{ 
  Constants: 

  CSIDL_DESKTOP 
  CSIDL_INTERNET 
  CSIDL_PROGRAMS 
  CSIDL_CONTROLS 
  CSIDL_PRINTERS 
  CSIDL_PERSONAL 
  CSIDL_FAVORITES 
  CSIDL_STARTUP 
  CSIDL_RECENT 
  CSIDL_SENDTO 
  CSIDL_BITBUCKET 
  CSIDL_STARTMENU 
  CSIDL_DESKTOPDIRECTORY 
  CSIDL_DRIVES 
  CSIDL_NETWORK 
  CSIDL_NETHOOD 
  CSIDL_FONTS 
  CSIDL_TEMPLATES 
  CSIDL_COMMON_STARTMENU 
  CSIDL_COMMON_PROGRAMS 
  CSIDL_COMMON_STARTUP 
  CSIDL_COMMON_DESKTOPDIRECTORY 
  CSIDL_APPDATA 
  CSIDL_PRINTHOOD 
  CSIDL_ALTSTARTUP 
  CSIDL_COMMON_ALTSTARTUP 
  CSIDL_COMMON_FAVORITES 
  CSIDL_INTERNET_CACHE 
  CSIDL_COOKIES 
  CSIDL_HISTORY 
} 

uses 
  ActiveX, ShlObj; 

procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject); 
  // Replace CSIDL_HISTORY with the constants above 
var 
  Allocator: IMalloc; 
  SpecialDir: PItemIdList; 
  FBuf: array[0..MAX_PATH] of Char; 
  PerDir: string; 
begin 
  if SHGetMalloc(Allocator) = NOERROR then 
  begin 
    SHGetSpecialFolderLocation(Form1.Handle, CSIDL_HISTORY, SpecialDir); 
    SHGetPathFromIDList(SpecialDir, @FBuf[0]); 
    Allocator.Free(SpecialDir); 
    ShowMessage(string(FBuf)); 
  end; 
end; 

// With Windows Me/2000, the SHGetSpecialFolderLocation function 
// is superseded by ShGetFolderLocation. 


// function to get the desktop folder location: 

function GetDeskTopPath : string; 
var 
  shellMalloc: IMalloc; 
  ppidl: PItemIdList; 
  PerDir: string; 
begin 
  ppidl := nil; 
  try 
    if SHGetMalloc(shellMalloc) = NOERROR then 
    begin 
      SHGetSpecialFolderLocation(Form1.Handle, CSIDL_DESKTOP, ppidl); 
      SetLength(Result, MAX_PATH); 
      if not SHGetPathFromIDList(ppidl, PChar(Result)) then 
        raise exception.create('SHGetPathFromIDList failed : invalid pidl'); 
      SetLength(Result, lStrLen(PChar(Result))); 
    end; 
  finally 
   if ppidl <> nil then 
         shellMalloc.free(ppidl); 
  end; 
end;