Why are SkyDrive and DropBox folders (avail in left Explorer Favorites tree) not available in Folder Picker?

Question

I need to let the user point me to her DropBox / SkyDrive folder. 

In the Windows Explorer the user expects them to be under the Favorites tree. In a Windows 8 Modern UI app the file picker does show "Downloads" "Documents", "Libraries" but no DropBox or SkyDrive folders.

Yes, I know there is a SkyDrive app, but I need the physical folder where SkyDrive syncs the files too.

Is there a registry key the SkyDrive/Dropbox Desktop apps could set to be visible in the W8 File&Folder pickers?

Answer 1

Hi Phil,

The libraries listed in the file picker do not show locations (such as SkyDrive) added via Explorer extensions. They only custom locations they show are for apps which provide the file picker contract.

The StorageFile is the canonical reference to the file for Windows Store apps, not the path. There is no guarantee that a StorageFile will be backed by a file system path, and in the common case the app will not have sufficient privileges to access the path if one does exist.

--Rob

Answer 2

Thanks Rob, I know about the file picker contract. I need my users to select their local Dropbox folder for my app to open files from this folder. For that the user has to navigate with the folder picker to her DropBox folder. Try to do it yourself. It's very difficult

That's why I had hoped Dropbox could set a registry key with their desktop client so that the folder appears in the file picker just like "Library, Documents, Videos, Music" already appear there.

I run the ProcessMonitor but it does not seem the wwahost is querying the registry for the entries listed in the file picker folder selector (except for installed file picker apps).