How to Hide or Show Libraries in the Navigation Pane of Windows 7 Explorer

Libraries, introduced in Windows 7, serves as a catalog that points to a collection of various folders containing user-definable content or similar content such as documents, music, video, photos and etc. User can easily add or remove folders that associated with a library, and can also opt to show or hide the libraries from the Windows Explorer Navigation pane.

Hide a Library from Navigation Pane of Windows 7 Explorer

  1. Open Windows Explorer, or any folder view.
  2. If you don’t see the navigation pane, click on Organize drop down menu, then mouse over Layout and select Navigation Pane.
  3. Right click on a Library you want to make hidden, and then select Don’t show in Navigation Pane option in the contextual menu.

    Hide Library

    The shortcut link to the library will immediately be removed from and not displayed in navigation pane.

Restore and Show A Library In Navigation Pane

  1. Open Windows Explorer or from Start Menu, click on your user name to open Explorer directly at Libraries folder.
  2. Right click on a library that has been hidden, but want to be added back into Navigation Pane. Select Show in Navigation Pane in the context menu to restore the library link in Navigation Pane.

    Show Library

    The shortcut link to the library will be instantly displayed and restored to Navigation Pane.


This entry was posted on Monday, January 5th, 2009 at 3:39 am and is filed under Tips & Tricks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

7 Responses to “How to Hide or Show Libraries in the Navigation Pane of Windows 7 Explorer”

  1. kevin
    November 4th, 2009 07:14
    7

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

    ;remove libraries from navigation pane
    [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{031E4825-7B94-4dc3-B131-E946B44C8DD5}]
    [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{031E4825-7B94-4dc3-B131-E946B44C8DD5}]

  2. Windows 7 Usage Guides, How-To Hacks, Tips and Tricks (Complete List) » Tip and Trick
    September 5th, 2009 20:25
    6

    [...] How to Hide or Show Libraries in the Navigation Pane of Windows 7 Explorer [...]

  3. How To Disable and Remove Libraries from Windows 7 Explorer » My Digital Life
    September 2nd, 2009 10:54
    5

    [...] not by default provides ability to disable or turn off Library feature. The best workaround is by hidden unused or unwanted Libraries from navigation pane view in Windows Explorer. With the following registry trick, it’s possible to “disable” and remove [...]

  4. How to Remove and Hide “Libraries” Group from Navigation Pane of Windows 7 Explorer » My Digital Life
    September 2nd, 2009 01:58
    4

    [...] for organization may want to disable or hide Libraries altogether. End users can choose to hide unwanted or unused libraries from view in Windows Explorer navigation pane, or can also almost completely remove and disable Libraries function from Windows 7 Explorer, which [...]

  5. brittosa
    August 3rd, 2009 19:25
    3

    Sorry, without: Quote -

  6. brittosa
    August 3rd, 2009 19:24
    2

    DISABLING LIBRARIES IN WINDOWS 7

    Just paste this into a text file, rename it to ‘anything.reg’ and run it:

    Quote -
    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

    [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{031E4825-7B94-4dc3-B131-E946B44C8DD5}]

    [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{031E4825-7B94-4dc3-B131-E946B44C8DD5}]

    [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{031E4825-7B94-4dc3-B131-E946B44C8DD5}]

    [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{2112AB0A-C86A-4ffe-A368-0DE96E47012E}]

    [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{491E922F-5643-4af4-A7EB-4E7A138D8174}]

    [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{7b0db17d-9cd2-4a93-9733-46cc89022e7c}]

    [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{A302545D-DEFF-464b-ABE8-61C8648D939B}]

    [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{A990AE9F-A03B-4e80-94BC-9912D7504104}]

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel]
    “{031E4825-7B94-4dc3-B131-E946B44C8DD5}”=-

  7. How to Create A New Library In Windows 7 » My Digital Life
    January 5th, 2009 03:40
    1

    [...] There is also trick to hide or show the libraries on Windows 7 Navigation Pane. [...]

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