Restoring the Built-in Windows Libraries

Written by Barry Dysert (last updated October 5, 2020)

Libraries are a great feature of Windows. They collect in one place files and folders that may be scattered among several disks and several folders. The libraries don't actually contain the files, so if you delete a library your files are still in place.

By default, Windows includes four built-in libraries:

  • Documents
  • Pictures
  • Music
  • Videos

These libraries are maintained by Windows in system files located at the following path. (Replace the username placeholder with the username of the person whose libraries you want to get rid of.)

C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries

It is possible to delete these built-in libraries (how to do so is covered in another Tip). Don't worry though—if you later wish you had your built-in libraries back, just follow these steps:

  1. Open a File Explorer window.
  2. Right-click the "Libraries" node in the Navigation pane at the left side of the window. Windows displays a Context menu.
  3. Select the Restore Default Libraries option.

When they are restored, they even still contain the pointers to the files and folders that they had before the library was deleted.

 This tip (12746) 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." ...

MORE FROM BARRY

Scheduling a Program to Run on a Schedule

If you have certain programs that you want to have run automatically, you can use Windows Task Scheduler to quickly set ...

Discover More

Copying Files Using the Command Line

The copy command can be a timesaver over trying to do the similar sort of thing with Windows Explorer. You can copy ...

Discover More

Filtering a Folder's Content

If you have lots of files on your computer, it is helpful to filter the files to more easily find a specific one. When ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Understanding Libraries

Windows Libraries are a great extension to the functionality of Windows Explorer. Libraries are similar to folders in ...

Discover More

Understanding the Pictures Folder

The Pictures folder is one of several system libraries specifically optimized to hold digital pictures. This tip tells ...

Discover More

Enabling Libraries in File Explorer

Windows 7 introduced us to libraries, but they're turned off in Windows 10. Here's how to get them back.

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 3 + 9?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

Newest Tips
Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.