Set Default Save Location for Library in Windows 10

Today, we'll see how to set the default save location for a library in Windows 10. This location will be used every time you save a file to the library.

Libraries are a concept introduced in Windows 7. Libraries can contains multiple paths to aggregate files from several different folders and show it under a single, unified view. A library is always an indexed location, meaning Windows Search will be completed faster in a library compared to a regular non-indexed folder.

Using the Default Save Location option, you can specify the default folder in a Library where a file or another folder will be stored when you copy, move, or save directly to the library.

For a library, you can also specify a public save location. It sets the folder in which other users can save a file or another folder when copied, moved, or saved directly to the library.

You might want to enable libraries as described here:

Enable Libraries in File Explorer navigation pane in Windows 10

To set default save location for a library in Windows 10, do the following.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Open the desired library.
3. On the Ribbon, see the "Library Tools" section. There, click on the Manage tab.
4. Click on the Set save location button.
5. In the drop-down menu, select one of the included folders to set it as the default save location.
6. Repeat the same for the "Set public save location" drop-down menu.

You are done.

Tip: You can add Set Save Location to the context menu of a library in Windows 10

There are two more ways to set the default save location for a library. Let's review them.

Set default save location for a library using the Manage Ribbon command

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Open the desired library.
3. On the Ribbon, see the "Library Tools" section. There, click on the Manage tab.
4. Click on the Manage library button.
5. The following dialog will open:There, right-click the desired folder and select Set as default save location in the context menu to set the folder as the default save location.
6. Right click the folder you want to set as the default public save location (it can be the same folder you have selected in the previous step) and select Set as public save location in the context menu.

Alternatively, you can right-click the library in the navigation pane or in the Libraries folder and configure the same using the Library Properties dialog.

Set default save location for a library using its properties

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Go to the Libraries folder.
3. Right click the desired library and select Properties in the context menu.
4. The Properties dialog will be opened. There, select the desired folder and click on the button Set save location to set the selected folder as the default save location.
5. Select the folder you would like to use as the library's default public save location and click on the button Set public save location.

That's it.