How to Set Dev Drive as Trusted or Untrusted in Windows 11
A Dev Drive (a specialized storage volume built for coding projects) lets you speed up your build tasks in Windows 11 version 22H2 and newer by changing how security software checks your files.
Setting this storage space as trusted tells Microsoft Defender Antivirus to skip routine background scans so your computer runs faster. Marking the drive as untrusted turns full virus scans back on to keep your PC secure, even though it slows down your coding work.
Open Windows Terminal as Administrator and use commands like `fsutil devdrv trust :` to set it as trusted for better performance. Use `fsutil devdrv untrust :` for enhanced security, though it may be slower.
What is a Dev Drive?
A Dev Drive is a specialized storage volume built on ReFS (Resilient File System) that speeds up file operations for coding projects. Windows treats your Dev Drive trusted untrusted settings as secure by default, which helps Windows Defender run faster while protecting your important data.
Windows defaults to trusting any newly created Dev Drive. Windows Defender (the built-in security software) runs in an optimized performance mode on that volume, balancing robust security with fast file access.
Marking a Dev Drive as untrusted triggers stricter protection from Windows Defender. The program applies real-time protection protocols to untrusted Dev Drives, increasing security at the expense of potential performance overhead.
How to Set a Dev Drive as Trusted or Untrusted
Checking and changing the trust status of a Dev Drive requires a few specific terminal commands.
Step 1Open Windows Terminal as Administrator
Open Windows Terminal as administrator so you have the permissions needed to change your Dev Drive trusted untrusted settings. Click the Start button, type Terminal, right-click the app in the search results, and pick Run as administrator to open the tool.
- Click the Start menu (Windows icon in the bottom-left corner).
- Type Terminal in the search box.
- When you see Windows Terminal in the results, right-click it and select Run as administrator.
Step 2Check Your Dev Drive's Current Status
Check your Dev Drive trusted untrusted status by running a simple query command in Windows Terminal. Type fsutil devdrv query : and press Enter to see if your drive is currently trusted or set to untrusted mode.
fsutil devdrv query <drive letter>:Substitute the placeholder with the actual drive letter assigned to the storage volume. Targeting the W: drive requires entering the following command:
Windows 11 users can improve Dev Drive performance by changing its trust status from untrusted to trusted. This command activates performance optimizations. Running the `DevDriveManager.exe` tool completes the trust update.
fsutil devdrv trust W:Execution of this command marks the W: drive as trusted.
Step 4Set the Dev Drive as Untrusted
Set your Dev Drive trusted untrusted configuration to untrusted by running a command in Windows Terminal if you want maximum security. Type fsutil devdrv untrust W: and press Enter, replacing W with your actual drive letter, to turn on standard real-time protection.
fsutil devdrv untrust W:This terminal command changes the W: drive designation to untrusted.
Summary
- Trusted Dev Drive: Windows Defender runs in faster performance mode.
- Untrusted Dev Drive: Defender uses real-time protection, which is more secure but slower.
- You can easily switch between trusted and untrusted using simple commands in Windows Terminal.
Understand the Dev Drive trusted untrusted differences to choose the right security setting for your workflow. Trusted drives let Windows Defender run in a faster performance mode for coding, while untrusted drives use strict real-time protection to keep sensitive source code safe.
Learn More
Consult the official Microsoft documentation on Trusted Dev Drives for additional technical details.
How do I turn off dev drive protection?
Checking whether the dev drive feature is disabled requires opening Windows Settings, navigating to System, selecting Storage, expanding Advanced storage settings, and clicking Disks & volumes.
What is a dev drive in 🪟 Windows 11?
Heavy memory demands and file access bottlenecks often degrade system responsiveness. Microsoft created the dev drive feature built on ReFS (Resilient File System) specifically to resolve this issue by optimizing file operations for large numbers of small files.
How do I disable Dev Drive antivirus?
Navigating to Virus & threat protection settings via Manage settings allows disabling Real-time protection and Dev Drive protection where applicable.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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