This PC Pictures versus Library Pictures

Question

In Windows 8.1, if you go to Windows Explorer > This PC / Pictures > Properties / Location, you get a single location option for Pictures.

However, if you go to Windows Explorer > Desktop / Libraries / Pictures > Properties / Library you get a multiple-location option for Pictures.

What's the difference? Why aren't they the same?

My mom's computer is setup so that her old photos are in c:\Pictures, and her 2014 (current) photos are in her c:\SkyDrive\Pictures. Using the library multiple-location feature, these appear as a single location, but her SkyDrive is not consumed by her older, myriad of photos.

Then the problem arises when she attempts to access her Pictures using the WinRT file picker dialog. She selects My Pictures. But both are not setup. Indeed, it appears that the WinRT file picker dialog only shows what is setup in This PC / Pictures and not Libraries / Pictures.

If I put them all in the c:\Pictures, they are not synchronized with SkyDrive (which is a requirement). If I put them all in c:\SkyDrive\Pictures then SkyDrive is quickly filled and synching is no longer possible (which is the core problem).

What is the best way to accomplish this requirement?

PS: Thank you in advance for NOT saying "Purchase more SkyDrive space".

Answer 1

I am not sure if I fully understand what you are getting at, but I will try to help. C:\Users\User\My Pictures is just a single folder of pictures. This is what XP users are used to having.

Libraries\Pictures can be modified to be a multitude of folders. by default it includes C:\Users\User\My Pictures and C:\Users\Public\Public Pictures.

You can add whatever folders you want to libraries and it will throw them all into what appears to be a single folder of all of your magical pictures.

With Skydrive are you using the stand alone free version? Pro? Or pro with Office 365? From what I understand Skydrive Pro with Office 365 is buggy.

And to answer your question on C:\Pictures added to skydrive, you would have to move the folder to your C:\Skydrive folder. If synching is not happening because of space, there is no option but to acquire more space, if its some other reason and you are using Skydrive Pro, try clearing the cache.

Also to add folders to the Libraries, in windows explorer right click Pictures under Libraries, go to properties, click Add and browse to the folder.