Want Folders Not Libraries

[modifier]

I've been running XP Pro for a while with no issues but bought a new desktop and laptop a couple of months ago and so ended up with 7. For the most part it is fine. But one thing is driving me crazy and I don't know it is possible to go back to older style organization or not.

I had created a document with a recipe on it today and wanted to create a folder for recipes but this wasn't possible as I could see it so I had to create a library and then I still couldn't save the document in that folder until I added a folder to it. But I couldn't add a folder to it unless the folder already existed somewhere else and there wasn't a recipe folder yet. So I had to move another folder into the library then rename it in order to save the document in it. A lot of wasted time where in the past that would have all happened in a matter of seconds.

I don't know what advantage having Libraries offers but I see it as simply counter productive. I've read what Microsoft has to say about them but I really have no use for them and just want Folders to file things in.

Is there a way to get rid of Libraries completely and just have Folders in Windows 7.

If this has been addressed simply point me in the right direction.

 

[UsernameIssues]

See if this helps.

Where you see a folder named "username" - look for a folder with your user name:
Edit: you might want to watch this full screened.

 

[kegobeer]

You don't have to create a library to create a subdirectory. In the Documents library, the default save location is My Documents. Any directory you create will be created there.

 

[boohbah]

click the start menu button , the user folder shortcut (your username) is at the top, create a folder called recipes in there, its exactly the same as you would have previously done.

 

[UsernameIssues]

....... its exactly the same as you would have previously done.

Unless you have always used the classic start menu like tons of people did/do in XP and W2k and...

 

[LittleJay]

I have Windows Explorer pinned to the task bar, and that gives me instant access to all the drives, folders and files on my computer. From there it is a simple matter to create a new folder wherever I like.

 

[modifier]

>I took too long to write this and there were some other posts in between. "That" refers to Boohah's post.

That is how I ended up creating the folder I needed this morning. But in XP if you create a document and hit save all and don't have a folder you can simply create it then save to it without having to go through Explorer. Also in Win 7 Explorer you have to go through Desktop to get to User. I've never used Desktop for anything other than stuff on the desktop in the past. I've actually never had to go through User either. At least not this way.

Another couple of questions about Win7 Explorer are: each time I open Explorer and want to view files and click on a folder it opens with all the files lined up on the left side in thumbnails. Then I have to drag the window to the right to get full screen viewing. From then on I get full screen if I open another folder until I close Explore then I have to do it again. Is there a way to set a default to always open with a full screen rather than having to do this extra step?

And finally, for the moment, if I'm looking through a folder with a lot of files in it and scrolling down through the pics to find one, either by left clicking on the down arrow to go slowly or on the space above the arrow to go one page at a time, this works for a few clicks then something automatically grabs it and it starts to auto scroll rapidly. I actually think that this would happen in XP also after an update. I don't want auto scroll. If this is a preference I can't find it?

 

[modifier]

I have Windows Explorer pinned to the task bar, and that gives me instant access to all the drives, folders and files on my computer. From there it is a simple matter to create a new folder wherever I like.

I do too but that doesn't seem to help.

 

[whs]

I don't know where the problem is. It is sooo easy to create a new folder. Example here is for Documents, but works the same for Music, Pictures, etc.

Btw: Libraries are very useful for distributed folders on internal or external partitions/disks.

 

[LittleJay]

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/516-context-menu-add-copy-folder-move-folder.html If you haven't done so already, check out this site. It shows you how to add "copy to/move to" feature for Windows 7. I used it all the time in XP as well.

 

[modifier]

Opps. Posting a screenshot didn't work. Guess I needed to read that prompt about how to do it.

Well what I was trying to show was that my Explorer does not look like that. I don't even have a "documents" folder available in Explorer.

 

[UsernameIssues]

.......But in XP if you create a document and hit save all and don't have a folder you can simply create it then save to it without having to go through Explorer. Also in Win 7 Explorer you have to go through Desktop to get to User. I've never used Desktop for anything other than stuff on the desktop in the past. I've actually never had to go through User either. At least not this way.....

