Access common windows folders from C#

I interested to get desktop and programs folder from C# application to create some shortcuts there. .NET allows it in following way:

Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Desktop);
Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Programs);

But results are directories for the current user, like

c:\document And Settings\LastDon\Destkop.

However I want to place shortcuts for all users, for profile ALLUSERS.
So, I found registry key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\microsoft\windows\currentversion\explorer\shell folders

Not too happy - Windows 2003 is not using this key, and anyway, it is not recommended by microsoft.
So, I come to solution by using API Shell32.dll:

[DllImport("Shell32.DLL")] public static extern int SHGetSpecialFolderLocation( IntPtr hwndOwner, int nFolder, out IntPtr ppidl); [DllImport("Shell32.DLL")] public static extern int SHGetPathFromIDList( IntPtr pidl, StringBuilder Path); const int CSIDL_COMMON_PROGRAMS = 23; const int CSIDL_COMMON_STARTUP = 24; const int CSIDL_COMMON_DESKTOPDIRECTORY = 25; private string GetSpecialFolder(int folderType) { IntPtr pResultList; IntPtr handlePtr = new IntPtr(0); int result =SHGetSpecialFolderLocation(handlePtr, folderType, out pResultList); if (result < 0) { return null; } StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder (500); result = SHGetPathFromIDList(pResultList, sb); if (result == 0) // boolean result { return null; } return sb.ToString(); }

Get destkop path:
GetSpecialFolder(CSIDL_COMMON_DESKTOPDIRECTORY);
Get programs path:
GetSpecialFolder(CSIDL_COMMON_PROGRAMS);

Following microsoft article helped me to solve it out
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306285