This list is too good to keep to myself. I’ve been using several of these for years, but there are so many more than I ever knew — many for directories that are incredibly difficult to reach by navigating the folder tree directly.

Shell folders: the best-kept Windows time saving secret
Handy shortcuts to just about any Windows system folder

Most of these shell folder aliases exist in all modern versions of Windows, but TechRadar has noted a version for each alias.  Windows 10 removes some of the old ones, mostly due to the continued destruction of the Vista-era Control Panel task centers.

Windows 10 showing Run box and User Pinned folder
No need to change folder options and permissions to navigate the directory tree, this Run command will take you right where you need to go.

These shortcuts are sure to be useful to any power user or IT pro, and just found a home in my OneNote.

shell:ConnectionsFolder (same as ncpa.cpl)
Open the list of Network Connections

shell:ProgramFiles
Open the Program Files folder
Applies to XP, Vista, 7, 8

shell:ProgramFilesX86
Displays 32-bit programs stored on 64-bit Windows, or the \Program Files folder on 32-bit Windows

shell:My Music
Open the user Music folder
Applies to XP, Vista, 7, 8

shell:CommonMusic
Open the Public Music folder
Applies to XP, Vista, 7, 8

shell:SampleMusic
Open the Sample Music folder
Applies to Vista, 7, 8

shell:My Pictures
Open the user Pictures folder
Applies to XP, Vista, 7, 8

shell:CommonPictures
Open the Public Pictures folder
Applies to XP, Vista, 7, 8

shell:SamplePictures
Open the Sample Pictures folder
Applies to Vista, 7, 8

shell:SamplePlaylists
Open the Sample Playlists folder
Applies to Vista

shell:Original Images
Open the folder containing the original versions of images tweaked by Windows Photo Gallery, if installed
Applies to XP, Vista, 7, 8

shell:PhotoAlbums
Open the user Pictures\Slide Shows folder (if present)
Applies to Vista, 7, 8

shell:Podcasts
Open the user Podcasts folder (if Zune is installed)
Applies to XP, Vista, 7, 8

shell:My Video
Open the user Videos folder
Applies to XP, Vista, 7, 8

shell:CommonVideo
Open the Public Video folder
Applies to XP, Vista, 7, 8

shell:SampleVideos
Open the Sample Videos folder
Applies to Vista, 7, 8

Windows Sync Centre

shell:ConflictFolder
Displays Sync Centre Conflicts
Applies to Vista, 7, 8

shell:SyncCenterFolder
Displays Sync Centre
Applies to Vista, 7, 8

shell:SyncResultsFolder
Displays Sync Centre Results
Applies to Vista, 7, 8

shell:SyncSetupFolder
Open the Sync Centre Setup options
Applies to Vista, 7, 8

System folders

shell:AppUpdatesFolder
Displays installed Windows Updates

shell:Common AppData
Open the Public Application Data folder

shell:Common Desktop
Open the Public Desktop

shell:Common Documents
Open the Public Documents folder

shell:CommonDownloads
Open the Public Downloads folder

shell:Common Programs
Open the Public Start Menu Programs folder

shell:CommonRingtones
Open the Public ringtones folder. This should contain some sample files

shell:Common Start Menu
Open the Public Start Menu folder

shell:Common Startup
Open the Public Startup folder

shell:Common Templates
Open the Public Templates folder

shell:Fonts
Open the Fonts folder

shell:Games
Open the Games folder

shell:HomeGroupFolder
Open the HomeGroup folder (applies to 7, 8)

shell:MyComputerFolder
Open the Computer folder

shell:OEM Links
Displays links provided by your PC manufacturer (if any)

shell:NetworkPlacesFolder
Open the Network Places folder

shell:PrintersFolder
Open the Printers folder

shell:Public
Open the Users\Public folder for quick access to public Music, Downloads, Pictures and more

shell:PublicGameTasks
Open the Public Game Explorer folder

shell:ResourceDir
Open the Windows Resources folder (themes are stored here)

shell:RecycleBinFolder
Open the Recycle Bin

shell:System
Open the Windows System folder

shell:Systemx86
Open the Windows System folder for 32-bit files on 64-bit Windows, or \Windows\System32 on 32-bit Windows

shell:UserProfiles
Open the folder holding all user profiles

shell:Windows
Open the Windows installation folder (usually \Windows)

shell:DocumentsLibrary
Open the Documents library

shell:Libraries
Open the Libraries folder

shell:MusicLibrary
Displays your Music library

shell:PicturesLibrary
Displays your Pictures library

shell:Podcast Library

shell:PublicLibraries
Displays public libraries, if any

shell:VideosLibrary
Displays your Videos library

shell:AppData
Open the user Application Data folder

shell:CD Burning
Open the folder where files are stored before being burned to disc

shell:Contacts
Open the user Windows Contacts folder

shell:CredentialManager
Open the user Credentials folder

shell:Cryptokeys
Open the user encryption keys folder

shell:CSCFolder
Open the Client Side Cache Offline Files folder, if supported

shell:Desktop
Open the user desktop folder

shell:Downloads
Open the user downloads folder

shell:DpAPIKeys
Opens the users AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Protect folder

shell:GameTasks
Open the user Game Explorer folder

shell:History
Open the user History folder

shell:ImplicitAppShortcuts
Open the hidden ImplicitAppShortcuts folder

shell:Links
Open the user Links folder

shell:Local AppData
Open the user Application Data folder

shell:NetHood
Open the user Network Places folder

shell:Personal
Open the user Documents folder

shell:Playlists
Open the user \Music\Playlists folder

shell:PrintHood
Open the user printer shortcuts folder

shell:Profile
Open the user profile folder

shell:Programs
Open the user Start Menu Programs folder

shell:Quick Launch
Open the Quick Launch folder

shell:Recent
Open the user’s Recent Documents folder

shell:Ringtones
Display the user’s Ringtones folder

shell:SavedGames
Open the Saved Games folder

shell:Searches
Open the saved searches folder

shell:SendTo
Open the user Send To folder

shell:Start Menu
Open the user Start Menu folder

shell:Startup
Open the user Startup folder

shell:SystemCertificates
Open the user certificates folder

shell:Templates
Open the user Templates folder

shell:User Pinned
Access shortcuts pinned to the Start menu or Taskbar

shell:UserTiles
Displays your user tiles (the images you can use for your account)

shell:PublicUserTiles
Open the Public user tiles folder

shell:Roaming Tiles
Displays further user tiles