How to Show or Hide Empty Drives in Windows 11

Do you see empty drives in your Windows 11 File Explorer? These are storage devices like USB sticks or extra hard drives that don’t have any files on them yet. Windows 11 hides them by default to keep things tidy. But you can change this setting if you want to see them—or hide them again.

What Are Empty Drives?

Empty drives are storage devices plugged into your computer that have no files or folders saved on them. Think of a brand new USB stick or an empty SD card. Windows hides these drives automatically so your File Explorer doesn’t look cluttered with devices you’re not using right now.

Why Show or Hide Empty Drives?

Hide empty drives: If you have many storage devices connected and some are empty, hiding them keeps File Explorer clean and easier to use.

Show empty drives: If you often add or remove files and want to quickly spot which drives are empty, showing them helps you find those drives faster.

How to Show or Hide Empty Drives in Windows 11

Follow these simple steps to change the setting:

1. Open Windows Settings:
   • Click the Start button and then select Settings.
   • Or press Windows key + I on your keyboard.
2. Go to System: In the Settings window, click System on the left side.
   
   
   
3. Open “For developers”: On the right side, find and click the For developers option.
   
   

   

   
   
4. Find File Explorer Settings: Scroll down until you see the File Explorer section and click it to open.
5. Turn On or Off “Show empty drives”: Toggle the switch next to Show empty drives:
   
   
   
   • Switch it On to see empty drives in File Explorer.
   
   
   • Switch it Off to hide empty drives.
   
   
   
   

   

   
   

6. Close Settings when you’re done.

Alternative Method: Using File Explorer Options

You can also show or hide empty drives from File Explorer Options:

1. Open File Explorer (press Windows key + E).
2. Click the three dots ... at the top and select Options.
3. In the Folder Options window, click the View tab.
4. Find Hide empty drives in the list:
   
   
   
   • Check the box to hide empty drives.
   
   
   • Uncheck it to show empty drives.
   
   
   
   

   

   
   

5. Click OK to save your changes.

Summary

Empty drives are storage devices with no files on them. Windows 11 hides them by default to keep File Explorer clean. You can choose to show or hide these drives depending on what you need. Use the Settings app or File Explorer Options to make this change easily. Now you know how to control whether empty drives appear in your Windows 11 File Explorer!