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If I assign any drive to E:, it doesn't show in Windows Explorer. I can navigate to it explicitly by typing E:\, but under "This PC" it never shows.

Disk Management:

Disk 1           Data (E:)
Basic            1863.01 GB NTFS
1863.02 GB       Healthy (Primary Partition)
Online

DISKPART, list volume:

Volume ###  Ltr  Label        Fs     Type        Size     Status     Info
----------  ---  -----------  -----  ----------  -------  ---------  --------
Volume 5     E   Data         NTFS   Partition   1863 GB  Healthy

MOUNTVOL:

\\?\Volume{15521316-0000-0000-0000-100000000000}\
    E:\

Registry, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices

\DosDevices\E:   REG_BINARY   16 13 52 15 00 00 10 00 00 00 00 00

In drive properties -> Security, Authenticated Users have Modify and all lower permissions. Administrators have Full control.

If I assign this drive to F: either using Disk Management or Diskpart, it immediately shows up in Explorer. The drive is visible to some aspects of Windows. For example, in System Properties -> System Protection, Protection Settings, it knows about (E:) Data (Protection is Off).

I tried deleting all the REG_BINARY values at the above registry key, and immediately restarted. This did nothing.

Notice that in DISKPART, it does not say Boot, System, or Hidden in the Info column.

If I assign this drive a different drive letter, then plug in any other mass storage device which takes the free E:, it does the exact same thing: I can navigate to it manually by typing E:\ in the address bar of Windows Explorer. I can view it from a command prompt by typing dir E:. But it does not show under "This PC".

This is a new computer. I used Laplink PCmover to transfer all my files, settings, and software. The old computer didn't have an E drive. The new computer showed the E drive okay before running PCmover. Laplink technical support has been unhelpful in attempting to resolve this problem.

I wonder if there could be some kind of MiniFilter driver running that is somehow intercepting the Windows drive letter enumeration and preventing E from showing?

I have uninstalled Laplink PCmover and restarted, but this did not resolve the problem.

I have F: and G: drives showing just fine in "This PC", and can switch them around--just whatever is E: doesn't show.

How do I get this or any device, when assigned to E:, to show in Explorer?

ErikE
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1 Answers1

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Very similar to the policy "Hide these specified drives in My Computer".

With a standard template it can hide the drives up to D letter, but here described as a hide any drive. Try check "NoDrives" registry value in HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Note that after changing this value you will probably have to restart for changes to take effect immediately.

ErikE
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Slipeer
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  • Indeed, I found the value `18 00 00` in `NoDrives` which maps to hiding drives D and E. I changed it to `08 00 00` and drive E appeared`! Thank you very much. I was so certain there was a registry setting of *some* kind that was interfering with displaying the drive letter. (P.S. Dealing with local policy on Windows 10 Home is a giant pain in the neck!) – ErikE Nov 25 '16 at 07:46