Do you ever get annoyed when you hit **Open** or **Save As** and the left sidebar (the “Places Bar”) always shows the same default folders — Recent, Desktop, Libraries, This PC, Network — no matter what you’re working on?
Good news: you can completely customize those five quick-access spots to point to whatever folders you actually use (your Projects folder, client files, Dropbox, network drives, etc.).
This works on the classic-style Open/Save dialogs (the ones you still see in Notepad, Paint, Registry Editor, older programs, and many others) in **Windows 10 and Windows 11** — and it still works perfectly in 2025!
**How to do it (super simple registry tweak):**
1. Press **Win + R**, type `regedit`, and hit Enter (run as administrator if needed).
2. Navigate to:
`HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Comdlg32`
(If the last two keys don’t exist, create them: right-click → New → Key.)
3. Inside `Comdlg32`, create a new key called **Placesbar** (right-click → New → Key).
4. Inside **Placesbar**, create up to five string values named:
`Place0`, `Place1`, `Place2`, `Place3`, `Place4`
5. Double-click each one and set the value to the full path of the folder you want (example: `D:\Client Files` or `\\server\shared\projects`).
You can also use special system folder codes if you prefer (like 0x00 for Desktop, 0x05 for Documents — full list on Microsoft’s site).
6. Log off and back on (or restart) and you’re done!
That’s it — now every classic Open/Save dialog jumps straight to the folders you actually use.
**A few quick tips:**
- It only affects the old-style dialogs (the ones with the vertical Places Bar), not the modern Windows 11 File Explorer-style ones used by Edge or newer apps.
- Want to hide the Places Bar completely? Add a DWORD called `NoPlacesBar` with value 1 under the Comdlg32 key.
- Always back up the registry first (File → Export) just in case.
If editing the registry sounds scary or you run into any snags, bring your computer (or remote in) to Fireytech — we’ll set it up for you in minutes while you wait, and we’ve been making Windows behave since 1997!
**Call or text 918-258-FIRE (3473)** — Tulsa’s highest-rated computer shop is here to help!
Learn more with Microsoft's article:
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