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I am using Windows 7. I don't like the User Home Folder in the Windows Explorer navigation pane. In fact, I don't like the folder itself. I never use it, per se, and it comes up sometimes as an irritant, just to let me know it's still there. Instead, I use Explorer to go directly to the folder I need (e.g., Computer > D: > Workspace). Can/should I delete the home folder or, if not, can I at least prevent it from appearing in the WinEx navigation pane?

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  • When I click on Desktop in WinEx, I see "Ray" listed as a System Folder. Not sure if that's germane. I do have "Delete" as a context menu option there; just not sure if using that option would make life unbearably interesting.
    – Ray Woodcock
    Mar 30, 2012 at 16:59

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
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You can use Windows 7 Navigation Pane Customizer a freeware by door2windows for enabling/disabling anything on that navigation pane.

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    I tried it. It doesn't seem to be working for this. It worked for some of the other folders, though.
    – Ray Woodcock
    Mar 30, 2012 at 16:52
  • info: freeware. download link seems dead. supposedly updated to x64. moderate reviews.
    – n611x007
    Aug 19, 2014 at 10:07
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I also think it's extremely annoying the way W7 Explorer displays the folders you don't really use. Here's one way to get rid of the user folder: Menu -> Tools -> Folder options, in Navigation pane (on first tab, called General), uncheck both boxes. Then go to View tab, Apply to Folders.

uncheck navigation pane ticks

(image source)

You can right click in the Navigation pane under Libraries to that type of folder you don't use, but this didn't work for the user folder.

On my wish list for Navigation pane, when you click on a folder to display it's sub-folders, the folder you clicked should move automatically to the top of the Nav pane, or at least move up near the top, so you could see the sub-folders without having to scroll down all the time. I thought it used to do that, with XP.

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  • OH OK, I found how to set W7 Explorer so it does show all the subfolders without scrolling. Just check the second box in Tools-Folder options - Navigation pane. Uncheck only the first box to avoid the automatic display of user folder.
    – Doug
    Jan 18, 2014 at 3:25
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    Not an answer as you need "Expand to current folder" if you're ever navigating to a parent folder.
    – Turkeyphant
    Apr 16, 2019 at 16:38
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Why not redirect the home folder to where you want it to be? right click on My Documents, select Properties, select Location tab, type in the new location and click Move. Say yes when it asks to merge.

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  • I've already done that. Maybe I did it in a different way. That hasn't prevented the User Home Folder from appearing in the WinEx navigation pane. When new WinEx instances open, they do open in the desired folder -- but as a subfolder under the User Home Folder, which I don't want.
    – Ray Woodcock
    Mar 30, 2012 at 16:57
  • You keep using User Home folder - which isn't Win7 terminology. Do you mean Documents and under that is My Documents?
    – uSlackr
    Mar 30, 2012 at 17:39
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    Sorry. In the navigation pane in Windows Explorer, I see Desktop at the top. Below it, I see five first-level subfolders: Ray, Computer, Network, Control Panel, and Recycle Bin. I don't want the Ray folder to be visible, and I don't want it to be the subfolder that is opened when I start a new session of Windows Explorer.
    – Ray Woodcock
    Apr 18, 2012 at 1:23

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