Libraries Folder - Add or Remove from Navigation Pane

How to Add or Remove "Libraries" Folder from the Navigation Pane in Windows 7​

   Information

Libraries let you access and arrange items from one or more folders quickly without moving them from their original location. Libraries themselves don't store your files or folders. Instead, they point to different locations on a hard disk or external drive attached to your computer. This gives you easy access to a category of files no matter where they are stored. For instance, if you have music files on your hard disk and on an external drive, you can access all of your music files from within the "Music" library.


For more information about Windows 7 Libraries see:

• Windows 7 Libraries: Frequently Asked Questions
• Understanding Windows 7 Libraries - Windows 7 for Developers - The Windows Blog
• Inside Windows 7:Introducing Libraries

This will show you how to add or remove the Libraries folder and all Library folders in the Windows Explorer Navigation Pane in Windows 7.

   Note

When Libraries is removed from the Navigation Pane, the pinned Windows Explorer icon on the taskbar will still open to the Libaries location by default unless you change the default open to target location for the pinned Windows Explorer taskbar icon.

   Tip

The default Libaries folders are located at the hidden locations below.

For all users
C:\Users\Public\Libraries

For current user only
C:\Users\(user-name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries

   Warning

• You can only do this while logged into an administrator account.
• This will affect all user account's on the computer.

EXAMPLE: Libraries in Navigation Pane
NOTE: This is the Libraries group added (default) (left screenshot below) and removed (right screenshot below) from the Navigation Pane.



Here's How: 1. Open the Start Menu and type regedit.exe in the search line, then press enter.

2. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.

3. In Regedit, go to the location below: (See screenshot below step 4)

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{031E4825-7B94-4dc3-B131-E946B44C8DD5}\ShellFolder

4. In the left pane of regedit, right click on the ShellFolder key and click on Permissions. (See screenshot below)
5. At the top, select the Administrators group. At the bottom, check the Allow box to the right of Full Control and click on OK. (See screenshot below)
6. In the right pane of regedit, right click on Attributes and click on Modify. (See screenshot below)
7. To Add All Libraries Back to the Navigation Pane
NOTE: This is the default setting. A) Type in b080010d and click on OK. (see screenshot below)
B) Go to step 9.
8. To Remove All Libraries from the Navigation Pane A) Type in b090010d and click on OK. (see screenshot below)
9. If you have 64-bit Windows 7 Installed

   Note

To also add or remove Libraries from the "Open" and "Save as" type windows as well in 64-bit Windows 7, you will also need to do this step.

If you have a 32-bit Windows 7 installed, then skip this step since doing steps 1 to 7/8 will add or remove Libraries from the "Open" and "Save as" type windows as well.

A) In Regedit, go to the location below:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Classes\CLSID\{031E4825-7B94-4dc3-B131-E946B44C8DD5}\ShellFolder

B) Repeat steps 4 to 7/8 above.
10. Close regedit.

11. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply.

   Tip

If you removed Libraries, then you may also would like to use the tutorial below to have the user folders in the Start Menu to open to your C:\Users\(user-name) location instead of it's library folder location.

How to Make Windows 7 Start Menu User Folder Buttons Open to Users Instead of Libraries Location

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Hide or Show a Library in the Navigation Pane in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Show or Not Show All Folders in the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Turn On or Off Expand to Current Folder in Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Change the Default Libraries Icon in Windows 7
• How to Change a Library Icon in Windows 7
• How to Add or Remove the Libraries Desktop Icon in Windows 7
• How to Change the Default New Library Icon in Windows 7
• How to Restore the Default Libraries in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Fix Libraries when Hidden and Empty in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Add or Remove "Favorites" from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Add or Remove "Homegroup" from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Add or Remove "Computer" from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Add or Remove "Network" from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Add or Remove "Control Panel" from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Add or Remove your "User Folder" from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Add or Remove the "Recycle Bin" from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Turn the Navigation Pane On or Off in Windows 7
• How to Turn the Library Pane On or Off in Windows 7
• How to Rename "Libraries" in the Windows 7 Explorer Navigation Pane
• How to Make Windows 7 Start Menu User Folder Buttons Open to Users Instead of Libraries Location
• How to Add or Remove "Include in library" in Windows 7 Context Menu
• How to Arrange Folders Included in a Library in Any Order in Windows 7 and Windows 8

 

[MrLove]

Many thanks for this - finally I can say goodbye to the extremely annoying Libraries and Homegroup!

Still can't believe they made Windows 7 almost un-customizable without the use of reg-edit or third-party software...

 

[Brink]

You're welcome MrLove, and welcome to seven Forums.

They would, but everytime they try they get threatened to be sued for engaging in "anticompetitive activity" claiming that this will put the 3rd party software companies out of business.

 

[MrLove]

Thank you. What, is that really so? Still, it wouldn't explain the removal of many great features of the XP Explorer, would it?

 

[Brink]

Oh, yes. It was responsible for "Search" being removed from the Start Menu dark right pane as a button, and from context menus.

