[windows] When creating explorer favorite use more specific windows functions

[remixtj]

I'm experiencing problems with the creation of the favourite on Windows 7, using folder redirection. I made some research for the problem and found out that client tries to create a link on the wrong place. My "Links" directory is on a cifs share: \server\homes\username\Links. This wrong behavior is caused by the function setupFavLink_private in utility_win.cpp

At the moment in function setupFavLink_private at line 24 the function

    SHGetSpecialFolderPath(0, path, CSIDL_PROFILE, FALSE);

is used.
MSDN documentation says that ShGetFolderPath should be used. But says also that ShGetFolderPath is deprecated. A note states:

Note As of Windows Vista, this function is merely a wrapper for SHGetKnownFolderPath. The CSIDL value is translated to its associated KNOWNFOLDERID and then SHGetKnownFolderPath is called.
New applications should use the known folder system rather than the older CSIDL system, which is supported only for backward compatibility.

Please note that SHGetKnownFolder is a function available only on Vista and later. But, you can also note that also favourites on explorer are available since that windows release.

I made a test and tried to print the path value that is returned by the function call:

    SHGetKnownFolderPath(FOLDERID_Links, 0, NULL, path);

and i get (correctly) the value of \server\homes\username\Links.
I printed also the output of

    SHGetSpecialFolderPath(0, path, CSIDL_PROFILE, FALSE);

and i got _C:\Users\username_, that is correctly my profile home, but the path where the function will create the link is C:\Users\username\Links, that is wrong.

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[remixtj]

@danimo what do you think about this new patch? better?

[jturcotte]

Reopening since we had to revert this in #3562

[hodyroff]

Is this current in master? What exactly is the issue from a UX perspective?

[remixtj]

Hi,
this has been reverted. I had no possibility to have contributor terms signed, but since my company is a customer of owncloud, this patch is for sure interesting.

The UX impact is that the user on windows, if using a Group Policy that sets its Links directory to a path different to %USERPROFILE%, the link to ownCloud directory on Explorer's Favourites is not available.

[guruz]

@remixtj Any news from your side?

[remixtj]

@guruz got a mail 3 months ago from @hodyroff and i replied saying that i can sign personally CLA if is not an issue from owncloud side since is a my own contribution, even if done during worktime.

If is ok, i can sign and then submit the patch again.

[hodyroff]

Works, thank you!

[remixtj]

@guruz PR is now available, with signed CLA

[SamuAlfageme]

Just tested current master and ownCloud shorcut is back in the Favorites 🎉 looks like we can cross one of #455 (comment) items.

@remixtj would there be a way to set the folder icon to owncloud.exe's?. I've read about Desktop.ini files but, doesn't seem elegant enough:

[.ShellClassInfo]
IconFile=%ProgramFiles%\ownCloud\owncloud.exe
IconIndex=0

I'll repeat the test on W8.1 & 10 and close here if everything continues smooth there!

[remixtj]

Hello,

as far as i know, through QT is not possible to set the link icon, since that qt functions is cross platform and makes symlinks in linux and .lnk files in Windows.

I'll take a look if some other options are available

[SamuAlfageme]

👍