Windows 7 File Explorer shows empty Favourites Folder

Dtn8ter · 23 Feb 2020

Hi Guys, newbie here and I need some advice. My File Explorer seemed to be a mess and with some help I discovered that I should hide some of the files. Previously everything was showing under Desktop which I believe is bad. I hid files and now have Favourites Libraries with docs music pics and vids and computer with the drives. Clearly my files are in the libraries however its a lot of clicks to get to where my most used files are as I said its a bit of a mess from all the changed drives over the years. However I should be able to add shortcuts to the Favourites folder by selecting the folder and "add current folder to favourites" I can do that on the other pc in the office but not mine. I get the red circle with line through it. I've read a lot of the tips but none are able to address this particular problem. I also get nothing when I select "restore favourite links".
And desktop does not show. Clearly something is wrong, but does anyone have any idea how I can create some links to the folders I use all the time (for some reason I have 3 My Documents folders, each within the previous, and then I get to what I use daily) I've read mention of a missing Links folder and tried to follow the instructions but got nowhere.

iko22 · 23 Feb 2020

Welcome to Seven Forums, Dtn8ter,

you seem to be having some problem with favourites, libraries and desktop folders in Windows Explorer.

Are you saying that the favourites, libraries and desktop folders are missing from the left pane of Windows Explorer?

Or, are you saying that when you click on any of favourites, libraries and desktop, you get an "empty" window in the right-pane of Windows Explorer?

Dtn8ter · 24 Feb 2020

Hi iko22 What i have is Favourites but its empty. Within favourites should be desktop, downloads and recent places (if I added them) I cant restore the missing folders.
I cannot add recent places which made me look further and compare to another pc in the office that does have all as normal.
So libraries is fine, and that is where I have to go to click, click, click to get to the folder I want as I cant add any shortcuts to those folders within Favourites. This is all going on to the left of the screen, not the right.

iko22 · 24 Feb 2020

So you have favourites but it is completely empty, and you can no longer add a shortcut to that location.

You have also tried "restore favourite links", and that did not fix the issue.

And you can still "see" the items in libraries.

Then I would recommend you try this tutorial

Favourites empty in Navigation Pane - Fix | Seven Forums .

RoWin7 · 25 Feb 2020

Doesn't Favorites apply only to IE? Mine is always empty because I've never used IE.

Golden · 26 Feb 2020

RoWin7 said:

Doesn't Favorites apply only to IE? Mine is always empty because I've never used IE.

See tutorial as posted earlier - 'Favourites' is also a category in Windows Explorer, not just in the IE browser.

iko22 · 26 Feb 2020

The OP seems to be asking about favourites in Windows Explorer (File Explorer) on Windows 7.

RoWin7 said:

Doesn't Favorites apply only to IE? Mine is always empty because I've never used IE.

Thanks anyway.