With Windows 8.1, Microsoft introduced a set of folders inside the This PC folder. These folders include Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures and Videos. Windows 10 comes with the same set of folders in This PC. If you are interested in removing the default folders from This PC in Windows 10 and want to add some custom folder there, this article is for you. Today we will see:
- how to remove folders from This PC in Windows 10
- how to add a custom folder to This PC in Windows 10
Let's see how to do both.
The folders mentioned above are just links to the folders located in your user profile. Microsoft only provided quick access to them. This is very convenient, because you have 1-click access to these folders when you open File Explorer using the Win+E hotkey.
Not every desktop app uses the newer Open File dialog with the navigation pane and Favorites so having these folders in This PC is good. Many desktop apps still use the older Open dialog, which has Recent places and opens in the Computer/This PC location by default.
To customize these folders, you need ActiveX manipulation and some other tricks which aren't easy for the average user. Recently, I made a freeware, This PC Tweaker, which allows you to customize the This PC folder without Registry editing. This app was created for Windows 8.1, but now I have updated it to support Windows 10.
This PC Tweaker allows you now:
- to add any folder to the This PC Folder
- to remove any folder from This PC
- to change the icon for any folder in This PC
- to add some shell location like God Mode or Recycle Bin inside the This PC Folder.
Note that you cannot change the icon of special shell locations added to This PC. You can only change the icons of custom folders you add yourselves. I designed it this way intentionally to prevent you from breaking folders like Control Panel.
Follow the simple instructions below to customize your This PC folder.
How to add a custom folder into This PC in Windows 10
- Download This PC Tweaker. It is a free portable app and requires no installation.
- Extract the contents of the ZIP file you have downloaded and choose the appropriate version for your PC. This PC Tweaker works with Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. Also, there are different versions for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows (see how to determine which version of Windows you are running).
- Run the ThisPCTweaker.exe file. The application's main window will appear on the screen.
- Click the "Add Custom Folder" button. The Select Folder dialog will appear. Click on the folder that you would like to see in This PC. For example, let's add the folder C:\Data:
- Click the Select Folder button, and the folder you selected will be added to This PC.
- Let's set some icon for the folder we just added. Select it in the list and click the "Change Icon" button.
- That's it. Close the Explorer window and open it again to see the changes:
- You can also make the folder you added visible in the navigation pane. Select it in This PC Tweaker and tick the checkbox "Show in the navigation pane".
Also, you can add some shell locations to This PC (see the most comprehensive list of shell locations in Windows 8) if you are not familiar with them). There is a special button called "Add Shell Location". Click on it and pick some useful shell location to be added in This PC:
How to remove folders from This PC in Windows 10
In This PC Tweaker, select a folder. If you want to remove multiple folders at once, hold down the CTRL key on the keyboard and click them one by one to select them.
Click the Remove Selected button. The selected folders will be removed from This PC:
That's it. If you have any questions, suggestions or if you found a bug in this app, leave a comment. I hope you enjoy This PC Tweaker. I worked hard to develop it so it is easy for you to customize This PC. If you like my app, a donation will be appreciated.
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Hi, I hope that you can help. I downloaded this for windows 10, and added my documents and pictures as custom folders, and changed the icon. When I look in explorer the folders are there under This PC, but they don’t open if you click on them. They’re completely unresponsive. If I right click ‘properties’ on them, they show as being the right amount of storage, so they are the right folders not just dummy folders, but they simply don’t open or expand. Any ideas?
V
Hmm,
Paragraph title:
“How to add a custom folder into This PC in Windows 10”
and then inside the text:
“This PC Tweaker works with Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1”
Why do you state that it works for Window 10 and then you do list only previous windows versions.
You should consider updating your article.
Updated, thanks.
I changed the Documents icon in the “This PC” location by removing Documents using your application under “Customize This PC Folders” and adding it back with the custom icon. That part went smoothly….the icon changed in This PC\Documents. When I added the folder with winaero tweaker I directed it to the right location…. C:\Users\User\Documents. After going back to that location in the file browser the Documents folder opened with a short delay, but the folders inside Documents get hung up and crash explorer.exe. Anybody on Windows 10 that is thinking about using this software for that reason should look for other avenues until a fix is present.
Btw, I’m was using WinAero Tweaker 5.0.5 with Windows 10 64-bit
Thanks for the work, however, there is no download link to this, nor does the Winaero Tweaker 0.6.0.8 provide Customize This PC folder.
Which operating system you are running?
Hi, is it possible to do this using a script instead? I would rather not run a GUI on x-number of computers to make this happen, You state the following “To customize these folders, you need ActiveX manipulation and some other tricks which aren’t easy for the average user.” and my immediate thought is that this should be possible through a script ;).
So when I remove folders from This PC with your software does it permanently delete the files from USERS or does it hide them by changing the registry settings? Can I restore the deleted folders?
Thank you
The folders will be just hidden from This PC.
Click on the “restore this page to defaults” button. Its above the tweak on the toolbar.
Today, I updated to 1803 Creators Update on Windows 10. I have tried both programs This PC Tweaker and Winaero Tweaker, and neither of them will correctly add folders to This PC. It will add the folders, but once you go inside the folder you cannot delete items or open up subfolders. I’m so tired. Windows 10 is a nightmare. Everything I want is broken or will soon be broken. They are replacing everything good with everything bad. Please rescue me! PS – I prefer The PC Tweaker because the only thing that I use these programs for are to delete/add folders to This PC. I don’t need all those additional features in Winaero Tweaker. But I understand that you removed The PC Tweaker and only work on Winaero Tweaker now. I understand. However, I do want to point out that in Winaero Tweaker you can not rename a folder in This PC, but you can in The PC Tweaker.
I see. I will try to fix it.
I don’t want to depend on a third party program for this.
Is it impossible with a Powershell or Batch script? Surely it is possible.
Surely, I could do it manually, even, with the right instructions.