WshShell.SpecialFolders

Obtain the full path to any of the special Windows folders (Desktop, Start Menu etc).

Syntax 
      strMyPath = objShell.SpecialFolders("strFolderName")
      or
      strMyPath = objShell.SpecialFolders.Item("strFolderName")

Arguments:

   objShell   A WScript.Shell object 

   strFolderName : One of the following special folders 
                   (not all are available to all flavors of Windows)

      AllUsersDesktop
      AllUsersStartMenu
      AllUsersPrograms
      AllUsersStartup
      Desktop
      Favorites
      Fonts
      MyDocuments
      NetHood
      PrintHood
      Programs
      Recent
      SendTo
      StartMenu
      Startup
      Templates

Returns:
   strMyPath : The full path to the special folder
               returns NULL if the folder is not available.

These special folders do not work in all language locales, a preferred method is to query the value from User Shell folders like this example vbscript.

Examples

Return the full path to the Windows Desktop:

'findDesktop.vbs

   Dim objShell
   Dim strPath

   Set objShell = Wscript.CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
   strPath = objShell.SpecialFolders("Desktop")
   wscript.echo strPath

A CMD batch file in the same folder can then read the Desktop location with one line:

FOR /F "delims=" %%i in ('cscript %~dp0\findDesktop.vbs //nologo') DO Set _DeskTopDir=%%i

List all special folders:

   For Each strFolder In WScript.CreateObject("Wscript.Shell").SpecialFolders
      MsgBox strFolder
   Next

“An artist who was once known as Prince
On the stage he would wiggle and mince
And then, for a giggle, He changed his name to a squiggle
And nobody's heard of him since” ~ Tim Brooke-Taylor

Shell: folder - Shortcuts to key folders.
User Shell Folders - Profile, Start Menu - Location of user profile folders.
Equivalent in PowerShell: environment variables or (Get-WMIObject Win32_OperatingSystem).SystemDirectory