Can't straighten out my folders...their order is very messed up.

It annoys me getting to the last page.

Special folders sometimes need the Read Only (which has no meaning for a folder) or System (Windows asks are you sure if you try to delete) attribute set. As Read Only can't apply to a folder, Explorer reuses the storage (1 bit) to tell itself to treat the folder as special. Type in a command prompt.

attrib +r "%userprofile%\desktop"

Does the location tab now appear.

You seem to have a lot of software that uses environment variables (the set command). As an example I don't have a single non windows entry. The standard ones looked correct on a cursory look.

The file paths look correct except Contacts is missing. Would any of your software (mail/firefox/address book?) have disabled the Contacts folder. Contacts is known by a number (called a GUID) rather than name.

{56784854-C6CB-462B-8169-88E350ACB882}    REG_EXPAND_SZ    %USERPROFILE%\Contacts

Typing this in the Start Run dialog (not a command prompt) should recreate or open the folder. Press Winkey + R, then type

shell:contacts

One can use the shell: protocol to open and create special folders.

To open Documents and create if it doesn't exist

Click Start - All Programs - Accessories - Run (or press Winkey + R). Type

shell:personal

To get a list of folders that can be used with the shell: protocol

Start - All Programs - Accessories - Right click Command Prompt and choose Run As Administrator. Type (or copy and paste by right clicking in the Command Prompt window and choosing Paste).

reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\FolderDescriptions" /v Name /s |findstr /c:Name|sort /+23

You seem to think I know a lot more than I do!  Most of this is very, very foreign to me.  But I guess that is why my computer is messed up. 

Does the location tab now appear.

1.       Okay, so now I have C:users\ceil\desktop which has the folders and now has a location tab.

I was also able to now delete C:users\ceil\searches\desktop !  And it’s gone.

2.      “You seem to have a lot of software that uses environment variables (the set command).” I have no idea what this means or why this is the case.

3.      “The file paths look correct except Contacts is missing. Would any of your software (mail/firefox/address book?) have disabled the Contacts folder. Contacts is known by a number (called a GUID) rather than name.” 

I use Outlook for email and my online DSL service is from our local phone company which provides my primary mailbox.  I have a few other email addresses (gmail, yahoo) that I use for various things so that I can keep things separate (so I use one address for household business type things, another for sewing, another for online forums, etc.)  Perhaps Outlook did it.

4.      {56784854-C6CB-462B-8169-88E350ACB882}    REG_EXPAND_SZ    %USERPROFILE%\Contacts

I get the message that Windows cannot find 56784854-C6CB-462B-8169-88E350ACB882/

5.      Typing this in the Start Run dialog (not a command prompt) should recreate or open the folder. Press Winkey + R, then type

shell:contacts

This gives me a window with my name and the icon I chose when I first logged on (I suspect).

6.      One can use the shell: protocol to open and create special folders.

To open Documents and create if it doesn't exist

Click Start - All Programs - Accessories - Run(or press Winkey + R). Type

shell:personal

 When I did this my Documents folder came up in the window.

7.      To get a list of folders that can be used with the shell: protocol

Start - All Programs - Accessories - Right click Command Prompt and choose Run As Administrator. Type (or copy and paste by right clicking in the Command Prompt window and choosing Paste).

reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\FolderDescriptions" /v Name /s |findstr /c:Name|sort /+23

Results:

