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

 

[Brink]

Keks,

Try deleting the library entries that you want to delete in the desktop.ini file and save it, then delete the libraries themselves in that "C:\Users\David\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries" folder.

 

[keks]

I removed the entries from the desktop.ini file, saved it and deleted the default libraries as you told me - but they reappeard, unfortunately. I am starting to think that it might be impossible to get rid of them...

What about the registry? Perhaps removing some entries there could have the desired effect.

 

[Brink]

Hmm, might be something with your user profile.

As a test, create a new administrator account and see how deleting them works in that user account.

 

[keks]

It was worth a shot - but as it turns out my user profile is not to blame. I created a new administrator account and tested it but it did not make any difference - the default libraries returned on that test account as well...

Edit: I am not really familiar with the relationship between the registry and the Windows Explorer/shell/etc. but I was searching the registry for the CLSID ({c51b83e5-9edd-4250-b45a-da672ee3c70e}) of the libraries which I got from this list here (http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/110919-clsid-key-list-windows-7-a.html) and noticed the "restorelibraries" entry. I am aware of the fact that it is possible to restore the default libraries just like restoring many other standard settings, but it seems to me that this restore-command is somehow executed automatically. Maybe preventing that is the right approach here?

 

[Brink]

I wouldn't recommend to delete the CLSID key.

I must admit that I'm not sure why they will not stay deleted for you and they do for me unless you have something set to save directly into these libraries.

It may be worth a try to run the sfc /scannow command.

 

[keks]

"Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations."

 

[Brink]

Other than reinstalling Windows 7, I'm not sure what else to suggest.

 

[keks]

Ironically I did a clean re-install of Windows only a few days ago.

But I think this issue is not really such a big problem - so I will have a look into the registry (but I will not delete any CLSID; I also have a backup).

If I find the reason for this odd behavior, I will post it here, of course. Thank you for your help. I will probably visit this site regularly from now on.

 

[keks]

Well, I have to admit that it was pretty stupid not to think of that earlier:

I simply used the default libraries now (renamed them + chose my own locations) which seems to work so far. After that I removed the redundant libraries so that no room is wasted in the navigation pane now...

 

[Brink]

That's great news Keks. Thank you for posting back with your solution.

 

[Carlt123]

removing libraries, totally.

Hello,

I found a few sites showing how to remove libraries from the navigation pane. But your tutorial was the only one I came across that showed how to remove libraries from the 'save as' windows. So thanks for that.

However, libraries still persist - when I enter explorer through a jumplist shortcut. Is there a way of removing them for there, also?

Carl

 

[Brink]

Hello Carl,

What was the jumplist shortcut of?

Was it a Windows Explorer shortcut or a shortcut that opens in Windows Explorer?

Once I know what you are clicking on exactly, I'll be happy to see what I can do to track it down for this as well.

 

[Carlt123]

I have explorer pinned to my taskbar, and the shortcuts in question are to folders. Hope that helps.

Carl

 

[Carlt123]

I've realised what the problem was. I hadn't used your method of disabling libraries, I'd used a reg script from here. Included in the download is a script simply to hide the libraries icon, which is what I'd opted for. The reason this option is offered is because the authors solution for completely disabling libraries causes start up menu links, My Documents, My Music etc, to disappear. So before I employed your method, I thought I'd run the script which the author provides to restore the original settings. Unfortunately, the script broke the search function in the start menu, ass well as causing the lesser issue of rendering my favourites in the navigation pane, inaccessible. So, I checked the scripts, copied the relevant registry keys from a restored image of my OS, which I created a few weeks ago, imported the keys into the damaged registry, which rectified the situation. Then I used the simple method of altering that one single value, as advocated by yourself, to disable libraries.

So, please forgive me for having wasted your time.

The only thing bugging me now is why, when I open the download folder, is the navigation panel scrolled down part way, whereas in every other folder the panel is scrolled neatly to the top?

Carl

 

[Brink]

Carl,

Do you mean that Libraries still displays in the Navigation Pane when you open a folder from within a jump list in the default Windows Explorer icon on the taskbar like below? On mine it's gone. Did you restart the computer after doing the tutorial to fully apply?



If not, then you could you post a screenshot to help?

 

[Carlt123]

Brink,

No, it works fine now. As I say, I realised belatedly that I was using a different reg hack than the one provided by you. Having employed your method, libraries is now firmly subdued in all windows, I'm happy to say.

Carl

 

[Brink]

That's great news Carl. I'm happy to hear that you got it subdued now.

 

[Carlt123]

Thanks Brink.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Thanks mate, Libraries are the bane of my existence and this is great.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Ted.