Deleting a Library

by Barry Dysert
(last updated December 21, 2020)

Over the course of time, you may find that you're no longer using a library—perhaps you're just content to navigate directly to the folder or you place the folder in Quick Access. You can delete the library quite simply. It's important to note that deleting the library does not delete the folders or files that the library contains. Since a library is essentially a container that points to the original files, deleting the library removes this container but leaves the original files and folders in their existing location. A list of available libraries is shown in the following figure. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. Available libraries.

If you want to delete a library, say the Spreadsheets library, it's a simple matter of right-clicking the Spreadsheets library in the left pane and clicking Delete from the Context menu. The library is deleted, but the folders and files to which it pointed still remain intact.

You may be prompted with a confirmation message asking if you're sure you want to delete the library. Clicking "Yes" will cause the library to be deleted; clicking "No" will leave the library intact.

Remember that deleting a library does not delete the files and folders contained within the library. This is because libraries are simply symbolic collections of files and folders.

 This tip (11991) applies to Windows 7 and 10.

Author Bio

Barry Dysert

Barry has been a computer professional for over 35 years, working in different positions such as technical team leader, project manager, and software developer. He is currently a software engineer with an emphasis on developing custom applications under Microsoft Windows. When not working with Windows or writing Tips, Barry is an amateur writer. His first non-fiction book is titled "A Chronological Commentary of Revelation." ...

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