As a Windows 11 or Windows 10 user, you may have noticed that the File Explorer or “This PC” has some pre-existing folders like “Music“, “Pictures“, and “Videos” in the left pane. These folders can take up valuable space in the File Explorer, and if you don’t use them often, it can be annoying to see them every time you open File Explorer or This PC. Fortunately, depending on the situation, there are a few ways to remove them from the left pane of the File Explorer.
Also see: How to Disable Recent Files and Frequent Folders in Windows 11
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Use our registry hack
We have created several .reg (registry) files that you can use to remove the Music, Pictures, or Videos folder individually from “This PC” on Windows 11 and Windows 10 64-bit. Once you run the registry files, the folder will be removed from both the left pane and the right pane of “This PC”. Below is a detailed step-by-step guide that explains how to use our registry hack to remove the folder from This PC.
Before we begin, please note that making changes to your computer’s registry can be risky if you are not familiar with it. It is recommended to back up your registry or create a restore point before making any changes to avoid any potential issues.
- Download our “Remove Music, Pictures and Videos from This PC” registry hack.
- Extract the zip file.
- Run the registry hack for the folder you want to remove. For example, if you want to remove the Music folder from This PC, run the “Remove Music from File Explorer.reg” file.
- When User Account Control prompts for confirmation, click Yes to continue.
- Registry Editor will further prompt a warning to ask if you really want to do this. Click Yes to proceed.
- Reopen or refresh File Explorer or This PC. The Music folder should be removed.
- If you want to remove other folders such as Pictures or Videos, run the respective .reg files to remove them.
Suggested read: How to Preview Files, Images and Videos in File Explorer on Windows 11
Restoring the folders
If you change your mind and want to restore the folders to the left pane in “This PC,” you can find the restore .reg files in the zip file you downloaded. Simply run those files to restore the folder to This PC. For example, if you’ve removed the Music folder from This PC using the registry hack, you can run the “Restore Music to File Explorer.reg” file to restore the Music folder back to This PC.
Remove other folders from the left pane in This PC
If you want to remove all folders from the left pane in This PC or File Explorer on Windows 11 or Windows 10, follow these steps:
- Open the File Explorer by clicking on the folder icon on the taskbar or by pressing the Win + E keys.
- Click on the three-dots option icon in the File Explorer menu.
- Click on the “Options” button.
- In the Folder Options dialog box, click on the “View” tab.
- Scroll down and uncheck the “Show all folders” option.
- Click on “Apply” and then “OK” to save the changes.
Remove pinned folders from Quick access
If you want to remove folders such as Desktop, Downloads, Documents, or folders you’ve previously pinned to Quick access from the left pane in This PC, you can simply unpin them from Quick access, and those folders will be removed from the left pane.
For example, if you want to remove the “Documents” folder from being listed under Quick access on the left pane in This PC, follow the steps below.
- Open File Explorer or This PC.
- Click on Quick access in the left pane.
- Right-click on the folder that you want to remove from the left pane.
- Select Unpin from Quick access.
This will remove the folder from Quick access, which means it will no longer appear under Quick access in the left pane of This PC or File Explorer.
In closing
Removing the Music, Pictures, and Videos folders from the left pane in “This PC” can help you to personalize your File Explorer or This PC according to your preferences. By using the registry hack that we have provided, you can easily remove specific folders from the left pane.
However, we advise that you exercise caution when making changes to your computer’s registry, and it’s always recommended to back up your registry before making any changes.
