I hate the "Libraries" bring back "My Computer"

[randomNaMe]

I also think Libraries are stupid and hid that quickly.

What is the point? I have a separate folder for all my DVDs, a seperate HD from music, etc. There is no point to having Libraries and scattering your stuff all over the the place.

 

[Muad Dib]

I also think Libraries are stupid and hid that quickly.

What is the point? I have a separate folder for all my DVDs, a seperate HD from music, etc. There is no point to having Libraries and scattering your stuff all over the the place.

What is the point of cigarette lighters in cars? I don't use them so why are they there? I could complain about their existence but it is easier, and takes less time from my concious existence, to just not use them.

But you will take away the 6 cup-holders in my car when you pry them from my cold dead hands... (d)

 

[Muad Dib]

Will this remove the “Libraries” function altogether, which I have made my new goal in life - because I absolutely hate it and if I cannot get rid of it I will uninstall W7 and purchase a copy of XP Pro, because unlike most PC users the only thing I use my C:\ for is the OS and the programs (which are backed up elsewhere) and a format of the HD and a new installation with programs is only about a 3 hour process and I have wasted much more than that on W7

So you would revert to back to XP because you don't like a feature but you have not tried to use the instructions on disabling the feature yet....

Perhaps you should revert back to XP ... or maybe go even farther... every real professional knows that the last good OS M$ produced was Win 98SE.... :sarc:

Seriously, if it bothers you that much disable the feature and be done with it.

 

[unifex]

What does it mean exactly, to disable Libraries? If Libraries are just links - what's to disable?

However, I see that the OP wants to remove Libraries from the navigation pane in Windows Explorer. Indeed it's there and occupies a line. Now, if it's possible to remove them from there, then I actually have a question - is it possible to completely reorganize the navigation pane to one's liking? What I mean is that instead of the simple directory tree, we have a whole lot of artificial constructions - such as Libraries - but most annoyingly Favorites, which takes up three lines on top of everything. Then, the tree starts with Desktop, and that includes Libraries, the folder with my username, which I have no use for, then Computer, Network, and Control Panel, and finally the Recycle Bin. Out of all of these, I only need to see Computer, which is a real directory tree. The Desktop itself might be useful, but everything else just occupies space. I mean, I use Control Panel, would not dream of asking to "disable" it, but I have never once accessed it through that link in the navigation pane. Same with the Recycle bin. Favorites, Network, and My Documents - or the folder with my username now - I have never used in my life. So, can I remove those as well from the navigation pane?

 

[Barman58]

It would appear that no one has yet mentioned the reason that I use libraries - my data is all held in well organised single locations, and with a structure that has served me well over many years.

What the libraries functionality gives me is to sort the data into different groups for example my music is organised alphabetically by artist - using the library (which only has the single entry pointing to the actual data), I can arrange by ... song, artist folder or genre.

this is enough of an advantage tto me to spend a few seconds pointing the libraries to the data

 

[randomNaMe]

It would appear that no one has yet mentioned the reason that I use libraries - my data is all held in well organised single locations, and with a structure that has served me well over many years.

What the libraries functionality gives me is to sort the data into different groups for example my music is organised alphabetically by artist - using the library (which only has the single entry pointing to the actual data), I can arrange by ... song, artist folder or genre.

this is enough of an advantage tto me to spend a few seconds pointing the libraries to the data

Are you saying that windows explorer now reads tags on music files? I can already sort and search my music (and play, update, etc) by any detail I wish using foobar, and in a completely customized way and view, and probably faster. Libraries are still useless for me (if they actually do that, which wasn't my impression).

 

[Barman58]

As you can see from the screen attached the sort options are available - I too have better options available for sort and organisation, but it is an advantage to me to have a quick & dirty system available direct in the OS.



As with anything in the OS - I choose to use the functionality, others do not, it's a personal choice, that does not mean that a particular function is good or bad, just suitable or not for the way people work

When dealing with clients I explain what is available but I do not impose any particular way of working. If a particular system does not suit the way that they work then they do not have to use it.

Microsoft has not made the upgrade to win7 a mandatory upgrade so if any particular function is a "deal breaker", for anyone, it is perfectly acceptable to for them stay with what they are comfortable with and works for them.

If I find a particular function in an OS or application is a deal breaker for me I will find a workaround or find an alternative, No OS or application is perfect for everyone.

 

[DarkRhystar]

Just wanted to say I really like the libraries feature of Windows 7.

For various reasons I often have groups of similar files stored in various places on my internal HDD and external HDDs. Creating libraries and adding these locations to them allows me to have access to everything in one area which then saves me the trouble of having to navigate to the correct location every time. Plus it provides a nice "At a glance" view of everything together.

 

[RST101]

I also think Libraries are stupid and hid that quickly.

What is the point? I have a separate folder for all my DVDs, a seperate HD from music, etc. There is no point to having Libraries and scattering your stuff all over the the place.

And the point of libraries is so all the scattered stuff can come together as one.

