User Folder - Add or Remove from Navigation Pane

How to Add or Remove your User Folder from Navigation Pane in Windows 7​

   Information

This will show you how to add or remove your user name User Profile Folder (C:\Users\(user-name)) in the Windows Explorer Navigation Pane in Windows 7.

   Warning

• You can only do this tutorial while logged into an administrator account.
• This will affect all user accounts on the computer.
• This will also add or remove the default User's Files desktop icon as well.

EXAMPLE: User Folder in Navigation Pane
NOTE: This is your default navigation pane with User Folder added by default when you have the Show all folders option checked and unchecked.






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\{59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}\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. Do either step 7 or 8 to add or remove your user profile folder from the navigation pane.

7. To Add your User Folder to the Navigation Pane
NOTE: This is the default setting.
A) In the right pane of regedit, right click on Attributes, click on Modify, type f084012d, and click on OK. (see screenshots below)
NOTE: This is to have your user profile folder display under Desktop when you have Show all folders checked.




B) In the right pane of ShellFolder, right click on a empty space, click on New and String Value, copy and paste the name below, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: If you like, this is to have your user profile folder display as a separate group in the navigation pane when you do not have Show all folders checked.
PinToNameSpaceTree


C) Go to step 9.
8. To Remove your User Folder from the Navigation Pane
A) In the right pane of regedit, right click on Attributes, click on Modify, type f094012d, and click on OK. (see screenshots below)
NOTE: This is to not have your user profile folder display under Desktop when you have Show all folders checked.




B) In the right pane of ShellFolder, right click on PinToNameSpaceTree (if there), and click on Delete. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: If you like, this is to not have your user profile folder display as a separate group in the navigation pane when you do not have Show all folders checked.

C) Click on Yes to confirm deletion. (see screenshot below)

D) Continue on to step 9.
9. If you have 64-bit Windows 7 Installed

   Note

To also add or remove your User Folder from the File -> "Open" and File -> "Save as" type dialog windows as well in 64-bit Windows 7, you will also need to do this step. This does not include the "Browse", "Copy to folder", or "Move to folder" type dialog windows though.

If you have a 32-bit Windows 7 installed, then skip this step since doing steps 1 to 7/8 will add or remove your User Folder 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\{59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}\ShellFolder

B) Repeat steps 4 to 7/8 above for this registry location.
10. Close regedit.

11. Restart the computer to fully apply.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Add or Remove the Windows 7 Libraries Folder from the Navigation Pane
• 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 Network from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Add or Remove Control Panel from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• 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 Pin Your User Files Folder to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Change the Default Location of Windows 7 User Folders
• How to Restore the Default Location of Windows 7 User Folders
• How to Change the Windows 7 Default User Folder Icons
• How to Restore Windows 7 Default User Folder Icons
• How to Create Your Own Special User Folder
• How to Turn the Navigation Pane On or Off in Windows 7
• How to Change the Default Location of a User Profile in Windows 7 and Vista
• How to Add or Remove "User Folder" from Desktop Context Menu

 

[roehrle]

I have a new computer (HP Compaq Presario )with Win 7 Home Premium. I tried using your directions to eliminate users group and your directions are different than mine and didn't work. Could it be you don't have the latest version of Win 7 ?? I saw in another post that you can just use a (-) in front of the instruction and that way if you want to reverse the change you just remove the (-) sign. This seems to be a lot easier and safer.

 

[Brink]

Hello Bob,

Double check to make sure that you have followed each step exactly, and restarted the computer afterwards in case you may have made a mistake at some point. This only removes the User Folder group from the Navigation Pane and Desktop though. The - sign would not work for this.

 

[fakts]

Hi Brink,

A question regarding Add/Remove navigation pane items..

Is it possible to have them all in a reg file including the "permissions" part? so it can be done on many computers easily.

Thanks

 

[Brink]

Hello Fakts,

Sorry, but not with a REG file. The permissions have to be handled by the user themselves instead.

 

[stampler]

THANK YOU very much my friends!!

