Windows 7: Drive Letters - Show Before or After Name in Computer

   Information

This will show you how to have the drive letters in the Computer (My Computer) window show before or after the drive name in Vista and Windows 7.

   Note

Special thanks to our member Ustahl for pointing this out here.

OPTION ONE

Using a REG File Download

1. To Show all Drive Letters After the Drive Name for All Users

A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
NOTE: This is the default setting. This will override steps 2 and 3.

Show_Drive_Letters_After_All_Users.reg

B) Go to step 4.

2. To Show all Drive Letters Before the Drive Name for All Users
NOTE: This will override steps 1 and 3.

A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.

Show_Drive_Letters_Before_All_Users.reg

B) Go to step 4.

3. Show all Drive Letters Before Drive Name for Only Current User (you)
NOTE: This step will be overridden by step 1 or 2 above.

A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.

Show_Drive_Letters_Before_Current_User.reg

4. Click on Save, and save the .reg file to the desktop.

5. Right click on the downloaded .reg file and click on Merge.

6. Click on Run, Yes, Yes, and OK when prompted.

7. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply.

8. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

OPTION TWO

Manually in Registry Editor

1. Open the Start Menu, then type regedit in the search box and press Enter. (see screensshot below)

2. If prompted by UAC, click on Yes in the UAC prompt.

3. For Only Current User (you)

A) In regedit, navigate to the locations below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

B) Do either step 5 or 6 for what you wanted to do.

4. For All Users on the Computer

A) In regedit, navigate to the locations below. (see screenshot below)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

B) Do either step 5 or 6 for what you wanted to do.

5. To Show the Drive Letters Before the Drive Name

A) In the right pane, right click on a empty area and click on New and DWORD (32-bit) Value. (see screenshot above)

B) Type ShowDriveLettersFirst and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

C) Right click on the ShowDriveLettersFirst and click on Modify. (see Screenshot above)

D) Type the number below for what you want, and click on OK. (see screenshot below)

   Note

• 1 = Drive letters displayed first for remote drives only.
• 4 = Drive letters displayed first for all drives.

E) The registry will now look like this. (see screenshot below)

F) This step depends on if you did step 3 or step 4 above.

• If you did step 3, then be sure to also do step 6 at the step 4 location.
• If you did step 4, then be sure to also do step 6 at the step 3 location.

G) Go to step 7.

6. To Show all Drive Letters After the Drive Name
NOTE: This is the default setting.

A) Right click on the ShowDriveLettersFirst (if available) and click on Delete. (see screenshot above)

B) Click on Yes to confirm deletion. (see screenshot below)

C) This step depends on if you did step 3 or step 4 above.

• If you did step 3, then be sure to also do this at the step 4 location.

7. Close Regedit.

8. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply.