How to change the shortcut items displayed in the common open/save file dialog in Windows

If you're tired of continiously navigating to your most used folders whenever you want to open or save a file, you can change the default items displayed in the left pane of the open/save file dialog

To change those default items, do the following:

1. Open the Group Policy console, go to Start -> Run -> type gpedit.msc and hit enter, the console will open.
2. Expand the tree: User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Windows Explorer -> Common Open File Dialog.
   
   
   
3. Double click on Items Displayed in Places Bar that appears in the right pane.
4. When the dialog opens up, make sure that the setting is Enabled, and now you can specify your favorite locations to be displayed in the open/save dialog.
   
   
   
5. Enjoy :)

More information about this setting:


Requirements
At least Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Windows Server 2003 family.
Description
Configures the list of items displayed in the Places Bar in the Windows File/Open dialog. If enable this setting you can specify from 1 to 5 items to be displayed in the Places Bar.
The valid items you may display in the Places Bar are:
1) Shortcuts to a local folders — (ex. C:\Windows)
2) Shortcuts to remote folders — (\\server\share)
3) Common Shell folders.
The list of Common Shell Folders that may be specified:
CommonDocuments, CommonMusic, CommonPictures, Desktop, MyComputer, MyDocuments, MyFavorites, MyMusic, MyNetworkPlaces, MyPictures, Printers, ProgramFiles, Recent.

If you disable or do not configure this setting the default list of items will be displayed in the Places Bar.

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