 

[logicearth]

Are you saying that windows explorer now reads tags on music files? I can already sort and search my music (and play, update, etc) by any detail I wish using foobar, and in a completely customized way and view, and probably faster. Libraries are still useless for me (if they actually do that, which wasn't my impression).

Windows Explorer as been able to read the tags of MP3s and other supporeted files since Windows Vista. I posted screenshots of the Library method of sorting Music a while back as well:

http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/40468-folder-settings-driving-me-mad.html#post393831

 

[Merlin2000]

I have a Windows Explorer pinned to my taskbar. When I right-click, I can select from a list of pinned folders, such as all my internal drives, as well as specific folders that I access frequently. I also added an immediate link to the desktop.

I personally find this better, because my data is organized across multiple hard drives and folders. I no longer need to use "My Computer" I simply have a folder acting as My Computer, pinned to my taskbar.

I think librarys are a great idea, most people will use it, but it isn't for me. You guys gotta look at the big picture, Microsoft developed this OS for the average user, not for power users. For the people who like to tweak the OS, modify things for their own liking, or simply hate change, then you're at the right place (Seven Forums). There are tons of things I dislike about Windows 7, but when you put it into perspective of what they did and why they did it, a lot of it makes sense to me.

I'm one of those users that just hates change. I have my way of doing things that works very well for me, and I don't want someone else (Microsoft) to try and force something on me that doesn't improve my productivity.

 

[randomNaMe]

And the point of libraries is so all the scattered stuff can come together as one.

Yea well it's ****in' dumb, if you want to bring your scattered stuff together, just unscatter it, don't apply a band-aid solution!

The worst thing about Libraries is that everywhere I turn I keep running into them. I'm going to need to hunt down tens of registry entries to completely hide them.

This is how I sort, search, play, and do basically anything with my music. Powerful and completely customizable.

 

[LBJay]

Yea well it's ****in' dumb, if you want to bring your scattered stuff together, just unscatter it, don't apply a band-aid solution!

The Libraries feature works great for people with more than one computer on their network. I (we) can access any set of files I choose (documents, music, movies, pictures) on any computer, from every computer in my home. And they're always accessible from the same place on every computer.

Libraries work really well for the multi-computer family. Mix in a WHS and I suspect the results would be even better.

 

[Barman58]

In addition to the networked family, libraries are also useful on shared machines where multiple users can have there own data stores, ( pictures, documents etc. ), and these can be added to the libraries on at least one user for ease of backup and other maintenance.

 

[Kika]

I did try use libraries, but do I miss something or just don't know how to set up search in there.... I have set search to look for files only inside the folder root not inside sub-folders. However, inside library folders search always looks for files inside all folders. I don't want that, I want be able to scan for specific music files by folders to add them WMP play list, as I have set up my music folders names by genre so I'd like to play only songs from that genre. If I add whole folder to WMP all album art gets added to playlist too, so I search for *.mp3 and play that way. Can this be fixed

 

[NoN]

I don't use them, since there is only one partition on my HDD, and I am the only using my PC, but I agree it is a bit annoying if you click the task bar icon, then can't get into another folder on your user account, say, the downloads folder.

If you change the target of the Taskbars Explorer Icon properties to:

%windir%\explorer.exe /n,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}

View attachment 42206

It will open on "computer" instead of the libraries.

(Copy the existing target command if you wish to revert back to libraries)

Thank you for this remind...i did lost the post (month ago) of how to point on the "computer" from pinned taskbar explorer icon instead of the library...

I use the library only with the public folders. Only the documents & setting =>music folder is shared in the library as well the public one.
At least Homegroups helping me not trashing the behavoir of explorer and small residential network at home, even if i'm not using it all time.

But one thing is, when i save a report i generated, it directly point to the library public folder "Documents" instead of my docs!

 

[Barman58]

right click on the library in question and under properties highlight the included folder you wish to make your save location and click the "set save location" button, saving to the library will now save to the root of the selected folder tree

 

[NoN]

right click on the library in question and under properties highlight the included folder you wish to make your save location and click the "set save location" button, saving to the library will now save to the root of the selected folder tree

"But one thing is, when i save a report i generated, it directly point to the library public folder "Documents" instead of my docs!"

Hope your talking to me...I did tried but it won't work as expected, plus add the folder i don't want to share over the homegroup network.

 

[logicearth]

plus add the folder i don't want to share over the homegroup network.

You can choose which locations are shared. Expand the Library in the left pane to get the base directory you attached. Enter the one you do not want to share. Toolbar > Share with > Nobody.

 

[Barman58]

The set save location has always worked for the systems that I have set up so I don't know why it is not working for you

As for the integration of home-groups and libraries. Whilst it is true that anything included in a library that is shared via home-groups will be shared if the library is ticked in the home-group set-up screen, the folders that can be shared with home-group is not limited to libraries.

for example for documents

Include all the folders you wish to be included in the library and then on the home group set-up de-select the documents library from sharing.

next go to each of those folder trees that you wish to share with home-group and right click - use the "share with ..." option to share with home-group, giving read or read/write permissions as needed. It's a little clumsy but it does work