If you enable "Navigation Pane" in Windows 7 Explorer, it shows following 5 items in the pane:
- Favorites
- Libraries
- Homegroup
- Computer
- Network
This tutorial will help you in removing "Libraries" item from the Navigation pane as shown in following screenshot:
Simply follow these simple steps:
1. Type regedit in RUN or startmenu search box and press Enter. It'll open Registry Editor.
2. Now go to following key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{031E4825-7B94-4dc3-B131-E946B44C8DD5}\ShellFolder
3. Now you'll need to change value of "Attributes" DWORD value present in the right-side section. But Windows will not allow you to change its value as you won't have proper permissions.
To get permissions, first right-click on "ShellFolder" key and select "Permissions".
It'll open a new window. Select "Administrators" in user list and check "Allow" box given for "Full Control" permission.
Click on OK button to apply the changes.
4. Now double-click on "Attributes" DWORD value given in right-side section and change its value to b090010d
5. That's it. Log off or restart your system and "Libraries" will no longer present in Explorer window.
NOTE: If you want to restore "Libraries" in Navigation pane, simply change value of "Attributes" DWORD to b080010d using step 4.
PS: If you want to completely disable "Libraries" feature, you can visit following tutorial:
How to Disable “Libraries” Feature in Windows 7?
This article was posted by VG in following section: Windows 7.
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SCBright
Libraries are a nice Windows 7 new feature, if removed, it will be like Vista...
Jon Scott
Thank you, thank you, thank you,
I struggle to like windows seven and this will help.
Sam
Libraries are a horrible idea. I don't store any files on my boot drive and I don't like having my windows stuffed up with things I will never use.
Someone
I deleted key in Registry Editor that removed the Libraries sytem folder on the desktop and the navigation pane. How should I restore it?
VG
^^ You should have taken a backup first before deleting the key. Anyway here is the complete backup of the key:
Someone
Thanks.
Someone
Key doesn't work. They say some processes are currently open.
Someone
By the way I removed another key at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFWARE\Microsoft\Wind ows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\. With key as {031E4825-7B94-4dc3-B131-E946B44C8DD5}.
VG
^^ Try restore script given in following topic:
http://www.askvg.com/how-to-disable-libraries-feature-in-windows-7/
E H Hausmann
ooops! Regarding my note of yesterday, I double-double-checked my procedures and found I missed a step. Sorry for wasting your time with my note.
Indeed the Favorites, Network, Libraries and Home Group are now disabled. I'm probably wrong, bit it seems to me that the disabling process should be done one subject at a time, then the computer restarted. In any event, it seems to work superbly. Many thanks.
Ed Hausmann