Change the Default Save Folder for Windows 7 Libraries to Something Else (Like Your Dropbox)

 

Are you tired of having your documents, music, and pictures scattered across multiple folders and drives? Do you want to centralize your file storage and make it easier to access and share your files? Windows 7's Libraries feature is a great way to organize your files, but did you know that you can change the default save folder for each library to something else, like your Dropbox account?

 

What are Windows Libraries?

 Windows 7 introduces a new feature called Libraries, which allows you to group related files from different locations into a single folder. For example, you can create a "Documents" library that includes folders from your desktop, documents folder, and cloud storage services like Dropbox. This makes it easy to access and manage all your files in one place.

 

Default Save Folder vs. Target Folder

 When you create a new file or folder, Windows saves it to the default save folder specified in the library's properties. However, you can change this default save folder to something else by specifying a target folder. The target folder is the location where new files will be saved instead of the default save folder.

 

How to Change the Default Save Folder for Windows 7 Libraries

 1. Open the Start menu and click on "Computer" or "This PC" (depending on your Windows 7 version).

2. Click on the "Libraries" folder in the left-hand menu.

3. Right-click on the library you want to modify (e.g., "Documents", "Music", etc.) and select "Properties".

4. In the Properties window, click on the "Target" tab.

5. In the "Target" field, enter the path to the new location where you want to save files (e.g., your Dropbox account).

6. Click "Apply" and then "OK" to save the changes.

 

Example: Changing the Default Save Folder for Documents Library to Dropbox

 

Let's say you want to change the default save folder for the Documents library to your Dropbox account. Here's how:

 

1. Open the Start menu and click on "Computer" or "This PC".

2. Click on the "Libraries" folder in the left-hand menu.

3. Right-click on the "Documents" library and select "Properties".

4. In the Properties window, click on the "Target" tab.

5. In the "Target" field, enter: `C:\Users\YourUsername\Dropbox\Documents`

6. Click "Apply" and then "OK" to save the changes.

 

From now on, when you create a new document or save an existing one, it will be saved directly to your Dropbox account instead of the default Documents folder.

 

Tips and Variations

 * You can change the target folder for multiple libraries at once by selecting multiple libraries in the Libraries folder and then right-clicking on them and selecting "Properties".

* You can also use environment variables (e.g., `%USERPROFILE%\Dropbox\Documents`) instead of hard-coding the path.

* If you're using a cloud storage service like Google Drive or OneDrive, you can use their respective folders as target folders.

* Experiment with different target folders and see what works best for your workflow!

 

By changing the default save folder for your Windows 7 libraries, you can streamline your file management process and make it easier to access and share your files across multiple devices and platforms. Try it out today!