Sorry - I did not mean to imply that you had to save the doc to the desktop first - I just did not start the video from inside some document editor.

And yes, the File > Save As... dialog box is quite different between XP and W7.

 

[UsernameIssues]

Opps. Posting a screenshot didn't work. Guess I needed to read that prompt about how to do it.

Well what I was trying to show was that my Explorer does not look like that. I don't even have a "documents" folder available in Explorer.

Interesting

See this info:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

 

[whs]

Opps. Posting a screenshot didn't work. Guess I needed to read that prompt about how to do it.

Well what I was trying to show was that my Explorer does not look like that. I don't even have a "documents" folder available in Explorer.

That I want to see.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I don't know what advantage having Libraries offers but I see it as simply counter productive. I've read what Microsoft has to say about them but I really have no use for them and just want Folders to file things in.

Is there a way to get rid of Libraries completely and just have Folders in Windows 7.

There are tutorials on this site that show you how to remove libraries from the Explorer tree. You can also get rid of Homegroup and Network.

You can also change the default location that opens when you open Explorer. It will open to libraries normally, but it's changeable.

If you want, you can bypass the entire "user" folder structure and just save files to the location of your choice. I save directly to my D drive.

 

[modifier]

I think I've got most of what I needed for the initial question except why I couldn't create a folder in path when I tried to "save as" the document w/o having to leave and go into Explore to do it. Or the other secondary questions I asked. But thanks for the help so far.

For posterity sake here is the screen shot of the what I see when I open Explore. If this works.

Oh well. When I uploaded it it saved it as a bat file. Don't know why. Or really care at the moment. I'll deal with that later.

 

[bbearren]

On my desktop I have a Notepad shortcut named Scratch Pad. When I want to make a quick note or copy something online, I paste it into my Scratch Pad. Then I click on File > Save as and if I want a new folder to save it in, the option is right there:



I can place that new folder anywhere I want, name it anything I want, and also rename whatever it is that I've pasted into my Scratch Pad. When I'm finished, I close Scratch Pad and when asked if I want to Save, I click on No. So Scratch Pad is always there and empty whenever I want to use it, and whatever I wanted to save is where I wanted to save it.

I also have an empty Word document shortcut on the desktop that I use in much the same way, if I need more formatting than I can get out of Notepad.

I don't use libraries at all. They are absolutely useless to me.

 

[UsernameIssues]

Doh! Where are my manners? I should've welcomed you to the forums... so, Welcome

'twas in too big of a hurry to get you that silly video.

When you get a chance - a screenshot of the "save as" dialog box and what you see in explorer would help us to help you.

 

[modifier]

Here is a screenshot of what I first see in Explore. I hope The problem last time is I used a different program to save the shot. This just shows that I don't have a "documents" folder available.

Please understand that I usually don't have trouble creating folders when I save something. It was only when I created the recipe document in Open Office then tried to save and create a new folder in process. Like I said I had to stop what I was doing then go create library then remotely create the folder then add it to the library and then I could save to it. All a pita and much more complicated than it should be.

How about someone recreate what I did and see if you have the same hang ups. I very well may simply be missing something. I don't purport to be a geek.

Also look at my screen shot and see how it opened up with all the space to the right and everything jumbled to the left. This is how it looks every time I open any folder the first time before I drag it open to view more stuff at once.

Do I need to start another thread to ask about the additional questions I have posed or do people simply not know the answers?

Oh...and thanks for the welcome.

 

[bbearren]

Your Explorer.exe is set to open in Libraries. I have mine set to open in My Computer; and there are other options as well. As I posted earlier, I don't use Libraries. I have my own system of organization, and Libraries don't fit into that system in any way, so I simply don't use them. And you don't have to use them either, if you'd rather not. Of course there are many here who do use and like Libraries, and I'm sure you can get plenty of help if you want to learn how the use Libraries.

As UsernameIssues suggested, could you create a sample document and click on Save As and then post a screenshot of the Save As window that pops up? Something similar to my post #17.