Today everyone need to hide or secure data from anonymous user. Here, I have three simple tricks to hide and restrict use of drive.
- Using Group Policy
- Using Windows Registry Trick
- Using Disk Management – An easy way
Using Group Policy
1. Run Group Policy: Type gpedit.msc in Run dialog box or in Start Search in Windows 7 and Windows Vista.
HIDE DRIVES
2. Now navigate to: Local Computer Policy > User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Explorer. Now look for “Hide these specified drives in My Computer” and double click and set the state “Enabled” and pick one combination to hide specified drives.
NOTE: You can access these drive by typing path or drive letter in Run dialog box or in address bar.
RESTRICT ACCESS
3. It’s same as above but it restrict access instead of hide a specified drive. At the same location in Group Policy look for “Prevent access to drives in My Computer” and double click and set the state “Enabled” and pick one combination to hide specified drives.
NOTE: We can hide and restrict specified drive or combination of drives
Using Windows Registry Trick
1. Its perform the same as above but We can hide or restrict any specified drive or group of drives. Run Registry Editor and Type regedit.exe” in Run dialog box or in Start Search in Windows 7 and Window Vista.
HIDE DRIVES
2. Now navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer and Right click on right side pane and create a new DWORD value and name it NoDrives
3. All drives will be visible as long as its value is set to 0. Now set the value of NoDrives in decimal (make sure you have selected decimal not hexadecimal)
Set the value of NoDrives according to following list.
Drive | Value |
A | 1 |
B | 2 |
C | 4 |
D | 8 |
… | |
… | |
Z | 33554432 |
All | 67108863 |
To hide multiple drives, just add drives value. For example we want to hide B: and D: drives, the NoDrives value should be 2+8=10. Logoff or restart the system to take effect.
RESTRICT ACCESS
4. Now navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer and Right click on right side pane and create a new DWORD value and name it NoViewOnDrive
5. All drives will be visible as long as its value is set to 0. Now set the value of NoViewOnDrive in decimal (make sure you have selected decimal not hexadecimal)
Set the value of NoViewOnDrive according to following list.
Drive | Value |
A | 1 |
B | 2 |
C | 4 |
D | 8 |
… | |
… | |
Z | 33554432 |
All | 67108863 |
To restrict multiple drives, just add drives value. For example we want to hide B: and D: drives, the NoViewOnDrive value should be 2+8=10. Logoff or restart the system to take effect.
Using Disk Management – An easy way
It is the simplest way among all three. We can assume that today anyone that have knowledge in Windows Administration; can remove security. But it’s new and easier. The advantage of this trick is that there is no access via typing path in Run Dialog box or address bar.
1. Run Disk Management: Right click on Computer or My Computer > Manage and navigate to Disk Management and select the drive that to be hide and secured. Right click on specified drive and click on Change Drive Letter and Paths. Here click on “Remove” button and “OK” and then “Yes” to commit changes.
NOTE: No need to Restart or Log off Windows. System partition or contain pagefile of Windows partition can’t be hide and secured.
TO REVERT BACK TO DEFAULTS: REMOVE ALL REG SETTING AND ASSIGN DRIVE LETTER.
Applies To:
- Windows Server 2008 R2
- Windows Server 2008
- Windows 7 Ultimate
- Windows 7 Enterprise
- Windows 7 Professional
- Windows Vista Ultimate
- Windows Vista Enterprise
- Windows Vista Business
- Windows XP Professional
- Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
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