How To Add Libraries Desktop Icon in Windows 10

In Windows 7, the Libraries feature was introduced which is really a useful way to organize your files. Libraries can aggregate files from several different folders and show them under a single, unified view. In this article, we'll see how to add the Libraries desktop icon in Windows 10.

Tip: You might want to enable Libraries in File Explorer in Windows 10. See how:

Enable Libraries in File Explorer navigation pane in Windows 10

 

To add the Libraries desktop icon in Windows 10, do the following.

1. Open the Registry Editor app.
2. Go to the following Registry key.

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel

   See how to go to a Registry key with one click.

3. On the right, modify or create a new 32-Bit DWORD value named "{031E4825-7B94-4DC3-B131-E946B44C8DD5}". By default, its value data is considered as 1, which means to hide the Libraries icon from the Desktop. Set it to 0 to make the Libraries desktop icon visible.Note: Even if you are running 64-bit Windows you must still create a 32-bit DWORD value.
   
4. Press F5 on your Desktop to refresh it. The icon will appear instantly.

To save your time, you can download the following ready-to-use Registry files.

Download Registry Files

Note: Earlier in Windows 8, the File Explorer app used to show Libraries above "This PC" (Computer) in the left pane. In Windows 10, Libraries are shown below This PC. If you use Libraries frequently, you might be interested in moving them above This PC for faster access. See:

How to move Libraries above This PC in Windows 10.

Also, there is a Registry hack which will allow you to open Libraries instead of Quick Access in Windows 10. Refer to the following article:

Make Explorer open Libraries instead of Quick Access in Windows 10

Windows 10 allows you to customize icons of custom libraries which you created yourself. But the button to change the icon is not available in the properties of default libraries that Windows 10 comes with. To change the icons of default libraries, see the following article:

Change Icons of Default Libraries in Windows 10

That's it.