5 Ways to Hide Drives in Windows 10 | See the In-Depth Tutorial

Updated by

Tracy King 

Updated on April 19, 2024

With the concern about data privacy and protection from accidental deletion, hiding drives or partitions is a popular topic among many users. Therefore, in this article, we will show you 5 methods to hide drives in Windows 10, including Disk Management, free third-party software, Local Group Policy Editor, Registry, and CMD. Each method comes with detailed instructions and steps to revert the changes. Well, at least you can try them with peace of mind.

1. Option 1. Hide Drives in Windows 10 with Free Partition Manager
2. Option 2. How to Hide Drives on Windows 10 via Disk Management
3. Option 3. Hide Drives with Local Group Policy Editor
4. Option 4. Hide Drives with Registry Editor
5. Option 5. How to Hide Drives in Windows 10 with CMD

Option 1: Hide Drives in Windows 10 Using Third-Party Software

One of the easiest ways to hide a drive is by using Partition Master Free and its “Hide Partition” feature. If you don't fancy the first option, you can use the tool Partition Master to hide a partition with its “Hide” feature. Just select the target drive and click on “Hide.” It's a straightforward process, even for beginners. To show the drive again, click on “Unhide.”

Download the software and follow these steps:

Option 1 - Hidden Partition

• Right-click on the partition and select "Advanced." Choose "Hide" from the drop-down menu.
• You will see a window with a notification. Read the instructions, then click "Yes" to continue.
• Click the "Perform 1 Task" button in the upper-left corner. Then, click "Apply" to hide your partition.

Option 2 - Show partitions

• Right-click on the partition you want to view and access, and select "Advanced." From the drop-down menu, choose "Unhide."
• Read the warning message and click "Yes" to proceed.
• Click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button in the top left corner. Review the action to be performed, then click "Apply" to unhide the partition in Windows 11/10/8/7.

Please read:

Option 2: How to Hide Drives in Windows 10 Using Disk Management

Step 1: Press Windows + X, and then click Disk Management.

Step 2. Right-click on the drive you want to hide and select Change drive letter and paths...

Step 3: Remove the drive letter.

Click the drive letter, and then click the Delete button.

Hide Partition

Step 4: Tap OK to confirm.

Step 5: Click Yes when prompted with a warning.

To undo the change, follow these steps to unhide the drive:

1. Right-click the drive, and select "Change Drive Letter and Paths..." 2. Click "Add..." and then select "Assign the following drive letter." Click "OK" to confirm.

Option 3: Hide drives using Local Group Policy

Using Local Group Policy, you can hide drive icons in File Explorer. You'll still be able to access the data by typing the drive path in File Explorer's address bar.

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run command window.

2. Type “gpedit.msc” and click OK to start the Local Group Policy Editor.

3. Expand User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components.

4. Under Windows Components, double-click File Explorer.

5. Click the Standard button on the right panel.

6. Scroll down, and double-click on “Hide these specified drives in My Computer.”

7. Click Enable.

8. In the Options section, select the drive to restrict, or choose Limit all drives.

9. Click Apply, then click OK.

Note: If you want to hide the drive, return to Step 7 and click the “Do not configure” option instead.

Option 4: Hide drives using the Registry Editor

The last method to hide a drive is through the Registry, but this is not recommended for beginner users, as incorrect changes can seriously damage your computer. If you still opt for the Registry, make sure to back up all data on your device.

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keys to open the "Run" window.

Step 2: Type regedit and click OK.

Step 3: In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path:

"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer"

Step 4. Right-click on Explorer, select New, and then click DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Type NoDrives for the New value name, and then press Enter.

Step 5: Double-click NoDrives and edit the DWORD (32-bit) value.

In the "Base" section, click Decimal.

Numeric data: You should put a decimal number in the box. (The decimal equivalents are C - 4, D - 8, E - 16, F - 32, G - 64, H - 128, and so on. If you're using different drive letters, you can calculate the appropriate decimal value.) To hide drives C and D, enter 12 (4 + 8).

Step 6. Click “OK,” and then restart your computer.

Once your computer restarts, you will not be able to view hidden drives in File Explorer. As in Method 3, you can still access the hidden drive by typing the drive path (like C: or another drive) into the address bar. You can also re-enable the hidden drive by returning to Step 4 and deleting NoDrives.

Option 5: How to Hide Drives in Windows 10 Using CMD

Step 1. Press Windows + R to open the Run window.

Step 2. Type diskpart, and then click OK.

Step 3: Type each command and press Enter.

• List Volumes
• Select Volume* (* being the drive you want to hide)
• Delete Letter*

When it's done, you can open File Explorer. Your drive will be hidden under “Devices and Drives” when you click “This PC.”

If you want to reverse the changes, open DiskPart again and type “assign letter <character>” instead of “remove letter <character>.” You'll see the hidden drive in File Explorer again.

We've shown you five ways to hide drives in Windows 10. Which method do you prefer? Share this article with a button below to help others find it!

In short

Above, we've outlined five methods. Which would you like to try? For beginners, we recommend trying Method 1 or Method 2, as they are simpler. Method 4 is not recommended unless you have the expertise and caution to execute it properly.