I pride myself on my computer files 'housekeeping'. Everything is always in its place and so easy to find.

Libraries will doubtless help some people, but for me they are worse than useless (no utility value, slow, take up space, create confusion) and it is vital that they can be removed from Windows Explorer. Currently the only way to do this is with a registry hack - absolutely not ideal. Please, Microsoft, make libraries entirely optional in your next service pack.

The fact that every post on this page asks for the same thing should be informative - don't impose "clever clever" features just because they are there.

Not everyone has a use for libraries - me for one. So how can I get rid of them? They take up space in Windows Explorer that I would rather use to display the folders I actually do use.

I hate Libraries.
It's confusing to people that use Windows Explorer. I don't want some entity finding my files for me and putting them in the same folders as I have them in. It's easier to click on My Documents, than it is Libraries.

I like Favorites. I can put Documents in there.. I DO NOT need Libraries.

So give people a choice. Whether to turn it on or turn it off. Make it default on.. but give us the choice to turn it off too.

Having just transferred everything from an old Windows XP to a new Windows 7 PC using Windows Easy Transfer and an external hard drive (D: drive), I hit a crazy problem with libraries which I cannot reslove. On trying to include my folders in each of the new libraries (a list of libraries was generated with names that equated to the original folder names), I found that no more than 50 could be included in any library. Interestingly, each library name included 'D;' the external hard drive.

On opening the library I found that 50 'Locations' were indicated at the top when it should have shown 1, the internal hard C: drive. It would seem that all of the libraries that the transfer program created are configured to accept folders from any location other than the C: drive and I can find no way of changing this. I agree with comments made by others, Libraries is a cumbersome feature that is causing consternation and wasted time and should either be removed or made more easily managed.

Think the additional and true value to libraries could be that individual files can be added to a library. Not folders only but single file(s) under a certain folder. If libraries are just a collection of locations where certain folders within the library sit then it should be just a step further to point to a single file(s) instead of only to a folder.
Case: You have several directories on internal/external drives with image references that you cataloged by subject. When putting together a reference mood board for say designing a sixties television show you are searching for all images relating to the sixties. In several directories spread over your disks you'll find certain images you want to put in a library that you name Sixties Show. Now instead of having to add each folder where maybe just 1 or 2 relevant reference images sit I rather add just the reference image(s) (their location). When gone through all reference images and added the relevant images to the Sixties Show library you now have them all neatly under that library and just like the folders they remain on their original position. When done with the work you can simply delete the library but the individual images remain on their original locations. Once there all in the Sixties Show library you could easily select all and tag those images all together with say 'Sixties' for a possible search on future reference once the library served its purpose and got deleted.
A function contained in many 3th party image viewers would hereby be embedded in the OS.
SP update?

LIBRARIES is the most frustrating and useless option I have ever encountered. I resent being forced to put my documents and music in a location pre-determined by Microsoft. Libraries needs to GO. OMG. WHO is the idiot that came up with this insanity?

In general, Version 7 is BAD. Who wants to look for their unfinished email in Documents? I don't want Homegroup- yet I have NO option to delete it. I don't want to keep all my photo's in one place. I DO want the START button that will take me into Excel and an alphabetized listing of all my folders. In short, I want to set up my computer the way it works best for ME - not for some faceless idiot tech at Microsoft. I want the option to elect NOT to use some of the "exciting new enhantments". (I have another name for them). This version shoves all of their new bells and whistles down your throat. And the whistles don't whistle and the bells don't ring.

I will advise anyone thinking about upgrading to Windows 7-- think twice. And then think again. It is terrible. I can't begin to list here all of the ridiculous things one is forced to do and accept in order to utilize this version. At the top of the "BAD" list is it takes away the user's options. You have little-to-no options remaining. Enhancements have been added throughout the software.. most are irritating.. few are helpful.. and you can't disable or delete any of them. You have NO CHOICE.

I am sending this software back and demanding a full refund. If and when Microsoft manages to get it together and provides a user friendly upgrade - with USER OPTIONS!!- I will try again. But this... Version 7.. is bad. Getting rid of LIBRARIES would be a great first step!

Unlike many, I was a big fan of Vista, perhaps because I participated in the beta phase. It did take me about 3-4 months for it to grow on me but as an IT Administrator Vista proved to be of tremendous value. Similarly, Windows 7 took me about 3-4 months to get used to and I have noticed many improvements. Most of these are performance related and very few are UI related.

Like many other users I perfer options ESPECIALLY when it comes to UI. Let me use my machine the way that works best for me and allows me to be more productive. I explore the nooks and crannies of any OS I use looking for ways that will enhance my experience. So I AM very familar with the way Libraries works. One can incorporate functionality similar to Libraries in other versions of Windows by using hard links. However, in my experience, the Stack By feature found in Vista far exceeds that of Libraries. Having drop down menus allowing you to Sort, Group, and Stack was super handy.

I know that most users didn't quite grasp the usefulness of Stacks, then again most users don't grasp the usefulness of Libraries either. I do understand Microsoft's aim to make the UI more user friendly. Most users will take the OS as it comes and do little to customize the UI beyond changing the background. Most of these users are satisified with a Home Premium version. Most user of Ultimate, however, tend to do more to customize the UI. I would propose that Microsoft either 1) allow a more customizable interface for at least the Ultimate version of Windows or 2) provide a unique version that caters to the needs of IT and other tech savvy users or at least provide a free UI enhancement companion app.

Features that I would welcome in such a change would be to include features and functionality from previous versions of Windows as installables in the "Turn Windows Features On or Off" link, even if these don't make since to Microsoft. Another change would be to allow ANY window or dropdown to be resizeable and to store the new size as preferences.

Win7 library is actually an very useful feature if you take a little bit of time to try to understand how it works.

First of all, a library is only a *VIEW* of a group of folders in your hard drive--it does NOT make any copy of any files or folders.

Now think of your house, think of the many windows on your house, think of how each of these window shows you a different view of the surrounding landscape.


Similarly, library allows you to have multiple different views of folders in your hard drive landscape.

But what so good about having different views of your hard drive?

Faster search for one thing.

Say, I have a library of 5 folders. When I search for a file in that library, I only have to go through 5 folders instead of the whole hard drive to look for that file.

I found two registry hacks that will disble the library in Win 7, however it will not remove it. But will alow a person to put the files where you want them. 1. http://lifehacker.com/5354879/disable-the-new-libraries-feature-on-windows-7,
2. http://www.askvg.com/how-to-disable-libraries-feature-in-windows-7/

Hope this helps.

Please give us back the good old windows explorer. I do not believe these libraries are an improvement.

Not keen on having to figure out how to use this non-option as an organizational device. I agree with the majority of the users here; PLEASE make this an option in the next release. I admit I had issues when SharePoint first rolled out at a former company and I learned how to utilize the meta-data/organization features because I had to. It was eventually the way I'd prefer to do most of my organizing; however, most users didn't understand SharePoint so some of the power users reconfigured the sites so that they had "folders" as a compromise.

Libraries are a pain if you are not sharing information; having duplicate (and triplicate) copies of documents, pictures, etc. is more distracting than controlling folders.

That's my take on it...

but my picture library stopped showing the pictures inside the folders. Used to browse the whole library from one location, now have to click into each folder. Been searching online for hours, nothing helps.

Please add the ability to disable / remove / hide the libraries feature, it adds another level of confusion about where files are stored. The screen space taken up in the explorer UI is also a waste.

As it is ,In windows xp, I just have to relocate the "my document' path,how to make the same change to library in windows 7

How can I hide/disable libraries?