Windows 10: Hide or Show Libraries in Navigation Pane in Windows 10

How to: Hide or Show Libraries in Navigation Pane in Windows 10

How to Add or Remove Libraries in Navigation Pane of File Explorer in Windows 10


Libraries gather added folders that are stored in different locations so you can browse them in one place.

This tutorial will show you how to hide or show Libraries in the navigation pane of File Explorer for only your account in Windows 10.

*note If you turn on Show all folders in the navigation pane, Libraries will always show in the navigation pane.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Hide or Show Libraries in File Explorer Navigation Pane
• Option Two: To Hide or Show Libraries in File Explorer Options
• Option Three: To Hide or Show Libraries in File Explorer Ribbon
• Option Four: To Hide or Show Libraries using a REG file

EXAMPLE: Libraries showing in navigation pane of File Explorer









OPTION ONE [/i] To Hide or Show Libraries in File Explorer Navigation Pane
1. Open File Explorer.

2. Right click or press and hold on an empty area of the navigation pane on the left side, and do step 3 or step 4 below for what you would like to do. (see screenshot below)


3. To Show Libraries in Navigation Pane
A) Click/tap on Show libraries to check it.
4. To Hide Libraries in Navigation Pane
*note This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on Show libraries to uncheck it.








OPTION TWO [/i] To Hide or Show Libraries in File Explorer Options
1. Open File Explorer Options.

2 Click/tap on the View tab, and do step 3 or step 4 below for what you would like to do. (see screenshot below)


3. To Show Libraries in Navigation Pane
A) Check Show libraries, and click/tap on OK.
4. To Hide Libraries in Navigation Pane
*note This is the default setting.
A) Uncheck Show libraries, and click/tap on OK.








OPTION THREE [/i] To Hide or Show Libraries in File Explorer Ribbon
1. Open File Explorer.

2. Click/tap on the View tab, click/tap on the Navigation pane button in the ribbon, and do step 3 or step 4 below for what you would like to do. (see screenshot below)


3. To Show Libraries in Navigation Pane
A) Click/tap on Show libraries to check it.
4. To Hide Libraries in Navigation Pane
*note This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on Show libraries to uncheck it.








OPTION FOUR [/i] To Hide or Show Libraries using a REG file

*note The downloadable .reg files below will modify the DWORD in the registry key below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{031E4825-7B94-4dc3-B131-E946B44C8DD5}

System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree DWORD

0 = Hide Libraries
1 = Show Libraries

1. Do step 2 or step 3 below for what you would like to do.


2. To Show Libraries in Navigation Pane
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Show_Libraries_in_Navigation_Pane.reg

Download
3. To Hide Libraries in Navigation Pane
*note This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Hide_Libraries_in_Navigation_Pane.reg

Download
4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6. If prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7. If you like, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

8. If open, close and reopen File Explorer to apply.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Hide or Show a Library in Navigation Pane in Windows 10
• How to Include Folder to a Library in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove 'Include in library' from Context Menu in Windows 10
• How to Create a New Library in Windows 10
• How to Re-order Folder Groups Inside a Library in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove Libraries Desktop Icon in Windows 10
• How to Move Libraries Above or Below This PC in Navigation Pane in Windows 10
• How to Restore Default Settings of Library in Windows 10
• How to Add Restore Settings to Context Menu of Libraries in Windows 10
• How to Add Manage Library to Context Menu of Libraries in Windows 10
• How to Add Change Icon to Context Menu of New Libraries in Windows 10
• How to Show or Hide Navigation Pane in File Explorer in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off OneDrive Cloud States for Navigation Pane in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Navigation Pane 'Show all folders' in Windows 10
• How to Add Optimize library for to Context Menu of Libraries in Windows 10
• How to Add Set save location to Context Menu of Libraries in Windows 10
• How to Restore Default Libraries in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove Camera Roll Library in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove Documents Library in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove Music Library in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove Pictures Library in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove Saved Pictures Library in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove Videos Library in Windows 10
• How to Change Libraries Icon in File Explorer in Windows 10
• How to Reset Navigation Pane Expanded State in Windows 10 File Explorer

:)

 

The Library folder

I think the following will get you what you want/where you need to go:



Hide or Show Libraries in Navigation Pane in Windows 10

Hide or Show Libraries in Navigation Pane in Windows 10



... please come back and let everyone know how you fair.