C:\Windows\system32>reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ex

plorer\FolderDescriptions" /v Name /s |findstr /c:Name|sort /+23

Name    REG_SZ    AddNewProgramsFolder

Name    REG_SZ    Administrative Tools

Name    REG_SZ    AppData

Name    REG_SZ    AppUpdatesFolder

Name    REG_SZ    Cache

Name    REG_SZ    CD Burning

Name    REG_SZ    ChangeRemoveProgramsFolder

Name    REG_SZ    Common Administrative Tools

Name    REG_SZ    Common AppData

Name    REG_SZ    Common Desktop

Name    REG_SZ    Common Documents

Name    REG_SZ    Common Programs

Name    REG_SZ    Common Start Menu

Name    REG_SZ    Common Startup

Name    REG_SZ    Common Templates

Name    REG_SZ    CommonDownloads

Name    REG_SZ    CommonMusic

Name    REG_SZ    CommonPictures

Name    REG_SZ    CommonVideo

Name    REG_SZ    ConflictFolder

Name    REG_SZ    ConnectionsFolder

Name    REG_SZ    Contacts

Name    REG_SZ    ControlPanelFolder

Name    REG_SZ    Cookies

Name    REG_SZ    CredentialManager

Name    REG_SZ    CryptoKeys

Name    REG_SZ    CSCFolder

Name    REG_SZ    Default Gadgets

Name    REG_SZ    Desktop

Name    REG_SZ    Downloads

Name    REG_SZ    DpapiKeys

Name    REG_SZ    Favorites

Name    REG_SZ    Fonts

Name    REG_SZ    Gadgets

  Name    REG_SZ    Games

Name    REG_SZ    GameTasks

Name    REG_SZ    History

Name    REG_SZ    InternetFolder

Name    REG_SZ    Links

Name    REG_SZ    Local AppData

Name    REG_SZ    LocalAppDataLow

Name    REG_SZ    LocalizedResourcesDir

Name    REG_SZ    MAPIFolder

Name    REG_SZ    My Music

Name    REG_SZ    My Pictures

Name    REG_SZ    My Video

Name    REG_SZ    MyComputerFolder

Name    REG_SZ    NetHood

Name    REG_SZ    NetworkPlacesFolder

Name    REG_SZ    OEM Links

Name    REG_SZ    Original Images

Name    REG_SZ    Personal

Name    REG_SZ    PhotoAlbums

Name    REG_SZ    Playlists

Name    REG_SZ    PrintersFolder

Name    REG_SZ    PrintHood

Name    REG_SZ    Profile

Name    REG_SZ    ProgramFiles

Name    REG_SZ    ProgramFilesCommon

Name    REG_SZ    ProgramFilesCommonX86

Name    REG_SZ    ProgramFilesX86

Name    REG_SZ    Programs

Name    REG_SZ    Public

Name    REG_SZ    PublicGameTasks

Name    REG_SZ    Quick Launch

Name    REG_SZ    Recent

Name    REG_SZ    RecycleBinFolder

Name    REG_SZ    ResourceDir

Name    REG_SZ    SampleMusic

Name    REG_SZ    SamplePictures

Name    REG_SZ    SamplePlaylists

Name    REG_SZ    SampleVideos

Name    REG_SZ    SavedGames

Name    REG_SZ    Searches

Name    REG_SZ    SearchHomeFolder

Name    REG_SZ    SendTo

Name    REG_SZ    Start Menu

Name    REG_SZ    Startup

Name    REG_SZ    SyncCenterFolder

Name    REG_SZ    SyncResultsFolder

Name    REG_SZ    SyncSetupFolder

Name    REG_SZ    System

Name    REG_SZ    SystemCertificates

Name    REG_SZ    SystemX86

Name    REG_SZ    Templates

Name    REG_SZ    TreePropertiesFolder

Name    REG_SZ    UserProfiles

Name    REG_SZ    UsersFilesFolder

Name    REG_SZ    Windows

Well everything seems fixed. Are there any other issues?

Thank you so much for your help!!!!

I was beginning to think this would never be fixed.

There are still files that are messed up and contain strange things but I can go through them one by one and get it straightened out.

Nothing else unless you know how to download Minecraft on a PC so that I can then download Traincraft... :) I'm trying to do this for my grandson but, while I can get Minecraft downloaded, I can't find the folders inside it that I need to access to download Traincraft or any other Minecraft maps or mods.  (Strangely enough I figured out how to do this on his father's Mac but I can't do it on my computer!)  If you know anyone who knows about this program, please point me their way.

Again, thank you very much for all the time you spend helping me here and for all you taught me!  If there's a way to "rate you" on this site, let me know as I'd be happy to do that.