photos missing folder in navigation menu

Charlton Watkins 0 Reputation points
2026-09-05T18:09:49.97+00:00

navigation menu shows: Gallery. Favoriotes, Personal(Memories. pictures). i cloud photos. This PC (DCMI> Pictures). does not show albums or folder

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Security and privacy
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  1. Emma1-N 11,865 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-08T06:35:22.0733333+00:00

    Welcome Charlton Watkins,

    Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand that in the Microsoft Photos app, the left navigation pane shows Gallery, Favorites, Personal (Memories, Pictures), iCloud Photos, and This PC, but it does not show your albums or folders.

    Please make sure you already tried the Q&A Assist steps. In addition, please try the following.

    Could you confirm:

    • Which version of Windows are you using (Windows 10 or Windows 11)?
    • Do the missing folders exist in File Explorer under Pictures, or are they missing only within the Photos app?

    In the meantime, you can try these steps:

    Option 1: Verify folder sources in Photos

    • Open Photos
    • Select the Settings icon
    • Under Sources, check whether the folders containing your photos are listed
    • If not, select Add folder and add the missing folders manually

    Option 2: Refresh the Photos app

    • Open Settings
    • Go to Apps > Installed apps
    • Find Microsoft Photos
    • Select Advanced options
    • Select Repair
    • If the issue continues, select Reset

    Option 3: Verify the folders in File Explorer

    • Open File Explorer
    • Browse to This PC > Pictures
    • Confirm that the expected folders and photo files are still present

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Yes". If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".   

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.  

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-05T18:10:02.27+00:00

    In the current Microsoft Photos app, photos are grouped primarily by folders and Gallery, not by the old Albums model.

    If folders are not showing in the left navigation, use these steps:

    1. Open Photos.
    2. Select Gallery in the left sidebar.
    3. Select Add folder.
    4. Choose the folder that contains the photos.

    After a folder is added, it becomes visible in Photos and its contents appear in the app.

    If the missing content was from Photos legacy albums, those albums do not appear the same way in the new Photos app. To bring them into the new app:

    1. Open Photos and go to Settings.
    2. Add legacy albums from Settings, or add them from Folders in the navigation menu.
    3. Added legacy albums appear under Legacy Albums in the left navigation.

    If album copying does not work, the supported fallback is:

    1. Install Microsoft Photos Legacy from the Microsoft Store through Photos > Settings > About > Photos Legacy > Get Photos Legacy.
    2. Back up the album collection to personal OneDrive in Photos Legacy.
    3. Return to the new Photos app.
    4. Open Memories and view them under OneDrive albums.

    If the issue is that the left navigation pane itself is hidden in File Explorer, restore it with:

    1. Open File Explorer.
    2. Select View.
    3. Select Show > Navigation Pane.

    Also note:

    • Gallery is a view that shows photos from OneDrive and PC folders.
    • Adding a local folder to Gallery does not upload it to OneDrive.
    • Removing a folder from Photos only removes it from the app view; it does not delete the folder from Windows.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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