How to Show or Hide Drive Letters in Windows 11 File Explorer

Written byRichardTech Writer, IT Professional

Dec 5, 2022 Updated Apr 16, 2026 2 min read

This guide shows you how to manage the drive letters that appear next to your storage drives in Windows 11. These letters, such as C: or D:, help your computer identify where your files are stored.

Why do this?

Some users prefer a cleaner look in File Explorer and want to remove the letters. Others need them visible to quickly tell their internal hard drives apart from external USB drives.

What happens when done?

Once you change these settings, your File Explorer will either display the drive letter next to the drive name or hide it entirely, depending on your choice.

Change settings using Folder Options

This is the easiest way to control drive letter visibility.

1. Open the File Explorer folder options.

2. When the File Explorer Folder Options window appears, click on the View tab.
3. Look for the box labeled Show drive letters.
4. Check the box to show the letters, or uncheck it to hide them.
5. Click OK to save your changes.

Change settings using the Registry Editor

If you prefer using the advanced settings menu, you can edit the Windows Registry.

Note: This step requires admin privileges.

1. Open the Windows Registry.
2. Navigate to the following path by clicking through the folders on the left:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

If you do not see the Explorer folder, right-click the CurrentVersion folder, select New, and create a key named Explorer.

3. Right-click in the empty space on the right side of the window.
4. Select New, then choose DWORD (32-bit) Value.
5. Name this new value ShowDriveLettersFirst.
6. Double-click ShowDriveLettersFirst and change the Value data:
   • Enter 2 to hide the drive letters.
   • Enter 0 to show the drive letters.

Restart your computer for these changes to take effect.

Summary

Windows 11 allows you to customize your File Explorer by showing or hiding the drive letters under the “This PC” section. You can easily toggle this setting through the File Explorer folder options or by modifying the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer registry key. These changes help you organize your workspace and keep your folder view exactly how you like it.

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