How to hide a drive?

[Jethro]

Is there a way in WXP to 'hide' a hard drive?

I have stored folders & files on a separate hard drive. Now I would
like to protect them by either protect all of that data with a
password or hide the entire drive as if it doesn't exist. Preferably
the latter.

Is there a way?

Thanks

Jethro

 

[R. McCarty]

If the drive is served from an IDE controller, you can set the Tap
in Device Manager to "None". Done from either the Pri/Sec entry
in Device Manager, Advanced (TAB). However, this is an extreme
measure as the drive wouldn't be mountable/visible by any user.

3rd-Party Disk Management tools have the ability to "Hide" a volume.
Again this would make the drive/volume 100% inaccessible while
XP is running to all users. Toggling the "Hidden" attribute on/off
would get old very quickly.

One simple way to lock out access would be to Zip the folders/files
into a password protected module.

 

[Guest]

If you have Windows XP Professional then you don't need any third party
utility not even for Windows XP Home Edition, if you know how to use Windows
Registry.

For Windows XP Professional
===================

1. Click Start - Run - type GPEDIT.MSC
2. Expand To:
User Configuration
Administrative Templates
Windows Settings
Windows Explorer
3. On right-side pane double-click on the entry "Hide these specified drives
in My Computer". Set the drive you want to hide.

But the problem is that you have only few choices like A,B,C, or D Drive only.

What if you want to hide E Drive. There is a Microsoft's Tool called
PowerToys TweakUi which you can download from following like:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx


I must tell you that hiding a drive is not so much save because in My
Computer or Windows Explorer if you type the Drive name in Address Bar and
press enter then your drive will get open. So, in GPEDIT you can even
restrict access to those specified drives.

You can ask us if you want to know how to Hide and Prevent Access to any
drive through Registry Editor.

Hope this help, let us know!

 

[Jethro]

If you have Windows XP Professional then you don't need any third party
utility not even for Windows XP Home Edition, if you know how to use Windows
Registry.

For Windows XP Professional
===================

1. Click Start - Run - type GPEDIT.MSC
2. Expand To:
User Configuration
Administrative Templates
Windows Settings
Windows Explorer
3. On right-side pane double-click on the entry "Hide these specified drives
in My Computer". Set the drive you want to hide.

But the problem is that you have only few choices like A,B,C, or D Drive only.

What if you want to hide E Drive. There is a Microsoft's Tool called
PowerToys TweakUi which you can download from following like:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx


I must tell you that hiding a drive is not so much save because in My
Computer or Windows Explorer if you type the Drive name in Address Bar and
press enter then your drive will get open. So, in GPEDIT you can even
restrict access to those specified drives.

You can ask us if you want to know how to Hide and Prevent Access to any
drive through Registry Editor.

Hope this help, let us know!

You say 'You can ask us if you want to know how to Hide and Prevent
Access to any drive through Registry Editor.' I am comfortable
editing the Registry.

I'm asking.

And thanks

Jethro

 

[Ayush]

Replied to [Jethro]s message :

You say 'You can ask us if you want to know how to Hide and Prevent
Access to any drive through Registry Editor.' I am comfortable
editing the Registry.

I'm asking.

Are you comfortable editing BINARY Values ? Then Google for :
"NoDrives site:microsoft.com" (without quotes)
Otherwise Use TweakUI .

 

[Jethro]

Replied to [Jethro]s message :

You say 'You can ask us if you want to know how to Hide and Prevent
Access to any drive through Registry Editor.' I am comfortable
editing the Registry.

I'm asking.

Are you comfortable editing BINARY Values ? Then Google for :
"NoDrives site:microsoft.com" (without quotes)
Otherwise Use TweakUI .

Yes - I can even count in hex. I programmed in the 60's era.

Thanks

Jethro

 

[Guest]

Ok! Here you go.

1. Click Start - Run - type REGEDIT and press enter key.
2. Here expand to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

You need to know that there are 2 different kinds of settings. One is for
hiding a drive and second one is for preventing access to a drive.

For hiding a drive you need to create a new DWORD value:

3. In the right-side pane by right-clicking New - DWORD value.
4. Name it "NoDrives" and press Enter.

To hide a particular drive you need to enter the Decimal Value which will
represent that drive. E.g. for C Drive the Decimal Value is 4 and if you want
to hide Drive D then multiple it by 2 i.e. equal to 8. So, if you want to
hide E drive then value will be 16.

5. Double click the key "NoDrives".
6. First select the "Base" to "Decimal" then enter the "ValueData" e.g. 16
to hide E Drive. Press OK and close the registry. Open My Computer to check
the effects.

To prevent access to a drive e.g. E Drive.

Follow the above steps upto 4. You need to create a new DWORD value in same
location as above.

1. Create a new DWORD value and name it "NoViewOnDrive" and press Enter.
Double-click the entry to change the value. First select the "Base" to
"Decimal" then enter the "ValueData" e.g. 16 to prevent access to E Drive.
Press OK and close the registry. Open My Computer and in Address Bar type E:
(in case you hide the E drive too) and press enter. Windows will not let you
in.

To unhide or access the drive again, you can delete those entries from
registry. Sometimes Windows require Log Off or Log In again for changes to
take effect.

I am not so good with hiding Multiple drives through Registry but will give
you a little bit information.

Value of Drives:

A: 1, B: 2, C: 4, D: 8, E: 16, F: 32, G: 64, H: 128, I: 256, J: 512, K:
1024, L: 2048, M: 4096, N: 8192, O: 16384, P: 32768, Q: 65536, R: 131072, S:
262144, T: 524288, U: 1048576, V: 2097152, W: 4194304, X: 8388608, Y:
16777216, Z: 33554432, ALL: 67108863


The formula is something like this:

For example to hide drive A and drive D, you would add 1 (A) + 8 (D) which
means the value should be set to "9".

