In the vast landscape of Windows, users have often resorted to hiding or locking specific files and folders that house sensitive or personal information. While encryption software and individual folder locks can prove effective, they can be tedious when dealing with a vast number of such files. Instead of tediously hiding each one, wouldn’t it be more efficient to cluster these files in a single location and then cloak its presence entirely? That’s where the idea of hiding an entire drive or partition in Windows comes into play. By doing so, you can keep an entire collection of sensitive files out of sight, ensuring they remain clandestine. While the hidden drive disappears from the familiar realms of Windows File Explorer, savvy users can still access it via command prompt or by simply keying in the drive letter in the Explorer’s address bar. To the casual observer or an unaware individual using your PC, this hidden drive remains a secret, ensuring your confidential data remains shielded. This risewindows guide takes you on a step-by-step journey, illustrating how to obscure a drive or partition from File Explorer on Windows 11/10/8/7, particularly harnessing the power of the Registry Editor.
Using Registry Editor, how to Hide a Drive or Partition from File Explorer on Windows 11/10/8/7?
Follow these steps to hide a Drive or Partition from File Explorer on Windows 11/10/8/7 through Registry Editor:-
Step 1. First, open Registry Editor.
For that, press and hold the Windows logo key and then press the R key from the keyboard to open the Run dialog box. Then, type regedit in the Run box and hit Enter from the keyboard to access Registry Editor.
Step 2. In the Registry Editor window, navigate or browse for the following key from the left side pane:-
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
If the Explorer key does not exist on your PC, right-click on the Policies key, select New, and then Key. Name the newly created key as Explorer.
Step 3. After that, please right-click on the Explorer key, select New, and then DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it NoDrives.
Step 4. Next, double-click on NoDrives REG_DWORD and select the Decimal radio button. Lastly, enter a proper number in the Value data field to hide your desired partition. For instance, if you need to hide drive “D,” type “8” in the Value data field.
Here is a list of the values (decimal numbers) you need to enter for a few different drive letters:-
- A: 1
- B: 2
- C: 4
- D: 8
- E: 16
- F: 32
- G: 64
- H: 128
- I: 256
- J: 512
- K: 1024
- L: 2048
- M: 4096
- N: 8192
- O: 16384
- P: 32768
- Q: 65536
- R: 131072
- S: 262144
- T: 524288
- U: 1048576
- V: 2097152
- W: 4194304
- X: 8388608
- Y: 16777216
- Z: 33554432
- ALL: 67108863
So, if you want to hide or disappear more than one drive at a time on Windows, add the values of the drives that you want to hide. For example, if you want to hide the drives A, B, and C, you need to enter 7 (1+2+4) in the NoDrives Value data field as the decimal value.
You can even hide the Windows installation drive (usually the “C”) without corrupting your system. When you want your drives back in File Explorer, just set NoDrives Value data to 0.
Also Read: How to Change or Assign a Drive Letter to Existing Partition using Sordum Drive Letter Changer?
Conclusion
Hiding an entire drive or partition in Windows is an efficient approach to shield large collections of sensitive files without the need for individually locking or encrypting them. While such a hidden drive might be out of sight in the Windows File Explorer, it’s essential to remember that knowledgeable users can still access it if they know the drive letter or use command prompt tricks. The method of using the Registry Editor as detailed above provides a streamlined way to hide drives in Windows 11/10/8/7. Ensure you follow each step meticulously and have backups in place, as editing the registry can potentially harm your system if not done correctly.
