What is this "My Sharing Folders" Icon in My Computer and How Do I Remove It?
After installing Windows Live Messenger, I noticed a really annoying addition to My Computer… a new icon called "My Sharing Folders". So how exactly do I remove this icon I'll never use?
This icon is a shell folder used to share files between your friends that also use Windows Live Messenger. Since I never use this feature, it's good that there's a simple registry hack to remove it, similar to the hack to remove the Web Folders icon.
Manual Registry Hack
Open up regedit.exe through the start menu search or run box, and then browse down to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace
Below that key you will find a key with the name {FC9FB64A-1EB2-4CCF-AF5E-1A497A9B5C2D}, and all you have to do is delete it, preferably after exporting a copy of the key just in case.
Hit refresh in Computer and you'll see that the icon is gone. To restore it, use the download below.
Download Registry Hack
Just download, extract, and double-click on RemoveMessengerSharingFolders.reg to enter the information into the registry. The icon should now be gone. To restore, just use the RestoreMessengerSharingFolders.reg file instead.
Great article, i did a search on this a while ago. My only problem is, that it always returns!! I think its after i reboot. anyone got a soloution?
Thanks this was very helpful to me.
Thanks a bunch, it's always an irritating thingy. =D
apatch.org
this is a neat little patch for messenger live - not only can you remove the My Computer icon, you can remove just about anything, adverts, unnessesary buttons, the lot.
Now my messenger window is just a super minimal list of names, not half a screen of adverts and 'emoticons'!
Try it.