 

Windows 10 Desktop, Unable to remove Homegroup or Libraries icons

Hi,

Good to know that worked, please try these steps to hide libraries :

Note: This is default settings and not recommended as it contains your document, pictures, videos ,music files.

To Hide or Show Libraries in File Explorer Navigation Pane

• Open File Explorer.
• Right click or press and hold on an empty area of the navigation pane on the left side
• Click/tap on Show libraries to uncheck it.

To Hide or Show Libraries in File Explorer Options

• Open File Explorer.
• Click/tap on the View tab
• Locate Navigation pane
• Uncheck Show libraries, and click/tap on OK.

To Hide or Show Libraries in File Explorer Ribbon

• Open File Explorer.
• Click/tap on the View tab,
• Go to Option
• Click on Change folder and search option
• Go to View
• Locate the Navigation pane
• Uncheck on Show libraries to uncheck it.

Hope this information is helpful. Please post back for further assistance, we'll be glad to assist you.

_______________

Thanks & Regards,

 

Only by turning off "Show all folders" to affect only your account.

https://www.windowsphoneinfo.com/threads/turn-on-or-off-show-all-folders-in-windows-10-navigation-pane.8384/

Otherwise, you could use OPTION FOUR below to do so, but it'll affect all users.

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

 

Got it. I found my old instructions on how to remove Libraries from the Win8 navigation pane when Show All Folders is ticked. So far they work in Win10 Tech Preview build 10130

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

TAKE CONTROL OF SHELLFOLDER
Permissions
Security Tab > Advanced
System > Change
Advanced > Find Now
Select Karl > OK
Replace Owner on Subitems > OK
Administrators/Karl > Full Control > OK

Attributes > Modify
Add: b080010d
Remove: b090010d
Restart Explorer

 

That would do so for all users instead of just your account.

For your original Recycle Bin question, you can use OPTION TWO in the tutorial below to add Recycle Bin to the navigation pane in Windows 10 without "Show all folders". *Smile

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/7...dows-10-a.html

 

Ah, brilliant. Adding the Recycle Bin to 'not showing all folders' view means less registry editing for me.

Would there be a way to stop folders from automatically being added to Quick Access?
#I only really want to see Folders I pin to Quick Access, and the Recent Files I've used.

 

Sure, you could use the tutorial below to hide frequent folders in Quick access, and still have the pinned folders show. *Smile

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...dows-10-a.html

 

Just a quick note,

Libraries activation box has been moved in 10240.

 

Thank you.

Interesting. I wonder why Microsoft removed the setting from there. Tutorial updated. *Smile

 

You're more than welcome *Wink

 

Hi there

I'd suggest forget about Libraries altogether -- use Storage spaces instead -- much more flexible and you can aggregate as many volumes as you like OF DIFFERENT CAPACITIES to create one or more storage spaces which each act as a single volume however large the size is.

very useful for large capacity multi-media libraries which you now don't have to restrict to single volumes.

W7 and XP can READ / WRITE to these too although you can only create in W8 and later.

You can also specify space to be reserved as recovery area too if you are worried about aggregating volumes.

Manage by control panel --->storage spaces

Cheers
jimbo

 

Hello Jimbo,

I'm not sure what you mean. Libraries are just an access point for a collection of added locations. A library is not actually the storage location, but a way to access many storage locations in one place. A storage space could even be added to a library. *Smile

 

Hi there

the advantage of Storage spaces is that it doesn't matter on what physical volume data is stored -- you can add as many volumes as you like.

A problem with libraries is that it's much more difficult to keep logical track of your data.

With a Storage space for example you could have a collection of say 9 HDD's giving you 15 TB of space -- you can then make as many directory entries as you want. If you start running out of space say on a music library you just dynamically add another volume. !!!

A storage space is simply an aggregated pool of HDD's (any size) that windows simply treats (file explorer etc) as a single Volume say "F" in my previous post above.

A lot of software goes bonkers if you try and extend over 1 volume - particularly proprietary photo / music / video data bases. With Storage spaces that doesn't matter any more.

Cheers
jimbo

 

I like Storage Spaces as well, but Storage Spaces and Libraries are two completely different items that serve different purposes.

You can say the same about all that for libraries, except Storage Spaces is the actual storage location where a library is just a way to access the actual storage locations you added in one place. You can set a default public and private save location for the library.