Organise Files Using Libraries in Windows 7

Organise Files

Using Library Folders in Windows 7

Release : 23 July 2010

Field : Organisational Behaviour

Focus : Optimised Business Systems Process

Introduction

With the widespread acceptance of Windows 7 a new system has emerged for organising files stored in different folders and network locations.  Libraries are Microsoft's attempt to simplify the task of finding related files, stored in different places, by providing a central index called a library.

My Libraries

Here are my current library folders:

The Documents, Music, Pictures and Videos libraries are included as default folders with Windows 7.  So far I have added two libraries to play around with this feature of Windows; eBooks and my business folder F# Productions.

New Libraries

Adding new libraries is quite straightforward and behaves exactly the same as creating a new folder.  The simplest way is to open Windows Explorer, the inbuilt file manager for Windows and navigate to the root Libraries folder.  Right clicking the Library folder, or the window space in the file pane, and selecting New will present the option New Library.

If you are an advocate of efficient computing and prefer keyboard commands (a.k.a. keyboard shortcuts or keyboard accelerators) then the standard  {ALT} {F} for File, {W} for neW and {L} for Library will do the job.

Give your new library a name!  You are now ready to add folder locations to your library.  For this demonstration I will walk through creating an eBooks libary.

Adding locations to libraries

The first location to add is really easy because Windows offers a nice prompt:

At this point you can simply press the button to include a folder.  A standard Explorer window will open so you can navigate to and select a folder:

Note: The first folder you include in a library becomes the default save location for that library.  

While libraries are referred to as virtual folders if you drag-and-drop then Windows needs to know where to put the actual file.  That location is this, the first, included folder.

Now, the real power of libraries will not become apparent until you add more locations.  So you need to know how to add more folders.

Adding More Locations to a Library

The simplest and most intuitive method, not surprisingly, is to add a folder when you are looking at it.

This is where the context menu really shines.  The RightClick menu on any folder in Windows Explorer now incorporates a menu item to add the folder to a library:

Simply point and click to select the library you want to add the folder to.  Done!

The two other ways to add a folder to a library are both available only when you are browsing in the library folder itself.  The old school method is to access the Properties of the library folder.  The WindowsWay is to click the "location" hyperlink shown under the library name at the top of the files pane.

RightClick Library Properties
In the Windows Explorer you can RightClick on any Library and select the last context menu item, Properties.  Note this does not work if you click on any of the folders contained within a library.  Make sure you RightClick on the name of the Library file you wish to add to.

The option to Include a Folder is obvious so while we are here you might like to set the type of this library.  What you optimise for will affect the way items are indexed in the library.  Music files are indexed differently to documents, for example.

The eBooks folder here is intended to contain PDF files so we optimise for Documents.

The WindowsWay

Returning to our original purpose, the remaining method to add a location to a folder is to click the hyperlink shown under the library name in the folder pane:

Clicking this hyperlink will open a new dialog window:

Clicking the Add button opens a new Explorer window where you can browse to a desired folder.  

Note that when you browse to the desired folder, in this case a folder called "Training and Development" on the E:\ drive that only folders are displayed.  A warning shows in the file pane No files match your search where files would normally be displayed.  

This is the WindowsWay of hiding information and it is not an error.  As previously mentioned you can add individual files to a library however the intention here is to add a location.  For this reason files are hidden during this process.

In the bottom right hand corner of the dialog  press the Include Folder button.  Done!

Arrange by: Warning?
If you add resources on removable media or network locations you may encounter some disturbing results!  Changing the Arrange by: option in the top right hand of the file pane to anything other than Folder for remote locations will not work!

If you select arrange by Name or Tag for example there may be no results!  To check your files are safe and intact, select arrange by Folder to satisfy yourself what you added to the library is still there.  Simply, these locations are non-indexed and have no information for the selected view type.


A Quick Wrap
Just remember that adding folders to a library is intended to help you find your files in one location.  Your files are still stored wherever you put them in the first place.  

A library is basically a collection of shortcuts and often referred to as a virtual folder.  You can drag-and-drop a file onto a library (I personally don't recommend it) and those files will move to the default save location.  

Also, just because a library is called eBooks does not mean it can only contain eBooks.  If you include pictures or music they will show up regardless.

With a little preparation and practice using Libraries should help you find what you're looking for faster.  While far from perfect they can truly improve your workflow and help you get more done in less time.


Reference Links
Microsoft | Working with Libraries
MyDigitalLife | How to Create A New Library In Windows 7
Microsoft | Create a new Library

Microsoft | Working with the Navigation Pane

MSDN | Inside Windows 7 | Introducing Libraries
WindowsStreamBlog | Understanding Windows 7 Libraries



A Useful Tool
To make the job of managing libraries easier, an Australian software developer who goes by the net-name of Mr Bungle put together a small app that utilises a built in command line utility for Windows 7.  It allows you to easily manage libraries, include networked folders and change settings like the default save location.  It is a free app.

You can read about it and download it free from the review site or his own web site:
AddictiveTips | Windows 7 Library Tool | Review site
Win 7 Library Tool | Mr Bungle's Page


Comments and Questions Welcome