Add or Remove Folders from This PC in Windows 10  

It was worth a shot, but it looks like it may be set to save to that folder by default causing it to show.

devnull said:

Prior to my updating to Win 10 v.1903 (build 18362.267) earlier today, I was able to remove the Desktop folder from the "This PC" window by creating the "ThisPCPolicy" String value in the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{B4BFC C3A-DB2C-424C-B029-7FE99A87C641}\PropertyBag" subkey with its value set to "Hide". Now, that does not work. Suggestions? Thanks for any assistance!

Hello,

Just to verify, did you try using the .reg file download in step 4 of Option 2, and restart afterwards?

Add or Remove Folders from This PC in Windows 10

@devnull,

As a test, see if using the .reg file may make any difference for you.

I just tested it on my system to see if anything may have changed, but it still works for me to remove the Desktop folder from This PC.

@Shawn
Well, your .reg file worked, of course. But here's the thing, the data in my manually edited subkey HKLM|||WOW6432Node|||{B4BFCC3A-DB2C-424C-B029-7FE99A87C641}\PropertyBag ("|||" pipe symbols are edited-out text, for abbreviation), *before* merging your .reg file for this subkey, was *identical* to the data in the same subkey *after* merging your .reg file. There is, however, one difference, and I'm thinking that this seemingly (to me) inconsequential difference in the two "versions" of this subkey may have made the difference in the result. Here are the "before" and "after" screenshots of the relevant subkey:

BEFORE:


AFTER:


As you can see, the difference is in the order of the values. In the "before" version of the subkey, the "ThisPCPolicy" value was the second of three values; in the "after" version of the subkey, the "ThisPCPolicy" value is the third of three values.

Would this difference in the order in which the values were listed explain why the "before" version did *not* succeed in removing the "Desktop" folder, while the "after" version of the same subkey *did* succeed? And, if so, why?

Thanks!

The value order in the right pane doesn't matter.

The order would be the same order you created them. Newest on bottom.

If you refresh the window or open and close regedit, they will be in the default alphabetical order.

The only thing I can think of is maybe a typo when previously done manually??

Did you restart the explorer process after the changes? If not, there may have been a delay before getting applied causing just a coincidence with the value order.

I see no reason unless you didn't restart the explorer process or sign out/in to apply, and it was just a coincidence until it applied on its own.

FWIW. . . I decided to experiment with the HKLM|||WOW6432Node|||{B4BFCC3A-DB2C-424C-B029-7FE99A87C641}\PropertyBag subkey by *deleting* the "ThisPCPolicy" value in the subkey. I then checked the "This PC" window, refreshed it, and Lo and Behold, the "Desktop" folder was still *not* shown. I then rebooted my PC three times, and it still did not show in the "This PC" window.

I then deleted the "ThisPCPolicy" value in the *other* relevant subkey---"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{B4BFC C3A-DB2C-424C-B029-7FE99A87C641}\PropertyBag", which was the only subkey that I had needed to configure in the past (prior to the upgrade to v.1903) in order to accomplish the removal of the "Desktop" folder---and refreshed the "This PC" window, and the "Desktop" folder re-appeared immediately in the "This PC" window. I next re-created and configured the "ThisPCPolicy" value in this same subkey, refreshed the "This PC" window, and the "Desktop" folder immediately disappeared.

I can't explain what is going on here as far as the inconsistent behavior with the HKLM|||WOW6432Node|||{B4BFCC3A-DB2C-424C-B029-7FE99A87C641}\PropertyBag subkey goes, but at this point, the creation of a "ThisPCPolicy" value in this subkey to remove the "Desktop" folder is *not* necessary, which is consistent with my past experience prior to upgrading to v.1903 yesterday.