Open the Libraries Properties Window
Open the Libraries Properties Window
One of the new features introduced in Windows 7 is the Library feature. We've discussed the Library and how it works in previous articles, however in this guide we are going to take it a step further and show you how to make the most out of this new Windows 7 feature.
Libraries Rock!
One of the great things about libraries is that they are virtual directories of other folders on your computer, so if you have three different folders that contain pictures and those same folders are part of the Pictures Library, (notice that I say part of the library and not a file inside the library) when you open the Pictures Library, the contents of the three folders will appear.
This is possible because the Picture Library 'references' three folders containing pictures. So it appears that the contents of the three folders are in the Picture Library when in fact they are not. Make sense?
Although it may sound a bit confusing, once you get the hang of libraries and how they work in Windows 7, you will realize how novel the concept actually is.
In this guide I will show you how to include additional folders to a library so that you can take advantage of this feature in Windows 7.
Note: By default the Pictures library includes shared directories and your personal pictures folder stored in the user folder. Library contents are dependent on the user that is logged in to Windows.
Open the Libraries Properties Window
To include additional locations in a Library in Windows 7, you must first open the Library's properties window.
1. Open the Library you wish to customize and click Organize directly below the addres bar in Windows Explorer.
2. When the menu expands click Properties from the list.
The Properties window will open for the Library you are viewing.
When the Library's Properties window opens you will be presented with a single tab titled Library.
A. Here you will see a list containing the existing locations included in the library you selected (default includes a shared directory and your personal pictures folder). You will also notice that one of the library locations will have a checkmark next to it.
The checkmark indicates that the library location is the default location for the library selected.
This means that if you drag a file to the Pictures Library, the photo you drag to the Library will be moved to the default location selected.
So make sure that the default location is where you want all of your pictures to reside.
3. When you are ready to add a location to the library, click Include a folder...
A dialog box will appear prompting you to select the folder to include in the library you selected.
4. Use the dialog box to navigate to the folder you wish to include in the selected library, select the directory and click Include Folder.
Note: When trying to include a location in a library you may encounter and error stating that the location has not been indexed. If this is the case you can only add the location once it has been added to the Windows index.
Once you include the location in the Library it will become available when you return to the Library you selected. You will notice that images from the directory will appear in the Pictures library along with images from other directories, just as if they were in the same folder.
Now that you know how to customize your Windows 7 libraries with additional locations, you may want to learn how to take advantage of Snap in Windows 7.
One of the new features introduced in Windows 7 is the Library feature. We've discussed the Library and how it works in previous articles, however in this guide we are going to take it a step further and show you how to make the most out of this new Windows 7 feature.
Libraries Rock!
One of the great things about libraries is that they are virtual directories of other folders on your computer, so if you have three different folders that contain pictures and those same folders are part of the Pictures Library, (notice that I say part of the library and not a file inside the library) when you open the Pictures Library, the contents of the three folders will appear.
This is possible because the Picture Library 'references' three folders containing pictures. So it appears that the contents of the three folders are in the Picture Library when in fact they are not. Make sense?
Although it may sound a bit confusing, once you get the hang of libraries and how they work in Windows 7, you will realize how novel the concept actually is.
In this guide I will show you how to include additional folders to a library so that you can take advantage of this feature in Windows 7.
Note: By default the Pictures library includes shared directories and your personal pictures folder stored in the user folder. Library contents are dependent on the user that is logged in to Windows.
Open the Libraries Properties Window
To include additional locations in a Library in Windows 7, you must first open the Library's properties window.
1. Open the Library you wish to customize and click Organize directly below the addres bar in Windows Explorer.
2. When the menu expands click Properties from the list.
The Properties window will open for the Library you are viewing.
When the Library's Properties window opens you will be presented with a single tab titled Library.
A. Here you will see a list containing the existing locations included in the library you selected (default includes a shared directory and your personal pictures folder). You will also notice that one of the library locations will have a checkmark next to it.
The checkmark indicates that the library location is the default location for the library selected.
This means that if you drag a file to the Pictures Library, the photo you drag to the Library will be moved to the default location selected.
So make sure that the default location is where you want all of your pictures to reside.
3. When you are ready to add a location to the library, click Include a folder...
A dialog box will appear prompting you to select the folder to include in the library you selected.
4. Use the dialog box to navigate to the folder you wish to include in the selected library, select the directory and click Include Folder.
Note: When trying to include a location in a library you may encounter and error stating that the location has not been indexed. If this is the case you can only add the location once it has been added to the Windows index.
Once you include the location in the Library it will become available when you return to the Library you selected. You will notice that images from the directory will appear in the Pictures library along with images from other directories, just as if they were in the same folder.
Now that you know how to customize your Windows 7 libraries with additional locations, you may want to learn how to take advantage of Snap in Windows 7.
