Y Drive Windows 10
The drive with the Windows logo on it is the one that Windows 10 is installed on. If you have installed two different versions of Windows 10 on the same PC, the logo will indicate which drive the current OS i.e., the one you’ve booted to, is installed on. Open the Run box with the Win+R keyboard shortcut and enter the following. C drive on my Windows 10 machine filled up on its own. So much so that I had less than a 1 GB free space. Very likely due to those gigantic Win10 updates. Use File Explorer. There are three ways to map a network drive through File Explorer in Windows 10. Whether you choose Windows 7, 8, or 10 depends on several factors, such as those listed here: Budget: Hard drives with Windows 7 or Windows 8 are generally going to be less expensive than those with Windows 10. If you are on a budget and do not care what version you have, you may want to get a hard drive with Windows 7 or 8 on it.
Yes, you can restrict access for all removable storage drives on your PC, and in this guide, we'll show you how on Windows 10.
On Windows 10, if a USB or another supported port is available on the computer, users can connect removable storage devices (such as USB flash drives, external hard drives, and other types of mass storage devices) to access or export data.
Although it's a common practice to use removable drives, there are times when you may want to restrict access to these types of devices. For instance, you may want to disable access to prevent users from connecting foreign devices, which may contain malware that can harm the computer or make it more difficult to install applications from unknown sources.
Y Drive Windows 10 Pro
Or if the device stores sensitive data, disabling read and write access to removable storage devices can help lock-down the system to stop users from trying to make a copy of certain information, improving security – even if the data is stored in the network.
Regardless of the reason, Windows 10 includes settings that allow you to disable access to all removable storage devices using the Local Group Policy Editor or Registry.
In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to disable read and write access for all removable storage device classes.
- How to disable all removable storage access using Group Policy
- How to disable all removable storage access using Registry
How to disable all removable storage access using Group Policy
On Windows 10 Pro (Enterprise or education), the easiest way to prevent users from accessing removable storage is using the Local Group Policy Editor.
To disable removable storage access on Windows 10, use these steps:
- Open Start.
- Search for gpedit.msc and click OK to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
Browse the following path:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Removable Storage Access
On the right side, double-click the All Removable Storage classes: Deny all access policy.
© Provided by Windows CentralSelect the Enabled option.
© Provided by Windows Central- Click the Apply button.
- Click the OK button.
- Restart your computer.
Once you complete the steps, Windows 10 will deny access to removable storage classes, including USB flash drives, USB external hard drives, physical discs (such as CD and DVD), and other storage that falls into the removable class.
If you change your mind, you can always revert the changes using the same instructions, but on step No. 5, make sure to select the Not Configured option.
How to disable all removable storage access using Registry
Windows 10 Home doesn't include access to the Local Group Policy Editor, but you can achieve the same results by modifying the Registry.
Warning: This is a friendly reminder that editing the Registry is risky, and it can cause irreversible damage to your installation if you don't do it correctly. It's recommended to make a full backup of your PC before proceeding.
To prevent access to all removable storage, use these steps:
- Open Start.
- Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry.
Browse the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows
Quick tip: On Windows 10, you can now copy and paste the path in the Registry's address bar to quickly jump to the key destination.
Right-click the Windows (folder) key, select the New submenu, and choose the Key option.
© Provided by Windows Central- Name the key RemovableStorageDevices and press Enter.
- Right-click the newly created key, select the New submenu, and choose the DWORD (32-bit) Value option.
- Name the key Deny_All and press Enter.
Double-click the newly created DWORD and set the value from 0 to 1.
© Provided by Windows Central- Click the OK button.
- Restart your computer.
Y Drive Windows 10 64
After you complete the steps, users will no longer have access to available removable storage devices, nor will they be able to connect external storage drives.
You can always undo the changes using the same instructions outlined above, but on step No. 4, make sure to right-click the RemovableStorageDevices key and select the Delete option. If you have other settings configured inside the key, don't delete it. Instead, double-click the Deny_All DWORD and change the value from 1 to 0.
