Win7 Library Tool

Windows 7's Libraries feature makes it easy to find the documents, music, pictures, and videos scattered across various locations on your hard drive. Just one problem: Libraries don't support network locations. That's a pretty huge hassle for anyone who has multiple PCs, as sometimes the files you want are sitting on another hard drive. Enter Win7 Library Tool, a handy little utility that makes it easy to add network folders to your Libraries. So, for example, if I want to view the digital photos on my wife's PC, I can now add her Photos folder to my Pictures Library.

Just as handy, the tool provides a centralized location for tweaking your Library settings. It even lets you change the icons for various Libraries. But I think my favorite Win7 Library Tool feature is backups: You can save a set of libraries for later restoration, like after you've done an OS reinstall or migrated to a new PC.

Suffice it to say, this is a must-have app for anyone who spends a lot of time at the "Library."

(Need a Libraries primer? My colleague Dave Johnson, of PC World Digital Focus fame, recently produced a video showing how Libraries make searches more effective.)

Note: This program is donationware. It is free to try, but the author accepts and encourages donations towards further development.

--Rick Broida