Get path to all users' start menu on Windows

Question

I am looking for a way to retrieve the path to the all users start menu directory in C++. I am only able to get the one of the current user (using Qt):

QString startMenuPath = QStandardPaths::standardLocations(QStandardPaths::ApplicationsLocation).at(0);

However, Qt does not allow to retrieve the one for all users. As far as I know there also is no environment variable containing that path, that I could read.

Answer 1

To get a known folder, use SHGetFolderPath, and pass a KNOWNFOLDERID or CSIDL for the desired folder.

For example, the following code gets the All Users Start Menu and the Programs folder:

// Remember to #include <Shlobj.h>

WCHAR path[MAX_PATH];

HRESULT hr = SHGetFolderPathW(NULL, CSIDL_COMMON_PROGRAMS, NULL, 0, path);
if (SUCCEEDED(hr))
    std::wcout << L"Start Menu\Programs: " << path << std::endl;

hr = SHGetFolderPathW(NULL, CSIDL_COMMON_STARTMENU, NULL, 0, path);
if (SUCCEEDED(hr))
    std::wcout << L"Start Menu: " << path << std::endl;