Explorer was most likely just them trying to have a new easier to use design.

 

[LEITZ5008]

thank your very much for your effort, especially for your comments here:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2863-windows-explorer-taskbar-icon-change-open-target-10.html
well, it maked me aware since i used a .reg file from here:
How To Disable and Remove Libraries from Windows 7 Explorer « My Digital Life
and now i can't roll back those settings by the .reg file they also provide because it seems to be for 32bit windows only (mine is x64). also comments by Lars and Mr. Marcus (commentators there, who mentioned my problem) couldn't really help me as i'm not familiar with .reg files edition stuff BUT i'm very aware now to keep my OS 100% clean. may i ask you to help me to roll back my original reg settings (i mean those settings i have had before i ran the remove-libraries.reg file)?

 

[Brink]

thank your very much for your effort, especially for your comments here:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2863-windows-explorer-taskbar-icon-change-open-target-10.html
well, it maked me aware since i used a .reg file from here:
How To Disable and Remove Libraries from Windows 7 Explorer « My Digital Life
and now i can't roll back those settings by the .reg file they also provide because it seems to be for 32bit windows only (mine is x64). also comments by Lars and Mr. Marcus (commentators there, who mentioned my problem) couldn't really help me as i'm not familiar with .reg files edition stuff BUT i'm very aware now to keep my OS 100% clean. may i ask you to help me to roll back my original reg settings (i mean those settings i have had before i ran the remove-libraries.reg file)?

Hello Leitz,

I agree, that is such a horrible way to remove the libraries. The REG file a created below will undo the method used at that link, and hopefully restore the libraries after merging the REG file and restarting the computer.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[LEITZ5008]

thank your very much, Shawn!
i got only one question left: is it ok to use it right now? because i followed the steps of this tutorial (this thread) before i asked for help. i didn't restart or log off yet. should i redo those reg edits before i run the .reg file you just attached? i could just do it (just redo tutorial edits first), but i'm curious about the effects it may have. your file must change completely other keys, right? but for not, there will be potentially harmful incompatibility, right? please tell me, for full clearance.

UPDATE: well, i just redid edits i made by this tutorial, then run the Restore_Libraries.reg and got the same message as before:shock:

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Leitz.

After merging the restore REG and restarting to restore libraries, you may need to redo the tutorial again to have it applied.

 

[LEITZ5008]

my UPDATE almost came up in the same second as your reply
did you see it before you replied?

EDIT: Brink, Shawn, is anybody there? have you noticed the error message?

EDIT2: did log off and back on. libraries are there now but why came the error and what does it mean? is my registry still partially broken?

 

[Brink]

Leitz,

That fine. This just means that some of the entries in the REG file were not changed in your registry since you didn't modify and change the permissions for them. There would be no need to have those entries added then, but they were just added to be safe.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello Shawn, I know how busy you are but have you had a go at the Permissions for this in Windows 8 yet, I was fooling around with it the other day but didn't get very far and gave up.

 

[Brink]

Hello Ted,

No problem. I have it on the list of "to further pursue" in the W8 RTM, but I'll do some more digging tonight with it. I didn't have much luck in the RP & earlier either.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Thanks mate, no hurry eh.

 

[Brink]

Ted,

Great news. I just tested this in Windows 8 Pro RTM, and it works perfectly now.

I'll write up separate tutorials on it and the others tonight over at Eight Forums.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Thanks Shawn!

 

[Brink]

Thanks Shawn!

Done.

Libraries - Add or Remove from Navigation Pane in Windows 8 Explorer

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Done.

Libraries - Add or Remove from Navigation Pane in Windows 8 Explorer

Thanks Shawn, well done mate!

 

[handygrandad]

Thanks ... ... and ... ... I wonder, is there a way ...

Hi Brink

Thank you for a brilliant set of guides on removing unwanted functions from the Explorer Pane.

Your instructions are very easy to follow, the only thing I might add would be "how to backup the registry to the desktop". I do this as a matter of routine, and delete the backup after a few days when I am happy my system is OK.

Also, I wonder, is there a way to remove the option "Include in Library" from the Explorer tool bar ? If so, it would be a useful addition to your guide on "how to remove libraries from Explorer".

Thanks again for your really helpful guides

 

[Brink]

Hello handygrandad,

Sorry for the late reply. You should be able to use one of the options in the tutorial below to remove the Include in Library button from the command bar (toolbar) in Windows Explorer.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/129401-windows-explorer-toolbar-buttons-customize.html

The tutorial below will remove it from the context menu.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/155921-include-library-add-remove-context-menu.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Marty McFly]

Shawn, thank you once again. These tutorials are helpful every time I reinstall Windows. What would we do without this information?

It is really stupid of Microsoft not allowing the user to customise these things. The navigation pane is something users look at and use all day long, it's the central hub of the computer interface, and yet it never occurred to Microsoft that users might want to customise it so that it only contains things we want, and no way to make sub-folders? Crazy.