File Explorer Missing Various Locations/Shortcuts in Navigation Pane

The Officer · 16 Oct 2020

I have been having a rather annoying issue over the last few months of my Windows Explorer in both the navigation panel and "This PC" section. The navigation panel no longer has things like "Network", "This PC", "Documents/Pictures/etc" and drive letters is missing from the navigation panel, and also from the "This PC" area, which obviously prevents quick access to those things. I have been unable to find a good fix for this since most results come up with something slightly different than mine, and attempts to implement those fixes results in nothing changing. Is there a good fix for this? Thank you in advanced. Below is an image of the situation. Compare the nav panel and this pc window to your own.

File Explorer Missing Various Locations/Shortcuts in Navigation Pane-windows-exp.png

dalchina · 16 Oct 2020

Hi, first have a look at these tutorials and more and see if any help.

When you've used them as apppropriate, please post back with an exact list of any remaining concerns. Thanks.

File Explorer Missing Various Locations/Shortcuts in Navigation Pane-1.png

Examples: (and see Related Tutorials below the main text body):
Hide or Show Libraries in Navigation Pane in Windows 10

Add or Remove Network from Navigation Pane in Windows 10

Try3 · 17 Oct 2020

I agree with Dalchina but the quickest solution would be to restore the system image you made before you did all those customisations.

Denis

The Officer · 18 Oct 2020

Thank you both for the replies, and I wish I had included those as the tutorials I had tried before making this post. I tried doing them again, but the only ones that made a difference were ones that could remove items already present in the nav pane, such as my removeable drive letters (SD/CF, X drive).

In response to Try3, this occurred after a minor system update some time ago, and since then I had to replace that image with a newer backup after some larger unrelated changes took place, terrible practice to keep only one image, I know. At the time I figured it was only a minor inconvenience that I would look into later, and it is just now catching up to me in terms of causing much unneeded hassle and trouble.

In addition to these attempts, I noticed my "Libraries" section now only has my "Desktop" as a library, and everything else (Documents, Videos, etc) is no longer there, but these libraries still exist directly in the C:\Users path. Any new ideas come to mind or did I dig a bit of my own grave with the old system image being gone?

dalchina · 18 Oct 2020

There's this too:
Restore Default Libraries in Windows 10

Ensure you have a full backup / disk image before attempting repairs in case repair actions destroy what you have.

If you create a new user for test purposes and log in as that user, do you see the same thing?

This is why tenforums members so often recommend the routine and regular use of disk imaging.. multiple dates to which you can restore things to a previous good state without spending a lot of time and effort. (Doesn't cover everything of course- e.g. if occurred too long ago).

You could try adding folders to libraries explicitly - i.e. manually.

Try3 · 18 Oct 2020

1 I take it that SFC does not help? I'm really not sure that it will except for your comment about not being able to reinstate things using the tutorials.
SFC-DISM - TenForumsTutorials [Option 3]
{note, in particular, the use of DISM to help with any faults that SFC cannot fix and that the DISM command needs to be run whilst online]
- If you have irreparable errors afterwards, please use the procedure in Option 5. That will create a list that is short enough to be posted here.

2 Or a Repair install? Despite its name, it is not an installation but a repair.
Repair Install - TenForumsTutorials

Denis

Dalchina - Congratulations on the new shrapnel.

dalchina · 18 Oct 2020

Thanks- we need the response to my question before suggesting an in-place upgrade repair install... and I have no idea if it will help here... I don't recall seeing this symptom before.

KeithM · 18 Oct 2020

Is the OP aware of the differences in the Navigation Pane when when Show all folders is toggled?

Turn On or Off Show all folders in Windows 10 Navigation Pane

File Explorer Missing Various Locations/Shortcuts in Navigation Pane-show-all-folders-.png

File Explorer Missing Various Locations/Shortcuts in Navigation Pane-show-all-foldrs-off.png

He has Show all folders checked, which means This PC is found under the NavPane Desktop folder.

His screenshot shows that subset of drives that appear on the Desktop because they are considered removable.

I thnk he should start by collapsing the NavPane folders & exploring the differences between the two modes.

Try3 · 18 Oct 2020

The officer,

dalchina said:

If you create a new user for test purposes and log in as that user, do you see the same thing?

dalchina said:

Thanks- we need the response to my question before suggesting an in-place upgrade repair install... and I have no idea if it will help here... I don't recall seeing this symptom before.

Dalchina is correct. I was getting ahead of myself. Creating a test user is the best step to take next.

Denis

KeithM · 18 Oct 2020

Try3 said:

The officer,
Dalchina is correct. I was getting ahead of myself. Creating a test user is the best step to take next.
Denis

I really think he shoould toggle Show all folders first. Look at his screenshot. This PC is still off-screen as a sub-folder of Desktop.