Public C:\Users\Public

Profile shared by all local users of the machine: common documents, pictures, downloads and desktop.

Updated on 12 November 2026 By AltF4 Formation

What it’s for

C:\Users\Public is the folder all local accounts share. It matches FOLDERID_Public and the %PUBLIC% variable. You use it to exchange files between users of one PC without setting up a network share.

What it contains

Common folders: Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos.
Desktop: its content appears on every user’s desktop, which is where installers drop their “for all users” shortcuts.
Broad default permissions: authenticated users can read and modify files here.

Risks and best practices

Every local user can read and write here, so keep sensitive data and any script a privileged account will run out of it.
Check Public\Desktop now and then: a booby-trapped shortcut would show on every account’s desktop.
Public folder sharing, in the advanced sharing settings of Network and Sharing Center, opens this folder to other machines on the network. Leave it off unless you need it.
On a shared workstation you can empty it or restrict its permissions under your policy, after checking that no application relies on %PUBLIC%.

Useful commands

# Resolved folder and contents
$env:PUBLIC
Get-ChildItem $env:PUBLIC -Force

# Effective permissions
Get-Acl $env:PUBLIC | Format-List Owner, AccessToString

Folder contents

Folders 1

Documents\Hyper-V\Virtual Hard DisksFormer default location of Hyper-V virtual hard disks (.vhd, .vhdx); Hyper-V also runs on…

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