Drives - Hide or Show Empty Drives in Computer Folder

How to Hide or Show Empty Drives in Windows 7 and Windows 8​

   Information

This tutorial will show you how to have empty removable drives to show or hide in the Computer or This PC folder in Windows 7 and Windows 8.

   Tip

If you want an empty CD/DVD drive to show in the navigation pane, you'll need to set show empty drives below, and set to show all folders in the navigation pane.

OPTION ONE

To Hide or Show Empty Drives using Folder Options

1. Open Folder Options in Windows 7 or Windows 8, and click/tap on the View tab. (See screenshot below)

2. To Show Empty Removable Drives
A) Uncheck the Hide empty drives in the Computer folder box, and click/tap on OK. (See screenshot above)
3. To Hide Empty Removable Drives
NOTE: This is the default setting.
A) Select (dot) Don't Show hidden files, folders, and drives.

B) Check the Hide empty drives in the Computer folder box, and click/tap on OK. (See screenshot above)

OPTION TWO

To Hide or Show Empty Drives using a REG File Download

1. To Show Empty Removable Drives
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below.
Show_empty_drives_in_the_Computer_folder.reg


Download


B) Go to step 3.
2. To Hide Empty Removable Drives
NOTE: This also sets to Don't Show hidden files, folders, and drives.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below.
Hide_empty_drives_in_the_Computer_folder.reg

Download


3. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

4. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

5. Click on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK when prompted.

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

7. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file on the desktop if you like.

OPTION THREE

To Hide or Show Empty Drives Manually in Registry Editor

1. Open the Start Menu, then type regedit in the search line and press enter.

2. If prompted by UAC, then click/tap on Yes.

3. In regedit, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

4. To Show Empty Removable Drives
A) In the right pane of Advanced, double click/tap on HideDrivesWithNoMedia to modify it. (see screenshot above)

B) Type 0 and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below step 5B)

C) Go to step 6.
5. To Hide Empty Removable Drives
NOTE: This also sets to Don't Show hidden files, folders, and drives.
A) In the right pane of Advanced, double click/tap on HideDrivesWithNoMedia to modify it. (see screenshot below step 3)

B) Type 1 and click on OK. (see screenshot below)

C) Go to step 6.


6. Close regedit.

7. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

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• How to Fix Missing Vista Hard Disk Partition Letter in Windows 7
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• How to Add, Change, or Remove a Drive Letter in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Rename a Drive in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
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[willus]

Steps 4 and 5 are mislabeled as of this post--s/b to show empty drives, set HideDrivesWithNoMedia to 0, and to hide them set it to 1. [This has now been corrected--see next post.]

Also, to get the settings to take effect, you can just re-start explorer (run task manager, kill the "explorer.exe" process, and then select File -> Run, and type "explorer" to re-start it).

 

[Brink]

Ooops. Thank you Willus. It has been corrected now.

 

[nabilalk]

What about hiding empty partitions of non-removable drives?

 

[Brink]

Hello Nabilalk,

If you like, you can hide them by removing their drive letter, but you will not be able to access them until you add a drive letter back to them.
Drive Letter - Add, Change, or Remove
Here's another option to hide drives, but still have access to them.
Drive - Hide or Unhide
Hope this helps.

 

[nabilalk]

Hello Nabilalk,

If you like, you can hide them by removing their drive letter, but you will not be able to access them until you add a drive letter back to them.
Drive Letter - Add, Change, or Remove
Here's another option to hide drives, but still have access to them.
Drive - Hide or Unhide
Hope this helps.

Thanks!

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome.

 

[chilirecords]

Hi,

For me on windows 8 x64, check the option "Hide empty drives in the Computer folder" doesn't work. (The disk is just grey)
I have to uncheck Folder Option --> General --> Display all folders

So it works

 

[Brink]

Hello chilirecords, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Yeah, that would show all folder in the navigation pane regardless if they have been hidden or not.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/853-navigation-pane-show-all-folders.html
Faded folders or drives are ones set to be hidden.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/394-hidden-files-folders-show-hide.html

 

[chilirecords]

Ah ok, all is clear now

Thanks a lot.

Chili

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Chili.

 

[eugenerealestat]

Thanks very much for addressing this issue. It's been driving me nuts but I should have know. Pepper

 

[Brink]

I'm glad it could Eugne, and welcome to Seven Forums.

 

[Admiral Awesome]

No,no and no:/

None of the three ways shown in this tutorial work for me. Like the late, great Rodney Dangerfield 'I get no respect...'

 

[etm]

None of the above worked for me (Win7 Ultimate x64). What solved the problem was removing a Kingston technology multi-port device that reads memory cards (miniSD, microSD, CF/MD, MS/DUO). It was hiding/blending in a 10-port USB hub.