New-Object -ComObject Shell.Application

Here are some notes on exposing  the Shell as a ComObject with Powershell. Here, I trace down the cookies folder:


$a = New-Object -ComObject Shell.Application
$b=1..100
 foreach ($i in $b) {write "$i $($a | % {$_.Namespace($i).Self.Path})"}
....
32 C:\Users\rferrisx\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files
33 C:\Users\rferrisx\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies
34 C:\Users\rferrisx\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\History
...
($a | % {ls -recurse $_.Namespace(33).Self.Path }).count
2385

($a | % {ls -recurse $_.Namespace(33).Self.Path | gc }) | more

__utma
173272373.1981518736.1312989611.1312989611.1312989656.2
google.com/mail/help/
1088
187792384
30315796
433027780
30168945
*
...

Powershell gives us some opportunities to look at Windows file structure internals. The output of these commands gives us the objects referenced by the file system for the Windows Shell:

$a = New-Object -ComObject Shell.Application

$b=0..60

foreach ($i in $b) {write "$i $($a | % {$_.Namespace($i).Title})"}
foreach ($i in $b) {write "$i $($a | % {$_.Namespace($i).Self.Path})"}

I can line them up in  spreadsheet (as below). Some are file paths give as GUIDs (or CLSIDs?). Others are blank:

0	Desktop	C:\Users\rferrisx\Desktop
1	The Internet	::{871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}
2	Programs	C:\Users\rferrisx\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
3	All Control Panel Items	::{26EE0668-A00A-44D7-9371-BEB064C98683}\0
4	Printers	::{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}\::{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}
5	My Documents	C:\Users\rferrisx\Documents
6	Favorites	C:\Users\rferrisx\Favorites
7	Startup	C:\Users\rferrisx\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
8	Recent Items	C:\Users\rferrisx\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent
9	SendTo	C:\Users\rferrisx\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo
10	Recycle Bin	::{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
11	Start Menu	C:\Users\rferrisx\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
12	12
13	My Music	C:\Users\rferrisx\Music
14	My Videos	C:\Users\rferrisx\Videos
15	15
16	Desktop	C:\Users\rferrisx\Desktop
17	Computer	::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
18	Network	::{F02C1A0D-BE21-4350-88B0-7367FC96EF3C}
19	Network Shortcuts	C:\Users\rferrisx\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Network Shortcuts
20	Fonts	C:\Windows\Fonts
21	Templates	C:\Users\rferrisx\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Templates
22	Start Menu	C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
23	Programs	C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
24	Startup	C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
25	Public Desktop	C:\Users\Public\Desktop
26	Roaming	C:\Users\rferrisx\AppData\Roaming
27	Printer Shortcuts	C:\Users\rferrisx\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Printer Shortcuts
28	Local	C:\Users\rferrisx\AppData\Local
29	Startup	C:\Users\rferrisx\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
30	Startup	C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
31	Favorites	C:\Users\rferrisx\Favorites
32	Temporary Internet Files	C:\Users\rferrisx\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files
33	Cookies	C:\Users\rferrisx\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies
34	History	C:\Users\rferrisx\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\History
35	ProgramData	C:\ProgramData
36	Windows	C:\Windows
37	System32	C:\Windows\System32
38	Program Files	C:\Program Files
39	My Pictures	C:\Users\rferrisx\Pictures
40	rferrisx	C:\Users\rferrisx
41	SysWOW64	C:\Windows\SysWOW64
42	Program Files (x86)	C:\Program Files (x86)
43	Common Files	C:\Program Files\Common Files
44	Common Files	C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files
45	Templates	C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Templates
46	Public Documents	C:\Users\Public\Documents
47	Administrative Tools	C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools
48	Administrative Tools	C:\Users\rferrisx\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools
49	Network Connections	::{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}\::{7007ACC7-3202-11D1-AAD2-00805FC1270E}
50	50
51	51
52	52
53	Public Music	C:\Users\Public\Music
54	Public Pictures	C:\Users\Public\Pictures
55	Public Videos	C:\Users\Public\Videos
56	Resources	C:\Windows\Resources
57	409	C:\Windows\Resources\0409
58	OEM Links	C:\ProgramData\OEM Links
59	Temporary Burn Folder	C:\Users\rferrisx\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Burn\Burn

What are those GUID (or CLSID) paths? The 49th appears to be the non-browsable folder:
"All Control Panel Items"\"Network Connections"

$a | % {$_.Namespace(49).ParentFolder.Self.GetFolder.Self}

Application  : System.__ComObject
Parent       : System.__ComObject
Name         : All Control Panel Items
Path         : ::{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
GetLink      :
GetFolder    : System.__ComObject
IsLink       : False
IsFolder     : True
IsFileSystem : False
IsBrowsable  : False
ModifyDate   : 12/30/1899 12:00:00 AM
Size         : 0
Type         : System Folder

$a | % {$_.Namespace(49).ParentFolder.Self.GetFolder.Self.Name}
All Control Panel Items

$a | % {$_.Namespace(49).Self.GetFolder.Self}

Application  : System.__ComObject
Parent       : System.__ComObject
Name         : Network Connections
Path         : ::{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}\::{7007ACC7-3202-11D1-AAD2-00805FC1270E}
GetLink      :
GetFolder    : System.__ComObject
IsLink       : False
IsFolder     : True
IsFileSystem : False
IsBrowsable  : False
ModifyDate   : 12/30/1899 12:00:00 AM
Size         : 0
Type         : System Folder

$a | % {$_.Namespace(49).Self.GetFolder.Self.Name}
Network Connections