If you want to hide all drive letters, use a value of 67108864

Hope this help, let us know!

 

[Ayush]

Replied to [Jethro]s message :

Replied to [Jethro]s message :

You say 'You can ask us if you want to know how to Hide and Prevent
Access to any drive through Registry Editor.' I am comfortable
editing the Registry.

I'm asking.

Are you comfortable editing BINARY Values ? Then Google for :
"NoDrives site:microsoft.com" (without quotes)
Otherwise Use TweakUI .

Yes - I can even count in hex. I programmed in the 60's era.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/reskit/regentry/58871.mspx?mfr=true

Thanks

You are welcome Jethro.




Good Luck, Ayush.

 

[Jethro]

If you have Windows XP Professional then you don't need any third party
utility not even for Windows XP Home Edition, if you know how to use Windows
Registry.

For Windows XP Professional
===================

1. Click Start - Run - type GPEDIT.MSC
2. Expand To:
User Configuration
Administrative Templates
Windows Settings
Windows Explorer
3. On right-side pane double-click on the entry "Hide these specified drives
in My Computer". Set the drive you want to hide.

But the problem is that you have only few choices like A,B,C, or D Drive only.

What if you want to hide E Drive. There is a Microsoft's Tool called
PowerToys TweakUi which you can download from following like:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx


I must tell you that hiding a drive is not so much save because in My
Computer or Windows Explorer if you type the Drive name in Address Bar and
press enter then your drive will get open. So, in GPEDIT you can even
restrict access to those specified drives.

You can ask us if you want to know how to Hide and Prevent Access to any
drive through Registry Editor.

Hope this help, let us know!

Wouldn't you know it is F drive. I might re-arrange things to make it
D or E.
Thanks
Jethro

 

[Guest]

I couldn't understand what you actually meant. Do you want to hide your F
drive. Then set the values accordingly. I give you a link to download
TweakUi. You can use this to Hide Drives and then can check the registry
values.

Let us know!

 

[Jethro]

If you have Windows XP Professional then you don't need any third party
utility not even for Windows XP Home Edition, if you know how to use Windows
Registry.

For Windows XP Professional
===================

1. Click Start - Run - type GPEDIT.MSC
2. Expand To:
User Configuration
Administrative Templates
Windows Settings
Windows Explorer
3. On right-side pane double-click on the entry "Hide these specified drives
in My Computer". Set the drive you want to hide.

But the problem is that you have only few choices like A,B,C, or D Drive only.

What if you want to hide E Drive. There is a Microsoft's Tool called
PowerToys TweakUi which you can download from following like:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

I don't see anything on hiding my F drive in my version of TweakUI.
Maybe I have missed it, or maybe I need a more current version?

Jethro

 

[Jethro]

I couldn't understand what you actually meant. Do you want to hide your F
drive. Then set the values accordingly. I give you a link to download
TweakUi. You can use this to Hide Drives and then can check the registry
values.

Let us know!

I decided to switch my D and F drives so that the drive I want to hide
becomes D drive and there is easier to deal with to hide it. After
reconfiguring the two drives so that the old F drive (which was on
Secondary Slave) should now be D drive (on Primary Slave),
I temporarily left the old D drive (which will eventually become the
new F drive) disconnected. When I fresh-booted, the old F drive did
not become D drive. It remained F drive, leaving D drive unused (in
My Computer). How do I get the drive to become identified as D drive?

Thanks

Jethro

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

I don't see anything on hiding my F drive in my version of TweakUI.
Maybe I have missed it, or maybe I need a more current version?

Look under My Computer/Drives

Uncheck the one(s) you want to hide

 

[Jethro]

Look under My Computer/Drives

Uncheck the one(s) you want to hide

Dang! How did I miss that? Thanks


Jethro

 

[Jethro]

I decided to switch my D and F drives so that the drive I want to hide
becomes D drive and there is easier to deal with to hide it. After
reconfiguring the two drives so that the old F drive (which was on
Secondary Slave) should now be D drive (on Primary Slave),
I temporarily left the old D drive (which will eventually become the
new F drive) disconnected. When I fresh-booted, the old F drive did
not become D drive. It remained F drive, leaving D drive unused (in
My Computer). How do I get the drive to become identified as D drive?

Thanks

Jethro

NEVER MIND!

I FOUND DISK MANAGEMENT AND CHANGED F TO D - SO I AM OKAY NOW.

THANKS

JETHRO

 

[Guest]

Is there a way in WXP to 'hide' a hard drive?

I have stored folders & files on a separate hard drive. Now I would
like to protect them by either protect all of that data with a
password or hide the entire drive as if it doesn't exist. Preferably
the latter.

Is there a way?

Thanks

Jethro

 

[Scott Thomas]

You most likely won't be able to hide the drive (unless you actually
disconnect it). You CAN hide the folders and files by right clicking on
them individually and selecting the "hide" attribute. This would make it
look like the drive is empty.

Depending on what version of XP you are using you may be able to encrypt the
drive, so that nobody can view it but you. There are also 3rd party
encryption programs to do this.

 

[Bob I]

TweakUI will hide the drive.

You most likely won't be able to hide the drive (unless you actually
disconnect it). You CAN hide the folders and files by right clicking on
them individually and selecting the "hide" attribute. This would make it
look like the drive is empty.

Depending on what version of XP you are using you may be able to encrypt the
drive, so that nobody can view it but you. There are also 3rd party
encryption programs to do this.