Author Topic: Windows 10 Libraries  (Read 162 times)

Offline David Roth

  • Member
  • **
  • Posts: 93
    • View Profile
Windows 10 Libraries
« on: June 29, 2025, 01:26:02 PM »
Why to Libraries show up in Navigator even though they are disabled in Windows Explorer? Clicking on these go to dead links anyway.
PM 2025.6 build 8622
Windows 10 Home version 2009 with latest updates

David Roth

Offline Kirk Baker

  • Senior Software Engineer
  • Camera Bits Staff
  • Superhero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 25418
    • View Profile
    • Camera Bits, Inc.
Re: Windows 10 Libraries
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2025, 02:05:10 PM »
David,

Why do Libraries show up in Navigator even though they are disabled in Windows Explorer? Clicking on these go to dead links anyway.
PM 2025.6 build 8622

If I knew how to tell that they've been disabled in Windows Explorer, I could remove them from the Navigator.  PM is not hosting a Windows Explorer tree in itself.  It invites too much instability (we went through this before).

-Kirk

Offline Kirk Baker

  • Senior Software Engineer
  • Camera Bits Staff
  • Superhero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 25418
    • View Profile
    • Camera Bits, Inc.
Re: Windows 10 Libraries
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2025, 02:47:12 PM »
David,

I tried turning off Libraries in the "Navigation pane" section of the View tab of the Folder Options dialog, and they didn't become hidden in Windows Explorer (I'm on Windows 11).

How are you hiding yours?

-Kirk

Offline David Roth

  • Member
  • **
  • Posts: 93
    • View Profile
Re: Windows 10 Libraries
« Reply #3 on: June 30, 2025, 02:48:08 PM »
Windows 10 (running PM All-in-One): File Explorer; Options; Change folder and search options; View; uncheck Show libraries.
Windows 11 (running PM6+): File Explorer; 3 dots; Options; View; uncheck Show libraries.
No Libraries nor the root library directory now appear in File Explorer.

This hides the libraries, but apparently does not delete them. I noticed on the Windows 11 machine that the Pictures library still existed (File Explorer) and that it was the only one showing in the PM6+ Navigator because others did not exist. I was able to remove it in File Explorer by deleting it in the Libraries window and it no longer showed in PM6+ (after a reboot?). However, the root Libraries folder still shows in PM6+, but it does not expand and results in an error when clicked. I had to reveal the Libraries, as above, in order to eliminate them.

I never realized that I had Libraries on the Windows 10 machine. I guess this was automatic at installation as it was on the Windows 11 machine. I discovered that one can remove the libraries contents by right clicking the specific Library in the Libraries tree of File Explorer. The Properties window that opens displays all the directories in the library and they can be "removed". Then the Library can then be removed by deleting it from the tree and it no longer appears in PM6+.

Since I don't use Libraries, this is an acceptable solution for me.