER = &H100 Private Const FORMAT_MESSAGE_ARGUMENT_ARRAY = &H2000 Private Const FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_HMODULE = &H800 Private Const FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_STRING = &H400 Private Const FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM = &H1000 Private Const FORMAT_MESSAGE_IGNORE_INSERTS = &H200 Private Const FORMAT_MESSAGE_MAX_WIDTH_MASK = &HFF Private Const FORMAT_MESSAGE_TEXT_LEN = &HA0 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ' CSIDL Constants of various folder names. '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Public Const CSIDL_ADMINTOOLS As Long = &H30 Public Const CSIDL_ALTSTARTUP As Long = &H1D Public Const CSIDL_APPDATA As Long = &H1A Public Const CSIDL_BITBUCKET As Long = &HA Public Const CSIDL_COMMON_ADMINTOOLS As Long = &H2F Public Const CSIDL_COMMON_ALTSTARTUP As Long = &H1E Public Const CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA As Long = &H23 Public Const CSIDL_COMMON_DESKTOPDIRECTORY As Long = &H19 Public Const CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENTS As Long = &H2E Public Const CSIDL_COMMON_FAVORITES As Long = &H1F Public Const CSIDL_COMMON_PROGRAMS As Long = &H17 Public Const CSIDL_COMMON_STARTMENU As Long = &H16 Public Const CSIDL_COMMON_STARTUP As Long = &H18 Public Const CSIDL_COMMON_TEMPLATES As Long = &H2D Public Const CSIDL_CONNECTIONS As Long = &H31 Public Const CSIDL_CONTROLS As Long = &H3 Public Const CSIDL_COOKIES As Long = &H21 Public Const CSIDL_DESKTOP As Long = &H0 Public Const CSIDL_DESKTOPDIRECTORY As Long = &H10 Public Const CSIDL_DRIVES As Long = &H11 Public Const CSIDL_FAVORITES As Long = &H6 Public Const CSIDL_FLAG_CREATE As Long = &H8000 Public Const CSIDL_FLAG_DONT_VERIFY As Long = &H4000 Public Const CSIDL_FLAG_MASK As Long = &HFF00& Public Const CSIDL_FLAG_PFTI_TRACKTARGET As Long = CSIDL_FLAG_DONT_VERIFY Public Const CSIDL_FONTS As Long = &H14 Public Const CSIDL_HISTORY As Long = &H22 Public Const CSIDL_INTERNET As Long = &H1 Public Const CSIDL_INTERNET_CACHE As Long = &H20 Public Const CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA As Long = &H1C Public Const CSIDL_MYPICTURES As Long = &H27 Public Const CSIDL_NETHOOD As Long = &H13 Public Const CSIDL_NETWORK As Long = &H12 Public Const CSIDL_PERSONAL As Long = &H5 ' My Documents Public Const CSIDL_MY_DOCUMENTS As Long = &H5 Public Const CSIDL_PRINTERS As Long = &H4 Public Const CSIDL_PRINTHOOD As Long = &H1B Public Const CSIDL_PROFILE As Long = &H28 Public Const CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES As Long = &H26 Public Const CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMON As Long = &H2B Public Const CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMONX86 As Long = &H2C Public Const CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILESX86 As Long = &H2A Public Const CSIDL_PROGRAMS As Long = &H2 Public Const CSIDL_RECENT As Long = &H8 Public Const CSIDL_SENDTO As Long = &H9 Public Const CSIDL_STARTMENU As Long = &HB Public Const CSIDL_STARTUP As Long = &H7 Public Const CSIDL_SYSTEM As Long = &H25 Public Const CSIDL_SYSTEMX86 As Long = &H29 Public Const CSIDL_TEMPLATES As Long = &H15 Public Const CSIDL_WINDOWS As Long = &H24 Public Const PRIV_PAL_FUNC As Long = &H0 Public Const CSIR_FUNC As Long = (PRIV_PAL_FUNC Or &HD) Public Function GetSpecialFolder(FolderCSIDL As Long) As String '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ' F_7_AB_1_GetSpecialFolder ' This returns the requisted folder name from the user's profile directory. A_7_AB_1_FolderCSIDL must be ' one of the constants beginning with CSIDL listed above. Otherwise, and INVALID ARGUMENT error will ' occur. '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Dim HWnd As Long Dim Path As String Dim Res As Long Dim ErrNumber As Long Dim ErrText As String '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ' initialize the path variable '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Path = String$(MAX_PATH, vbNullChar) '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ' get the folder name '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Res = SHGetFolderPath(HWnd:=0&, _ csidl:=FolderCSIDL, _ hToken:=0&, _ dwFlags:=0&, _ pszPath:=Path) Select Case Res Case S_OK Path = TrimToNull(Text:=Path) GetSpecialFolder = Path Case S_FALSE MsgBox "The folder code is valid but the folder does not exist." GetSpecialFolder = vbNullString Case E_INVALIDARG MsgBox "The value of FolderCSIDL is not valid." GetSpecialFolder = vbNullString Case Else ErrNumber = Err.LastDllError ErrText = GetSystemErrorMessageText(Res) MsgBox "An error occurred." & vbCrLf & _ "System Error: " & CStr(ErrNumber) & vbCrLf & _ "Description: " & ErrText End Select End Function Public Function GetUserProfileFolder() As String ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ' GetUserDirectory ' Return the root directory of the current user's profile. Subfolder of this folder include ' Application Data ' Cookies ' Desktop ' Favorites ' Local Settings ' My Documents ' NetHood ' PrintHood ' Recent ' SendTo ' Start Menu ' Templates ' UserData ' Windows ' ' Use GetSpecialFolder above to retrieve the full path name of these folders. ' ' Note: This folder name can also be retrieved with the Environ function: ' ' Dim UserProfileFolderAs String ' UserProfileFolder = Environ("UserProfile") ' ' However, I have encountered situations in which an existing Environment variable ' is not accessible by name, which would cause an invalid result in the code above. ' Using the API code will always work. ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Dim Res As Long Dim CurrentProcessHandle As Long Dim TokenHandle As Long Dim UserProfileDirectory As String Dim LLen As Long Dim Pos As Integer '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ' Initialize the string to receive the folder name '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' UserProfileDirectory = String(MAX_PATH, " ") LLen = Len(UserProfileDirectory) '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ' Get the pseudo-handle of the current process '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' CurrentProcessHandle = GetCurrentProcess() '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ' Open the access token of the process '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Res = OpenProcessToken(CurrentProcessHandle, TOKEN_READ, TokenHandle) If Res = 0 Then MsgBox "ERROR OpenProcessToken " & CStr(Err.LastDllError) & " " & GetSystemErrorMessageText(Err.LastDllError) Exit Function End If '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ' Get the user's directory '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Res = GetUserProfileDirectory(TokenHandle, UserProfileDirectory, LLen) If Res = 0 Then CloseHandle CurrentProcessHandle CloseHandle TokenHandle MsgBox "ERROR GetUserProfileDirectory " & CStr(Err.LastDllError) & " " & GetSystemErrorMessageText(Err.LastDllError) Exit Function End If '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ' Trim to null char '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' UserProfileDirectory = TrimToNull(Text:=UserProfileDirectory) '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' 'Close handles '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' CloseHandle CurrentProcessHandle CloseHandle TokenHandle '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ' Return the result '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' GetUserProfileFolder = UserProfileDirectory End Function |
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Created By Chip Pearson and
Pearson Software Consulting, LLC
This Page:
Updated: November 06, 2013
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