Devices Find USB Drive History in Windows 11


USB_Drive_banner.webp

This tutorial will show you how to see the history of all USB storage devices ever connected to your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC.

When a USB storage device is connected to your computer, the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR key is created in the registry.

Each USB drive will have its own subkey created under the USBSTOR key with details about the drive. Each will have a FriendlyName property to make it easier to ID the USB drive.

This information can be used to provide you a history of all USB drives that were ever physically connected to your computer.

Reference:



Contents





Option One

Find USB Drive History in PowerShell


1 Open Windows Terminal, and select Windows PowerShell.

2 Copy and paste the command below you want to use into Windows Terminal, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

Get-ItemProperty -Path HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR\*\*\ | Select FriendlyName​

3 You will now see the FriendlyName listed of all USB drives ever connected to your PC.

USB_history_command.webp





Option Two

Find USB Drive History in Device Manager


1 Open Device Manager (devmgmt.msc).

2 Click/tap on the View tab, and click/tap on Show hidden devices to check it. (see screenshot below)

USB_history_Device_Manager-1.webp

3 Expand open the Disk drives category to see the friendly name of all drives ever connected to your PC. (see screenshot below)

A drive with a grayed out icon is a hidden device not currently connected.


USB_history_Device_Manager-2.webp




Option Three

Find USB Drive History in Registry Editor


1 Open Registry Editor (regedit.exe).

2 Navigate to the key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. (see screenshots below step 5)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR​

3 Expand open the USBSTOR key in the left pane to see a list of all USB storage devices ever connected to the PC.

4 Expand open a listed USB storage device, and click/tap on its subkey (ex: "000016A29874B745&0").

5 In the right pane of the subkey (ex: "000016A29874B745&0"), you will see the FriendlyName string value (REG_SZ) for the name of the USB storage device.

USB_history_regedit-1.webp
USB_history_regedit-2.webp



That's it,
Shawn Brink


Related Tutorials

 
Last edited:
Click to expand...
Last edited:

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Microsoft Windows 11 HomeIntel Core i5-13490F2 x 16 Patriot Memory (PDP Systems) PSD516G56...GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 WINDFORCE OC 12G (G...
OS
Microsoft Windows 11 Home
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
MSI MS-7D98
CPU
Intel Core i5-13490F
Motherboard
MSI B760 GAMING PLUS WIFI
Memory
2 x 16 Patriot Memory (PDP Systems) PSD516G560081 6400MT (32-37-37-74); 1.35V)
Graphics Card(s)
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 WINDFORCE OC 12G (GV-N4070WF3OC-12GD)
Sound Card
Bluetooth Аудио
Monitor(s) Displays
INNOCN 15K1F
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
WD_BLACK SN770 250GB
KINGSTON SNV2S1000G (ELFK0S.6)
PSU
Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1000W
Case
CG560 - DeepCool
Cooling
ID-COOLING SE-224-XTS / 2 x 140Mm Fan - rear and top; 3 x 120Mm - front
Keyboard
Corsair K70 RGB TKL
Mouse
Corsair KATAR PRO XT
Internet Speed
100 Mbps
Browser
Firefox
Antivirus
Microsoft Defender Antivirus
Other Info
https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/66553205
Hi @Brink :-)
One question, is it possible to deactivate the usb drive history, so when you remove the USB so the OS never will keep it in history in the first place?
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Linux: Debian, Kali-linux, Alma, Win:7,10IoT,...i3, i5 and i7 From 2gen to 9th gen... Server ...
    OS
    Linux: Debian, Kali-linux, Alma, Win:7,10IoT,2012R
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Elitebook 840, AsusX53, Aspire E1-572. AsusUX32A, HP Pro3130mt+3010mt, HP Proliant ML150, 3xCustom-PC, i3, i5, i7
    CPU
    i3, i5 and i7 From 2gen to 9th gen... Server dual Xenon
    Hard Drives
    Sata, M.2, SAS

  • At a glance

    Retro: 2003server.XPpro, Win2000, Win98SE, Wi...Oldest intel 8088 up to P4 dual core
    Operating System
    Retro: 2003server.XPpro, Win2000, Win98SE, Win95, Win3.11, MS-DOS, IBM-DOS
    Manufacturer/Model
    Commodore, AST, Fujitsu, Compaq, etc etc. etc Around 15 desktops and 20 laptops in the collection
    CPU
    Oldest intel 8088 up to P4 dual core
    Hard Drives
    MFM, IDE, SCSI
Marie SWE said:
Hi @Brink :-)
One question, is it possible to deactivate the usb drive history, so when you remove the USB so the OS never will keep it in history in the first place?
Click to expand...

I suppose you could change the permissions of the USBSTOR key (parent) and subkeys to deny access to prevent adding new subkeys.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro for WorkstationsIntel i7-8700K 5 GHz64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600...ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GD...
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Amazon Basics Wired Full Keyboard MD005
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 4
    Internet Speed
    2 Gbps Download and 100 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProSnapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
Brink said:
I suppose you could change the permissions of the USBSTOR key (parent) and subkeys to deny access to prevent adding new subkeys.
Click to expand...
Thanks, i will look into it on my IoT version. :-) (y)
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Linux: Debian, Kali-linux, Alma, Win:7,10IoT,...i3, i5 and i7 From 2gen to 9th gen... Server ...
    OS
    Linux: Debian, Kali-linux, Alma, Win:7,10IoT,2012R
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Elitebook 840, AsusX53, Aspire E1-572. AsusUX32A, HP Pro3130mt+3010mt, HP Proliant ML150, 3xCustom-PC, i3, i5, i7
    CPU
    i3, i5 and i7 From 2gen to 9th gen... Server dual Xenon
    Hard Drives
    Sata, M.2, SAS

