SharePoint Web Folders - Create a Desktop Shortcut to a SharePoint library on Windows XP with and without SSL

Shortcuts with HTTP Connections

If you have a http connection to a SharePoint site within your network you can create easily a shortcut on your desktop.

First copy therefore the url of your library until /Forms/xxx . Example: If your URL is like

  • "http://sharepoint/sites/projectx/team%20documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx

copy the part

  • "http://sharepoint/sites/projectx/team%20documents


Right click on your desktop and select "Shortcut".  Paste the link into the the textbox without http: and revert all slashes to backslashes. Also decode all urlencodings here. The final path should look like that: "\\sharepoint\sites\projectx\team documents"


An easy way to get this path is by clicking the explorer view in the SharePoint library.



On Windows you can simply enter the WebDav address in the file explorer to open a WebDAV connection to a SharePoint library.




Shortcuts with SLL Connections

But this only works with the standard http protocol on Windows XP. If you are using https you can only create a network resource under My Network Places. This network resources are called Web Folders.

You can create a Web Folder for SharePoint in two ways. The complicated and the easy way

Complicated Way

  1. Open the File Explorer and click on Network
  2. Click on Folders in the menu


  3. Now you can see the "Add network resource" link. Click on it.
  4. Follow the steps.
  5. Add your URL to the library

  6. Finish
Now you'll see a link to your Web Folder within the network.

Easy Way 

This network resource to the web folder is automatically created when you open a SharePoint library with the exporer view.

Explorer View in the library

Create a ShortCut on your Desktop

To create a shortcut on your Desktop which opens the web folder you have to do the following three steps.


  1. Open the web folder within the network. Just click on it.

  2. Add the web folder to the your favorites in the file explorer (not internet explorer).

  3. Now you have the shortcut in the menu. Right click on it and select "Send to" => "Desktop"

You can also right click on the web folder and select "Send to" but this didn't work for me, so I found this way.

Create a ssl shortcut on Windows 7

  1. Map to a network drive with the https url
  2. Open file explorer and enter the UNC Path of the Web Adress in the following format:
    "\\yoursharepointsite@SSL\DavWWWRoot\sites\yoursite\yourlist

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