Libraries: Frequently asked questions
Here are answers to some common questions about libraries.
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Libraries are collections where you can get to all your documents, music, pictures and other files in one single place. In some ways, a library works like a folder: you can use it to browse and sort files. But unlike a folder, a library gathers files that are stored in several locations. This is a subtle, but important, difference. Libraries don't actually store your items. They pull from folders that contain your items, and let you open and arrange the items in different ways. For example, if you have music files in folders on your PC and on an external drive, you can get all of your music files from the Music library.
How libraries appear in File Explorer
Windows has four default libraries: Documents, Music, Pictures and Videos. You can also create new libraries.
To create a new library
Open File Explorer by swiping in from the right edge of the screen, tapping Search (or if you're using a mouse, pointing to the upper-right corner of the screen, moving the mouse pointer down, and then clicking Search), entering File Explorer in the search box, tapping or clicking Apps, and then tapping or clicking File Explorer.
Tap or click Libraries.
Tap or click the Home tab, tap or click New item, then choose Library.
Enter a name for the library, then press Enter.
To add or remove a folder
Libraries can include up to 50 folders.
To change where the items in a library are saved, or choose which kind of file a library is optimised for
The save location is where the items you put in a library typically get saved. Optimising a library for a certain kind of file (such as music or pictures) changes the options that are available for arranging the files in that library.
Open File Explorer by swiping in from the right edge of the screen, tapping Search (or if you're using a mouse, pointing to the upper-right corner of the screen, moving the mouse pointer down, and then clicking Search), entering File Explorer in the search box, tapping or clicking Apps, and then tapping or clicking File Explorer.
Select the library you want to change.
Tap or click the Library Tools tab, then do one of the following:
Tap or click Set save location and pick a new location.
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Tap or click Optimise library for and pick a different kind of file.
If you delete a library, it's moved to the Recycle Bin. The files and folders that you accessed through the library aren't deleted. If you delete any of the four default libraries (Documents, Music, Pictures or Videos), you can quickly create it again. Tap or click the Library Tools tab, then tap or click Restore settings.
If you delete a folder that you added to a library, it's removed from the library, but not actually deleted. If you delete items within a folder in a library, they are deleted.
Right after you add a folder to a library, searches and views of the folder might appear incomplete. This is because Windows is still indexing the folder. For more information about indexing, see Indexing and Search: Frequently asked questions.
You can include folders in a library from many different locations, such as your C drive, an external drive, or a network.
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Where is the folder stored?
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Can it be included in a library?
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On your C drive, or other internal drives on your PC
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Yes.
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On removable media, such as a USB flash drive, SD card, microSD card, CD or DVD
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No, except for folders on a special kind of USB flash drive. To check if you have this kind of USB flash drive, see if the device appears in File Explorer under Computer, in the Hard Disk Drives section. This is set by the device manufacturer, and in some cases it can be changed. Check the manufacturer's website for more info.
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On a portable external hard drive
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Yes, but the files and folders won't be available if the drive is disconnected.
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On a network
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Yes, as long as the network location is indexed, or the folder has been made available offline. (See the following question.)
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On a different PC in your homegroup
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Yes.
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On a network-attached storage (NAS) device
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No.
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This means that the folder isn't indexed on the device where it's stored. The easiest way to index it so you can include it in a library is to make the folder available offline. When you make a network folder available offline, copies of all the files in that folder are stored on your PC, and these files are added to the search index on your PC.
If the network folder has a lot of files and you don't want to have copies of them saved on your PC, you can still add the folder to a library. See Libraries: How to add or remove a folder for more info about adding network folders that aren't indexed to a library.
You might get this message if you used an app to add a folder that isn't indexed (like a network folder) to a library. Searching, sorting and filtering in the library will all be slow. To make these tasks faster, remove the location from the library. If it's important to you to keep the folder in a library, you can create a new library for only that folder so that it won't slow down searching, sorting and filtering in any other library locations.
