Library feature....I hate it...how to disable?

[chev65]

It's the best thing about Window 7, once you get it you will like it but until then you may not, there is a learning curve.

People need to understand that Libraries only point to the actual file that is stored in the user files. It doesn't waste any space at all actually. Once you understand that concept it's so much easier.

You also have full control over which folders are in the library and who you want to share them with. First pictures is to choose who you want to share with. Second is which folders will appear in the Library.

 

[Barman58]

Apparently some people like the library and the new data storage structure being used in Win7/Vista. Personally, when I saw it in Vista I didn't like it -- seeing it retained in Win7 has been a disappointment.

I played around quite a bit with the new schema in Win7 yesterday (always willing to give sometime a second look) but was unable to configure it reasonably. A real shame since a lot of the other attributes of Win7 look like a real improvement over XP.

I want the old 'My Documents' folder schema back. Would it be too much to ask to have the user container ('Matthew' in my case) enabled with the right click option to change the location to another drive/location? Seems like such an easy fix.

Matthew.

Matthew,

What is missing? The old Documents and settings user structure is still present in Windows 7 with the ability to re-direct the location to another drive - It is augmented by the libraries feature not replaced. The only real change is the renaming of "Documents and settings" to "Users" which in my opinion is actually a more suitable title

 

[CarlTR6]

I am getting used to the library and I rather like it. It saves hunting different locations for various files.

 

[Nigsy]

I love it, if your as scatty and disorganised as me when saving folders then liabary is a god send, save folders how I like then add them to the Liabary.
Sactty folder system automatically organised. Can't see an issue with that!!

 

[musiclover7]

I agree with most here.. When I first started using Libraries, I hated them. I was completely turned off, and resentful. Boy, was I in for a happy awakening... I started playing with them a bit.. Now, consider, I am one who has over 4 terabytes of files spanning multiple drives, external drives, network computers, servers, etc.. With libraries, I can group directories into what I see as a simple 'Virtual directory', and in one quick step, view contents spanning multiple drives, computers, directories, in one location.. As soon as I started leveraging this new functionality, I was completely sold, and have never looked back. I would say to those who do not like them.... for now, just set the standard "my documents" folder as the default save location for your documents library, and do the same for pics, movies, etc.. and you will hardly notice a difference in functionality. Then, over the course of time, consider adding another folder full of docs on a network location into the mix, and then, and then.. and see where that gets you..

Arrange by type, and you can select all word documents spanning mutiple drives/devices in one folder view sorted alphabetically, and it appears nearly instantly.. very useful imho..

Now, if you have very few files you need to manage in the first place, this feature will provide no real benefit for you. In short, it was not designed for you, but simply setting your default save locations in the library to be the folder you want, will essentially cause them to function just like the same old folders you have always known and loved.. For folks like me, who have tons of files.. it is incredibly useful..

 

[noobvious]

I decided about a couple weeks ago to use a library for all my photos, and within moments, I loved it. Now I am seriously considering giving it a go with my music files as well.

 

[msimon1960]

Matthew,

What is missing? The old Documents and settings user structure is still present in Windows 7 with the ability to re-direct the location to another drive - It is augmented by the libraries feature not replaced. The only real change is the renaming of "Documents and settings" to "Users" which in my opinion is actually a more suitable title[/QUOTE]

A couple of things are missing...

1. You can't store 'document' directory on most NAS -- Win7 insists on being able to index the files using it's own mechanism. Since almost all off-the-shelf NAS boxes are based on SAMBA (linux) -- I'm screwed.

2. Intuitively, I should be able to click on 'Matthew' on the main menu and see my stuff.

3. Intuitively, I should be able to right click on 'Matthew' on the main menu and have the option of setting the location of my choice. The option is offered if you dig around using Windows Explorer but not for the 'Matthew' container. Only on the pre-defined subfolders (e.g. Music, Documents, Videos).

4. I find it odd that I can't create new folders in the 'Matthew' container and set their direction. This right seems to be limited, once again, to the pre-determined folders.

For all the flexibility of the 'new' library functions -- they've always been there - I used shortcuts to points to data stores in many different locations. This is just a prettier implementation of the shortcut metaphor.

