How to enable Libraries in Windows 10 File Explorer [SIMPLE STEPS]

by Ivan Jenic

Troubleshooting Expert

October 5, 2018

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Libraries were introduced in Windows 7, and since then they become very useful way to organise your files. But, for some reason, the Libraries item is missing from the Navigation panel in Windows 10, by default.

And if you use this feature often, you might want it back, and here are a couple of ways to do it.

How can I enable Libraries in Windows 10 Explorer?

Enabling Libraries in Windows 10

To enable Libraries in Windows 10 File Explorer, follow these steps:

• Open File Explorer
• Instead of Home, go to This PC
• In the left panel, right-click the empty space to open the context menu.
• Check the Libraries item

The Libraries item will now appear in the Navigation panel.

Epic guide alert! No more File Explorer issues for you. Fix them all with the help of this extensive guide!

Customizing Libraries in Windows 10

If you want your Libraries item directly in the Home folder, instead of the Navigation panel, you can do it with a couple of registry tweaks.

• Open Registry Editor
• Go to the following Registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\

Explorer\HomeFolder\Name\Space\DelegateFolders

• After that, go to this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432\Node\Microsoft\Windows\

CurrentVersion\Explorer\HomeFolder\Name\Space\DelegateFolders

• Create the same subkey, {031E4825-7B94-4dc3-B131-E946B44C8DD5}
• Close all Explorer windows and reopen it

Libraries will now appear in the Home folder of Windows 10 File Explorer. Strangely, Libraries will be under the Favourites group, but didn’t find the way to change this.

If you can’t edit your Windows 10’s registry, read this handy guide and find the quickest solutions to the issue.

Can’t access the Registry Editor? Things aren’t as scary as they seem. Check out this guide and solve the issue quickly.

Additionally, you can open Libraries from the Run dialog box, with entering just one command. To do that, press Win and R keys at the same time and enter the following command in the Run dialog box.

shell:Libraries

This command is a special shell command which will open the Libraries folder directly in your File Explorer.

Most users don’t know what to do when the Windows key stops working. Check out this guide and be a step ahead.

Fix Libraries issues

Having an issue with your libraries can be a great problem, especially if you stock your data in those folders. For those of you having problems with libraries, we suggest you check our guide on fixing Music Library.

It is a quick fix that will basically reset your Libraries, and you can apply this fix not only for the Music folder but also for Videos, Pictures, and Documents.

That should be all, we don’t know why Microsoft decided to exclude Libraries from the default Navigation bar, but as you can see, you can easily bring it back.

If you have some questions or comments, please express yourself in the comment section, below.

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January 2015 and has been since revamped and updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.