In Windows Server environments and Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) sessions, administrators often hide local drives such as C: and D: from File Explorer for security, compliance, or user restriction purposes.
However, many IT engineers encounter situations where:
This issue commonly occurs in:
This guide explains how drive hiding works internally, how to diagnose the issue, and multiple ways to restore visibility safely.
You may notice:
C: and D: missing from “This PC”
Example:
Get-PSDrive -PSProvider FileSystem
Output:
Name Used (GB) Free (GB) Provider Root
---- --------- --------- -------- ----
C 42.45 76.94 FileSystem C:\
D 358.82 291.18 FileSystem D:\
This confirms the drives exist and are accessible.
Administrators commonly use:
Hide these specified drives in My Computer
Prevent access to drives from My Computer
Location:
User Configuration
→ Administrative Templates
→ Windows Components
→ File Explorer
Windows Explorer uses registry values:
NoDrives
NoViewOnDrive
Registry locations:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
These values use bitmask calculations to hide selected drives.
In Remote Desktop Services environments:
Even if Local Group Policy shows “Not Configured”, Active Directory Group Policies may still enforce hidden drives.
Check using:
gpresult /r
or
rsop.msc
Open:
diskmgmt.msc
Verify:
If visible here, the problem is not storage-related.
Run:
Get-PSDrive -PSProvider FileSystem
If drives appear, permissions are usually fine.
Run:
explorer.exe C:\
or:
explorer.exe D:\
If the folder opens:
Open Local Group Policy Editor:
gpedit.msc
Navigate to:
User Configuration
→ Administrative Templates
→ Windows Components
→ File Explorer
Set these policies to:
Not Configured
Policies:
Apply changes:
gpupdate /force
Run PowerShell as Administrator:
reg delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer" /v NoDrives /f
reg delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer" /v NoViewOnDrive /f
reg delete "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer" /v NoDrives /f
reg delete "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer" /v NoViewOnDrive /f
After removing restrictions:
taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
start explorer.exe
Or reboot the system.
Run:
explorer.exe shell:MyComputerFolder
This reloads the “This PC” interface.
If Explorer still hides drives:
\\localhost\c$
or
\\127.0.0.1\d$
This accesses hidden administrative shares directly.
Requirements:
Windows uses binary bitmask values to hide drives.
Examples:
| Drive | Decimal Value |
|---|---|
| A | 1 |
| B | 2 |
| C | 4 |
| D | 8 |
| E | 16 |
Example:
Registry:
NoDrives = 12
Administrators hide drives to:
Instead of hiding entire drives:
Use:
These methods are more secure and manageable.
# Remove Explorer restrictions
reg delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer" /v NoDrives /f
reg delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer" /v NoViewOnDrive /freg delete "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer" /v NoDrives /f
reg delete "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer" /v NoViewOnDrive /f# Restart Explorer
taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
start explorer.exe# Open This PC
explorer.exe shell:MyComputerFolder
Hidden drives in Windows are usually not missing or damaged. In most cases:
By understanding:
IT administrators can safely restore access and troubleshoot Windows Server environments efficiently.
