Is it possible to remove folders from Windows explorer navigation pane?

Question

Is it possible to remove certain folders from that menu? I never store anything in the documents or downloads or music or pictures or videos folders. The only one I need there is desktop. Is there a way to get rid of the other folders from showing?

Solution

-EDIT- I missed half of step 1. This should work now.

Yes you can, but it is not as easy as bigfr0g thinks. Follow these steps for each entry you wish to hide.

1. Press Win+R and type "regedit" to enter the Registry Editor.
2. Then paste: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions{THIS CHANGES DEPENDING ON FOLDER}\PropertyBag into the navigation bar.
3. You will arrive at a folder with several files. If you see a file called "ThisPCPolicy" Skip to step #6.
4. If there is no file, right-click the blank area of the folder. Hover over "New" and hit "String Value".
5. Name the string "ThisPCPolicy" and set it to a value of "Hide" Now skip to Step #7.
6. Open the file and set it to a value of "Hide"
7. Exit out of Registry Editor and make sure File Explorer is not open.
8. Open File Explorer and it should be gone. If it's not, try closing and opening File Explorer one more time.

In place of "THIS CHANGES DEPENDING ON FOLDER" add the corresponding IDs, whichever you want to hide.

Documents Folder: f42ee2d3-909f-4907-8871-4c22fc0bf756

Pictures Folder: 0ddd015d-b06c-45d5-8c4c-f59713854639

Videos Folder: 35286a68-3c57-41a1-bbb1-0eae73d76c95

Downloads Folder: 7d83ee9b-2244-4e70-b1f5-5393042af1e4

Music Folder: a0c69a99-21c8-4671-8703-7934162fcf1d

Desktop Folder: B4BFCC3A-DB2C-424C-B029-7FE99A87C641

Hope this helps. If you ever want them back, follow the same instructions, except set the value to "Show".

Comments

[Admin]

try the tool This PC Tweaker: winaero.com/comment.php?comment.news.213

[Admin]

If you are familiar with the registry and .reg files, see: How Add or Remove Folders from This PC in Windows 10

[Admin]

Yes. They are shell namespace objects and can be hidden using registry edit. Remove Quick access, Folders (6) and Other Shell Folders from File Explorer? - Ignore the Quick access part.

[Admin]

Not sure if this question is still relevant, In windows 10, you can open quick access and right click and choose remove from quick access or unpin from quick access

[TJJ]

"Unpin from Quick access" it is called.

[Ragnvaldr]

"I'm so smart because I know I'm so stupid. "- A contemporary translation of Socrates

[bdb484]

This removes the items from Quick Access, but they remain in the navigation pane under "This PC" and "Libraries."

[Defacto]

Thank you for your help