The GITS Blog

Often using Windows, you'll need to get the names of special folders, like "App Data," "Local App Data," "My Documents," and "My Pictures." This is especially true in Vista, where the recommended practice of writing app-specific data to the (Local) App Data directory is being enforced.

You can do this using the win32com.shell.shell module in the pywin32 module:

In addition, I've written a simple module that does this. It depends only on ctypes, and provides a simpler interface to the Windows shell API. Usage:

You can install it using easy_install:

Here's the link on pypi.

Here are the folders it provides access to:

get_local_appdata — Local App Data folder for current user
get_appdata — App Data folder for current user
get_desktop — Desktop folder for current user
get_programs — Programs directory under Start menu
get_admin_tools — Admin Tools directory under Start menu
get_common_admin_tools — Start Menu -> Admin Tools
get_common_appdata Common App Data folder
get_common_documents Common My Documents folder
get_cookies — Cookies folder for current user
get_history — History
get_internet_cache — Internet cache
get_my_pictures — My Pictures folder for current user
get_personal — My Documents
get_my_documents — alias for get_personal
get_program_files — Program Files under root drive
get_program_files_common — Program Files -> Common Files
get_system — Use care and discretion
get_windows — Use care and discretion
get_favorites — Favorites folder for current user
get_startup — Startup folder under Start Menu -> Programs
get_recent — Recent files for current user

[Update] — winpaths now has a permanent page here.