Solved File Explorer phantom folders

A strange phantom/duplicate folder has suddenly shown up if using Move/Copy Items in File Explorer. As the screenshot below shows, both Documents & Pictures have a second folder which contains everything that is in the 'real' folders. If I hover over the extra folder it gives a creation date of 29/01/2023. These extra folders don't show up in the main Explorer window. All libraries are in the default place.

Any ideas please?

Hi there @JLYork

How is it going? And welcome to the forum.

First off you could try on the duplicate folders going to the Folder Properties > Location > Restore Default Location button, and then clicking YES to the "Move all documents" dialog.

Else, go to Folder Options > Advanced Settings > Navigation Pane and unchecking "Show All Folders" and unchecking "Show Libraries"

James said:

Hi there @JLYork

How is it going? And welcome to the forum.

First off you could try on the duplicate folders going to the Folder Properties > Location > Restore Default Location button, and then clicking YES to the "Move all documents" dialog.

Else, go to Folder Options > Advanced Settings > Navigation Pane and unchecking "Show All Folders" and unchecking "Show Libraries"

Click to expand...

Thanks James, good to have a forum to help with Windows 11 issues!

If I hover over the duplicate folder (the yellow icon ones) I don't get the option to to do the location change but I can see that the location is given as been on the C: drive in OneDrive. I don't use OneDrive and actually uninstalled it ages ago - can't understand why it's reappeared and then only for Documents & Pictures?

JLYork said:

Thanks James, good to have a forum to help with Windows 11 issues!

If I hover over the duplicate folder (the yellow icon ones) I don't get the option to to do the location change but I can see that the location is given as been on the C: drive in OneDrive. I don't use OneDrive and actually uninstalled it ages ago - can't understand why it's reappeared and then only for Documents & Pictures?

Click to expand...

Just found a way to delete the OneDrive folders - library properties list included libraries, so I just deleted the OneDrive folders.

JLYork said:

Just found a way to delete the OneDrive folders - library properties list included libraries, so I just deleted the OneDrive folders.

Click to expand...

That’s great! Is there any other way in which you need assistance with this topic? If not, click mark as solved.