Deleting Entire Public Folder

do u think it is safe to delete the entire 'public folder', if i had already safely disabled Win7's library system from my os? on the navigation pane i no longer have favorites & library.

just assume i will never want to touch library, will never have another user account attach to this pc, and never have this pc join any network.

It’s safe. You will suffer no ill consequences removing C:\Users\Public. However, I can’t see a reason for you to want to do so.

Removing the folder is no easy chore. After you take care of the file permissions, you will need to temporarily disable the Windows Search service if you stand any chance in deleting the “Libraries” subfolder. Only then may the Public folder be removed.

From my limited testing (on Windows 10), the Public folder will not regenerate once deleted. So make wise your decision.

Some apps might throw an error during installation or update when the public desktop cannot be found. Some apps might recreate the public desktop folder.

yes, i wonder if programs will choose another default location, if the folder can't be found. btw., i disabled the library system through this means :-

How to Enable or Disable the Libraries Feature in Windows 7

Pyprohly, actually what i am currently testing is not deletion. on my test pc i have hidden the entire folder through attrib +s +h, but i do not know the extent of this function. would system and other programs still be able to see it and write to it?

Make a Super Hidden Folder in Windows Without any Extra Software

so far i have encountered no ill effect, but i would like to make sure. or maybe in fact, programs have still been writing to it all this time lol.

any further advice would be appreciated.

ps. i have also disabled 'Favorites' on the navigation pane through this method :-

Favorites - Add or Remove from Navigation Pane

Magnakai said:

Pyprohly, actually what i am currently testing is not deletion. on my test pc i have hidden the entire folder through attrib +s +h, but i do not know the extent of this function.

i meant would u encourage this method over deletion. say if u only had 2 choices lol.
or maybe someone can provide a similar third option, i just want it to physically disappear.

Magnakai said:

Pyprohly, actually what i am currently testing is not deletion. on my test pc i have hidden the entire folder through attrib +s +h, but i do not know the extent of this function. would system and other programs still be able to see it and write to it?

Yes you shouldn't have any problems with that however I would not delete that folder since it is used by all user shells.

Magnakai said:

i wonder if programs will choose another default location, if the folder can't be found.

Behaviour would not likely be consistent between different software.

Magnakai said:

on my test pc i have hidden the entire folder through attrib +s +h, but i do not know the extent of this function. would system and other programs still be able to see it and write to it?

Certainly. File attributes are nothing, really. They are only weak flags, indicators, that are handled at the application level. If an application doesn’t implement specific logic to read a file’s file attributes, they will not be acknowledged whatsoever.

See Alejandro85’s superb description on the matter: [quote in context]

The hidden and system attributes are just ticks attached to each file for use by file managers and system utilities, such as the option in Explorer, for making it easier to the user to focus on its files and prevent messing with the system. It has been always that way, since the DOS days. Any program is free to ignore those at all and there is no enforcement that these attributes must do something in particular. All of those in the properties page of the file are just "eye candy" and should be treated as such.

Magnakai said:

i meant would u encourage this method over deletion. say if u only had 2 choices lol.

Yes, yes, definitely. You are using the advanced feature as intended.

ok thank you.