So...to answer the original posters question...you can't disable or override the library function although I've seen some people tinkering with registry settings to restore the functions that have been lost.

At the risk of being labelled a crank...it would be a nice philosophy for Microsoft to let people organize their stuff according to their tastes and interests. I resent having to reorganize my datastores in the predefined folders.

A couple of easy coding fixes (SP1) would restore the flexibility without upsetting those who like the library metaphor...

 

[noobvious]

Well, I gave it a go last night with my music, and after a little tinkering, I do like it. So with photos and videos, I pronounce the libraries a good thing.

 

[bunqiejump]

needs more work

because i havent found out how to actually go to a folder from the library (either you cant do it or i cant figure out how) makes this feature pretty useless unless you put everything you have in the librarys.

also the library builds the list of contents in it when you access it which can be annoying when i go to my music library and wait for 4 or so seconds while it builds the list of all my music. if i just go to the folder my music all my songs are displayed instantly.

 

[MacGyvr]

Matthew,

What is missing? The old Documents and settings user structure is still present in Windows 7 with the ability to re-direct the location to another drive - It is augmented by the libraries feature not replaced. The only real change is the renaming of "Documents and settings" to "Users" which in my opinion is actually a more suitable title

A couple of things are missing...

1. You can't store 'document' directory on most NAS -- Win7 insists on being able to index the files using it's own mechanism. Since almost all off-the-shelf NAS boxes are based on SAMBA (linux) -- I'm screwed.

Yes, you can. I am.

2. Intuitively, I should be able to click on 'Matthew' on the main menu and see my stuff.

You can.

3. Intuitively, I should be able to right click on 'Matthew' on the main menu and have the option of setting the location of my choice. The option is offered if you dig around using Windows Explorer but not for the 'Matthew' container. Only on the pre-defined subfolders (e.g. Music, Documents, Videos).

You have never been able to do this.

4. I find it odd that I can't create new folders in the 'Matthew' container and set their direction. This right seems to be limited, once again, to the pre-determined folders.

Statement doesn't make sense...yes, you can create new folders under 'Matthew.'

For all the flexibility of the 'new' library functions -- they've always been there - I used shortcuts to points to data stores in many different locations. This is just a prettier implementation of the shortcut metaphor.

So...to answer the original posters question...you can't disable or override the library function although I've seen some people tinkering with registry settings to restore the functions that have been lost.

At the risk of being labelled a crank...it would be a nice philosophy for Microsoft to let people organize their stuff according to their tastes and interests. I resent having to reorganize my datastores in the predefined folders.

A couple of easy coding fixes (SP1) would restore the flexibility without upsetting those who like the library metaphor...[/QUOTE]

 

[Delboy938D]

New to Win7, I started to play with Libraries. I was expecting to be able to edit files & folders in the libraries without changing the source data.

Thats not the case. Well, as far as I can tell.

Windows help tells me "If you delete files or folders from within a library, they're also deleted from their original locations."

To me, this seems to make the whole thing pointless. I was epecting that a library was just a set of virtual links to the source data & that one could easily reorganise the library by deleting files & folders without risk of deleting the source data.

Am I missing something here ?

 

[logicearth]

Am I missing something here ?

Yes. Libraries takes real locations and aggregate the contents into one view. It does not virtualize the contents, that never was the point nor should it.

 

[pezzonovante]

New to Win7, I started to play with Libraries. I was expecting to be able to edit files & folders in the libraries without changing the source data.

Thats not the case. Well, as far as I can tell.

Windows help tells me "If you delete files or folders from within a library, they're also deleted from their original locations."

To me, this seems to make the whole thing pointless. I was epecting that a library was just a set of virtual links to the source data & that one could easily reorganise the library by deleting files & folders without risk of deleting the source data.

Am I missing something here ?

I think you are trying to remove files/folders from the library. You can do that by modifying the locations which are included in that library.

 

[Delboy938D]

Yes, I am trying to remove specific files & sub folders from a library.
By example, I add into the library a folder called 2007Photos from My Pictures (this was done for me automatically somehow by Windows anyway). This contains a lot of individual photos & subfolders (i.e StupidPartyShots for example) which I dont want in that partuclulary library.