Hide the Homegroup
Hide the Libraries
Hide the Network item
Hide the User

Should be in a simple settings window with easy access...

this is one the little reasons i hate windows .

COME ON MS give more options to the users. registry is a pain

every time i build my system i need 2 days to config the registry for some very simple little things. OMG OMG!

 

[SoWhy]

Hi there,

sorry for digging out an old thread but I tried the method described in the first post and changed everything accordingly but the user folder still shows in my explorer. I checked the registry and the value is set correctly to "f094012d".

Btw, at step 9, I think the correct key is

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}\ShellFolder

I cannot find one at

HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Wow6432Node\Classes\CLSID\{59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}\ShellFolder

TIA
SoWhy

 

[Brink]

Hello SoWhy,

The tutorial has the correct keys in it below. Did you restart the computer afterwards to apply the changes?

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}\ShellFolder

and

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Classes\CLSID\{59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}\ShellFolder

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[SoWhy]

Hi Shawn,

thanks for the reply. It didn't work after changing those values, even after restarting. I did a little searching and found another similar value at

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}\ShellFolder

After changing that one as well, it worked.

But in my registry there is no key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Classes

but a

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Wow6432Node

so I still think that's incorrect or at least not correct for all versions of Win7.

Regards
SoWhy

 

[Brink]

I have both locations, but I added a screenshot in the tutorial to show I'm not crazy though. LOL

 

[Cato]

Another typically good tutorial, Brink. Works great for me. Thanks!

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Cato. That's great news. Thank you.

 

[GreyGoose]

Does anyone know if this can be used to make your user folder appear in the navigation pane with "show all folders" disabled?

(Shout out to Brink for all the tutorials that have helped me over this past year!)

 

[Brink]

Does anyone know if this can be used to make your user folder appear in the navigation pane with "show all folders" disabled?

(Shout out to Brink for all the tutorials that have helped me over this past year!)

Hello GreyGoose, and welcome to Seven Forums.

The tutorial has been updated (step 8b) to allow your user folder to be able to be added to the navigation pane without having to have "show all folders" checked.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Maybe I missed this ...

Are they still display if you view them from your user folder under "Computer" in the navigation pane?

If not, then you could remove the separate "User Folder" group from the navigation pane to use the "Computer" location instead to not set them.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/48123-user-folder-add-remove-navigation-pane.html

Hi Brink

Does this stop Explorer from adding the User Folder to the Navigation pane when you try to access a folder in your User Account? OR
Does it only prevent the "Show all folders" option from displaying it?​

 

[Brink]

Hello Peter,

This will only add or remove the separate user name group in the navigation pane. The "C:\Users" folder will still be there when navigated to under "Computer" no matter what is set in the tutorial.

 

[lehnerus2000]

I guess I explained that poorly

I have my Documents, Pictures, Downloads, Music and Video folders, set to the appropriate partitions on my HDD (E:\, F:\, G:\, O:\ & P:\).

I have noticed that (for some reason I haven't identified) my User Folder sometimes appears in the Navigation pane and I am actually browsing in that location instead of the location under "Computer".

It's an annoyance as it means I have to scroll further to access my other partitions (and run the risk of activating the Windows Explorer auto-scroll bug).

I have my User Folder (and Downloads) in the "Favorites" section anyway and the various folders appear in the Libraries in any case.
I'd like to prevent my User Folder from appearing as a separate entry in the Navigation pane.

I'll try to post a screenshot the next time it happens.

 

[Brink]

Ah, in that case, doing step 8 and 9 should remove it for you.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Thanks Brink

Ah, in that case, doing step 8 and 9 should remove it for you.

Thanks Brink.
I'll try it out now.

Just to confirm, I don't have "Show all folders" selected, but those steps will prevent the User Folder from EVER appearing in the Navigation pane?

 

[Brink]

Nar, you don't have to have "Show all folders" selected.

Your user folder will still show when you navigate down to and open the C:\Users folder under Computer in the navigation pane, but not as a separate group or folder.