Windows 7 Libraries

For many there seems to be a bit of confusion as to the purpose of Windows 7 Libraries. So I thought a quick tutorial might encourage those who have been reluctant to experiment with this extraordinary feature to reconsider and give Libraries a try.

Note: Libraries are user-defined collections of folders that are logical representations of user content. By including folders in Libraries the user is telling Windows where his or her important data is located.

I have a many megabyte collection of music singles and albums. And although I very seldom listen to most of them, I’d not feel comfortable knowing they were not all only a mouse click away.

My favorite singles have always resided in Windows Explorer’s Pictures/My Picture folder. The remaining singles and albums are sorted into four collections (folders) based on their popularity.

Unfortunately the four collections collectively require over 90 megabytes of disk space. Too many megabytes to include on my C: drive. So I’ve relegated them to my second internal hard drive - D: (which I of course back up to an external hard drive).

Prior to Windows 7 if I decided to play a seldom selected selection in any one of the individual collections I had to open my D: drive, try to remember in which collection the selection was stored, and then had to open and search through that collection for the single or the album.

But now with Windows 7 I can expeditiously find any single or album in my collection because I added my four collection folders to my Music Library by:
1. Clicking on Start > Music (the Library folder that by default points to my Windows Explorer “My Music folder” where my favorite music is stored).
2. Clicking on (0 locations) of “Music Library: includes 0 locations” located in the upper left hand corners of the Music Library.
3. Clicking on Add and then scrolling down to my D: Drive, clicking on Collection 1 and on the Music Libraries Location panel clicking “Include folder”.
4. Following the same steps to add my other three collections.

Now when I click Start and Music my Music Library includes my default Drive C: Windows Explorer My Music folder followed by my four internal Drive D: music collection folders.

Note: Had my four collections been sorted on an external hard drive I’d have followed the same steps.

Following these simple steps even the most novice user can organize their Music, Pictures, Videos and Documents into efficient, easy to access Libraries.