Get to know Windows 8’s new shell commands

Windows comes with a hand full of well-known folders that contain globally unique identifiers — CLSID (Class Identifier), or with specific names — that are assigned in the system. Knowing which they are can make it quicker and easier to open these locations via commands line, by creating Windows shortcuts, or simply using Windows Explorer.

Previous versions of Windows already come with many shell commands and CLSID for known folders (e.g., Music, Documents, AppData, etc.), but now in Windows 8 have some new ones…

Shell commands with CLSID and names, new to Windows 8

All installed Apps

Proximity: Access to the proximity service to enable applications to exchange information with another PC or device when they are close together.

Metro style file search: Search files in your PC.

Refresh or Reset PC: Access to this utility.

All settings: Very similar to Windows’ God Mode this command will allow you to access all operating system configurations settings, but it is just sorted in a different way.

Storage Space

Roaming Tiles

User Account Pictures

How to use shell command

In the examples below you can learn how to use CLSIDs or Names mentioned above in different sections of Windows.

Windows Explorer Address Bar

• shell:Name
• explorer shell:Name
• explorer.exe shell:::{CLSID}
• shell:::{CLSID}

Command Prompt

• explorer shell:Name
• explorer.exe shell:::{CLSID}

To Create New Shortcuts

• explorer shell:Name
• %WinDir%\explorer shell:Name
• %WinDir%\explorer.exe shell:::{CLSID}
• explorer.exe shell:::{CLSID}

Creating shortcuts with shell commands

Shortcuts in Windows are useful to get to specific locations quickly and creating them with shell commands are not that different as you are used to with regular shortcuts. Just right-click an empty space in your desktop, from the contextual menu select New, Shortcut and in Type the location of the item, copy and paste one of the shell commands (e.g., explorer.exe shell:::{4234d49b-0245-4df3-B780-3893943456e1}) and finish creating the shortcut.

Run command (+ R)

• shell:Name
• explorer shell:Name
• explorer.exe shell:::{CLSID}
• shell:::{CLSID}

Registry

• explorer shell:Name
• explorer.exe shell:::{CLSID}

If you like, you can find all the shell commands within Windows in the Name string value for each CLSID (GUID) from the following Registry path:

Did we miss one new to Windows 8? Let us know in the comments below, thanks.