Windows Library Folders
Despite being much less prominent in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, the Windows Library files, first introduced in Windows 7, can actually be quite a useful way of collecting together various folders under a common heading.
What has been missing all along in Libraries is the ability to add a non-indexed network share.
Here are some tips to working with Library folder to make them a bit more useful.
TIP1: Windows 8.1 and Windows 10; enabling the Library folders,
- Open a file explorer window
- select the VIEW tab at the top
- in the NAVIGATION PANE dropdown, select SHOW LIBRARIES
TIP2: Moving your Library folder to a network share
- Open MY COMPUTER
- Browse to the namespace folders named DOCUMENTS, MUSIC, DOWNLOADS etc (Note, these are NOT the Library folders, but the folders that are inside the Library folders)
- Right-click on the folder you want to move to a network location, such as DOCUMENTS
- Select the LOCATION tab. If you don't see that tab, you're on the wrong folder.
- Click the MOVE button
- Browse to the network location you want to use and select it
TIP3: Adding a network folder locations to a Library folder
- Create a folder on your HDD, such as C:\Links
- Create a subfolder named something like NAS-DOCS
- Add the sub-folder to your desired Library (right-click the Library folder and use the ADD folder option)
- Open an elevated command prompt window
- Navigate to the first folder you created C:\links
- Delete the NAS-DOCS folder
- Create a new linked folder with the same name, with the target set to the network drive
mklink /d NAS-DOCS "\\Network Server\Shared Folder To Map"
tinsleyNET IT Services Consultant
IT Support for small to medium sized businesses, home office workers and home users across the West Midlands and Shropshire.
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