I can see how to remove the whole 2007Photos folder, but not the lower folders or individual files. Is there a way to do this ?

If I build the library up by adding the individual sub folders, folder by folder from My Pictures then i can remove a specific folder from the library, without changing the source data. Ok sweet, so I presume thats how one is supposed to build up a library, bottom up.

But since the Library somehow automatically put all the files & subfolders from My Pictures into the Library, I thought, hey thats cool and so I expected to be able edit out the files & subfolders that I didnt want in that Library. If that possible then I will be happy!

 

[logicearth]

A Library is given a folder and everything in that folder is displayed, the items in that folder are not maintained by the library. Meaning you cannot exclude content from the library. A library is just a window into multiple folders at a given time.

 

[JazzSus]

Thread is hijacked anyway. My reminder to justify my dislike of libraries is : Where the new files are saved?.....again on C:\User ??....I dont get it. Is root feature in win organization like "My Documents" before in older OS. Took me long time to learn "How to" point my folders to different drive [D:....] and now again this doesnt work and I should deal with "imaginary branched folders"....sorry is to much right now for me to understand this logic.

 

[logicearth]

Thread is hijacked anyway. My reminder to justify my dislike of libraries is : Where the new files are saved?.....again on C:\User ??....I dont get it. Is root feature in win organization like "My Documents" before in older OS. Took me long time to learn "How to" point my folders to different drive [D:....] and now again this doesnt work and I should deal with "imaginary branched folders"....sorry is to much right now for me to understand this logic.

Libraries save where you want to save to. If you just choose the library and no subfolder or location it will save to the default location which you can pick. See the screen shot bellow. (The checkmark is the current default save location.)

 

[Delboy938D]

For those like me just startin out with the "fun" of libraries I found in WMP Options Media Library Settings - "Delete files from computer when deleted from library"
Hey thats just what I wanted to disable! Now I can add a folder in WMP & delete individual files without deleting the originals.Cool.

I also get an unexpected situation. The Folders added into Picture Library via WMP automaticaly showup in the Picture Library in Libraries, & vice versa. So I thought ok same libary or "window". So now with the setting above unchecked, I delete individual files from the Picture Library in WMP, retaining the original. But hey - they are still in the Picture Libary in "Libraries" under the desktop.
Do I really have two Picture Libaries? Funny becasue one works like I want, in WMP, the other one doesnt. Its going to beconfusing two have two libraries, with the same name, automatically adding files to the other one, but not exactly the same.

Is there any way I can stop Folders that I add into Libraries in WMP, being added automatically in the "Libraries" under the desktop?

Or is there a way of making the Option "Delete files from computer when deleted from library", available in WMP, applicable to all Libraries?

 

[unifex]

I am very confused by this thread and other threads on the subject of libraries - and there are more than one.

Libraries is a new feature in Windows 7. One may like it and use it, or one may dislike it and not use it. That's it. Why is this such a big deal to people? When people are asking to disable it - what exactly do you want to disable? Why not using it is not enough?

If you are not using it and you somehow resent seeing the link to Libraries in the Navigation pane, then you can use the tutorials to remove the link, see Brink's post earlier in the thread.

If some program you are using wants to save files in a Library and you don't like that - you can always change the default file location for that program. That's what I do for any new program I use, since there is no way the developers would know where do I want to store my files.

Finally, if you are complaining that Libraries somehow prevent you from creating your own folders structure - then you are mistaken, they are not. You can create you r own set of folders and customize then to your taste, and you can do that anywhere on your system, either within the C:\Users tree or not - I personally have never used the default "My ..." folders, so what, do I have to start a campaign for these folders to be removed? I actually did that once, back in Windows 2000, I wanted to get rid of those folders completely. But I learned that they are so embedded in to the Windows structure, that while it was in fact possible, it was simply not worth the effort. So I started to create my own folder tree for my files and ignore the fact that "My Music" and such exist. Now, I can create my own Libraries, which allows me to see the content of several folders at once, without changing anything about them. if you don't want to do this - then don't.

 

[Brink]

   Note

Thread closed.

Please post your own separate issues with this as a New Thread instead for specific individual help on it.

Thank you,
Shawn