After undoing the changes using either method, you should regain access to storage devices immediately. However, if this is not the case, then reboot the device to refresh the changes.
More Windows 10 resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:
You probably know how hard it is to install an external hard drive in a Windows 10 PC. Basically, you turn off the Windows 10 computer, plug the USB or eSATA cable into your computer, turn it on … and you’re finished. But, what if you need to install a second internal hard drive on your Windows 10 device?
Yes, external hard drive manufacturers have fancy software. No, you don’t want it. Windows knows all the tricks. If you install one additional hard drive, internal or external, you can set up File History. Install two additional drives, internal or external, and you can turn on Storage Spaces. None of the Windows 10 programs need or want whatever programs the hard drive manufacturer offers.
Installing a second internal hard drive into a Windows 10 PC that’s made to take two or more hard drives is only a little bit more complex than plugging an external drive into your USB port. Almost all desktop PCs can handle more than one internal hard drive. Some Windows 10 laptops can, too.
Here’s how to install a second internal hard drive on a Windows 10 computer:
- Turn off your PC. Crack open the case, put in the new hard drive, attach the cables, and secure the drive, probably with screws. Close the case. Turn on the power, and log in to Windows.
If you need help, the manufacturer’s website has instructions. Adding the physical drive inside the computer case is really very simple — even if you’ve never seen the inside of your computer — as long as you’re careful to get a drive that will hook up with the connectors inside your machine. For example, you can attach an IDE drive to only an IDE connector; ditto for SATA. - Right-click in the lower-left corner of the screen, and choose Disk Management.
The Disk Management dialog box appears.
- Scroll down the list, and find your new drive, probably marked Unallocated.
The new drive is identified as Disk 0. - On the right, in the Unallocated area, tap and hold down or right-click, and choose New Simple Volume.
The New Simple Volume Wizard appears. - Tap or click Next.
You’re asked to specify a volume size.
- Leave the numbers just as they are — you want to use the whole drive — and tap or click Next.
The wizard asks you to specify a drive letter. D: is most common, unless you already have a D: drive. - If you really, really want to give the drive a different letter, go ahead and do so (most people should leave it at D:). Tap or click Next.
The wizard wants to know whether you want to use something other than the NTFS file system, or to set a different allocation unit. You don’t.
- Tap or click Next; then tap or click Finish.
Windows whirs and clunks, and when it’s finished, you have a spanking new drive, ready to be used.
If you have three or more drives in or attached to your PC, consider setting up Storage Spaces. It’s a remarkable piece of technology that’ll keep redundant copies of all your data and protect you from catastrophic failure of any of your data drives.
Changing Your Windows 10 C: DRIVE
Whoa nelly! If you’ve never seen a Windows 10 PC running an SSD (solid-state drive) as the system drive, you better nail down the door and shore up the, uh, windows. Changing your C: drive from a run-of-the-mill rotating platter to a fast, shiny new solid-state drive can make everything work so much faster. Really.
Unfortunately, getting from an HDD (hard disk drive) C: to an SSD C: ain’t exactly 1-2-3.
Part of the problem is the mechanics of transferring your Windows 10 system from an HDD to an SSD: You need to create a copy (not exactly a clone) that’ll boot Windows. Part of the problem is moving all the extra junk off the C: drive, so the SSD isn’t swamped with all the flotsam and jetsam you’ve come to know and love in Windows.
Most of the drive cloning/backup/restore techniques developed over the past decade work when you want to move from a smaller drive to a bigger one. However, replacing your HDD C: drive with an SSD C: drive almost always involves going from a larger drive to a smaller one.
The LifeHacker website has an excellent rundown of the steps you need to take to get your old hard drive removed and have everything copied over to your new SSD, using a backup program called EaseUS Todo Backup Free. It’s not a simple process.