Windows 7 GodMode and Other Folder Shortcuts

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So you may have seen a couple of blogs about an undocumented feature in Windows 7. This feature allows you to create a folder which then gives access to a large number of shortcuts. The feature has been christened “GodMode” by many bloggers – and I should point out that this is not a name that we use internally at Microsoft. This feature is intended to give developers quick access to areas of the operating system. In case you have missed it – you can create the folder as follows:

1. Create a folder on your desktop

2. Name it DevLinks.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

What ever you put before the period (.) will be the name of the folder created on the desktop (you don’t have to call the folder GodMode)

When you enter the folder you will see a long list of shortcuts to areas within the operating system. It should be pointed out that there are no new tools within this folder – the shortcuts in this folder link to tools, utilities and interfaces that are already available and can be found in Control Panel – it just puts them all into one big list and categorises them.

So if this has wetted your appetite for more shortcut folders, below is a list of additional useful folders that you can create using the same process described above. I have named the folder accordingly to give you a clue as to what each one does:

LOCATION.{00C6D95F-329C-409a-81D7-C46C66EA7F33}
BIOMETRIC.{0142e4d0-fb7a-11dc-ba4a-000ffe7ab428}
POWER.{025A5937-A6BE-4686-A844-36FE4BEC8B6D}
NOTIFICATION.{05d7b0f4-2121-4eff-bf6b-ed3f69b894d9}
CREDENTIALS.{1206F5F1-0569-412C-8FEC-3204630DFB70}
NETWORKAPPS.{15eae92e-f17a-4431-9f28-805e482dafd4}
DEFAULTS.{17cd9488-1228-4b2f-88ce-4298e93e0966}
ASSEMBLIES.{1D2680C9-0E2A-469d-B787-065558BC7D43}
WIRELESS.{1FA9085F-25A2-489B-85D4-86326EEDCD87}
NETWORK.{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}
DRIVES.{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
PRINTERS.{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}
REMOTE.{241D7C96-F8BF-4F85-B01F-E2B043341A4B}
FIREWALL.{4026492F-2F69-46B8-B9BF-5654FC07E423}
PERFORMANCE.{78F3955E-3B90-4184-BD14-5397C15F1EFC}

Our good friend and ex-deployment guy – Richard Trusson also points out that these are actually Junction Points that link to a name space. For more information take a look at the following link:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc144096%28VS.85%29.aspx#virtual

This link has the full list of the GUIDs to create special 'interest' folders:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee330741%28VS.85%29.aspx

Disclaimer: The information on this site is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, confers no rights, and is not supported by the authors or Microsoft Corporation. Use of included script samples are subject to the terms specified in the Terms of Use .

This post was contributed by Richard Smith a Senior Consultant with Microsoft Services, UK.