  • At a glance

    Retro: 2003server.XPpro, Win2000, Win98SE, Wi...Oldest intel 8088 up to P4 dual core
    Operating System
    Retro: 2003server.XPpro, Win2000, Win98SE, Win95, Win3.11, MS-DOS, IBM-DOS
    Manufacturer/Model
    Commodore, AST, Fujitsu, Compaq, etc etc. etc Around 15 desktops and 20 laptops in the collection
    CPU
    Oldest intel 8088 up to P4 dual core
    Hard Drives
    MFM, IDE, SCSI
Marie SWE said:
Hi @Brink :-)
One question, is it possible to deactivate the usb drive history, so when you remove the USB so the OS never will keep it in history in the first place?
Click to expand...


You can remove all the "Ghost entries" in Device Manager.





Last time I fooled around with this was 2025. I would make a backup first, if you intend to try it.
They also have a command line version.



Apparently, I made a topic about this on TenForums. @Ed Tittel pointed me towards the site...

Remove "Ghost Devices" from Device Manager... - Windows 10 Help Forums

Over time, attaching and then removing things like USB sticks, Controllers, Phones, Mice, Keyboards, etc., you'll end up with Ghost Devices in Device Manager. When you open Device Manager and choose: View > Show Hidden Devices, you will see them as &qu
www.tenforums.com www.tenforums.com
 
Last edited:

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26300.9550 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦26H2AMD Ryzen 7 3700XG.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26300.9550 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦26H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 5302)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Total Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1

  • At a glance

    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 15 years?
There isn't really a "drive history", but it's cached metadata for previously mounted drives. The idea is if Windows sees the same device again (matching a previously known drive S/N), it can be quickly remounted without the need to search for an appropriate device driver.

You can use a tool like GhostBuster to clean up old metadata like volume and device mappings.

GhostBuster is non-destructive and an excellent tool to pair with DriverStore Explorer.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7
OS
Windows 7

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Linux: Debian, Kali-linux, Alma, Win:7,10IoT,...i3, i5 and i7 From 2gen to 9th gen... Server ...
    OS
    Linux: Debian, Kali-linux, Alma, Win:7,10IoT,2012R
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Elitebook 840, AsusX53, Aspire E1-572. AsusUX32A, HP Pro3130mt+3010mt, HP Proliant ML150, 3xCustom-PC, i3, i5, i7
    CPU
    i3, i5 and i7 From 2gen to 9th gen... Server dual Xenon
    Hard Drives
    Sata, M.2, SAS

  • At a glance

    Retro: 2003server.XPpro, Win2000, Win98SE, Wi...Oldest intel 8088 up to P4 dual core
    Operating System
    Retro: 2003server.XPpro, Win2000, Win98SE, Win95, Win3.11, MS-DOS, IBM-DOS
    Manufacturer/Model
    Commodore, AST, Fujitsu, Compaq, etc etc. etc Around 15 desktops and 20 laptops in the collection
    CPU
    Oldest intel 8088 up to P4 dual core
    Hard Drives
    MFM, IDE, SCSI
Marie SWE said:
I think i will test Brinks way first as then i never have to think of it ever again.. Then a script that can be auto triggered on eject that wipes all entries under usbstor.. then if that fails, manual tools :-)
Always start with the laziest one. 😇
Click to expand...


See my additions to post #6

I used to have a .bat file that did this. But I seem to have lost it somewhere.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26300.9550 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦26H2AMD Ryzen 7 3700XG.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26300.9550 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦26H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 5302)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Total Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1

  • At a glance

    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 15 years?
Ghot said:
See my additions to post #6

I used to have a .bat file that did this. But I seemed to have lost it somewhere.
Click to expand...
I just created a script for it.. but i need to test it first as I'm on a Linux machine right now.
But it looks like this

Powershell: 
$base = 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR'

Get-ChildItem -Path $base -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | ForEach-Object {
    try {
        Remove-Item -Path $_.PSPath -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction Stop
    } catch {
        Write-Host "Failed to delete $($_.Name): $($_.Exception.Message)"
    }
}

Edit:
But i will test Brink's way first.. as if you never get any entries in the first place, then you never have anything to clean out. That is the laziest way. 😛
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Linux: Debian, Kali-linux, Alma, Win:7,10IoT,...i3, i5 and i7 From 2gen to 9th gen... Server ...
    OS
    Linux: Debian, Kali-linux, Alma, Win:7,10IoT,2012R
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Elitebook 840, AsusX53, Aspire E1-572. AsusUX32A, HP Pro3130mt+3010mt, HP Proliant ML150, 3xCustom-PC, i3, i5, i7
    CPU
    i3, i5 and i7 From 2gen to 9th gen... Server dual Xenon
    Hard Drives
    Sata, M.2, SAS

  • At a glance

    Retro: 2003server.XPpro, Win2000, Win98SE, Wi...Oldest intel 8088 up to P4 dual core
    Operating System
    Retro: 2003server.XPpro, Win2000, Win98SE, Win95, Win3.11, MS-DOS, IBM-DOS
    Manufacturer/Model
    Commodore, AST, Fujitsu, Compaq, etc etc. etc Around 15 desktops and 20 laptops in the collection
    CPU
    Oldest intel 8088 up to P4 dual core
    Hard Drives
    MFM, IDE, SCSI
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar Windows 11 Tutorials

  • Article Article
System Find Jack Information for Sound Devices in Windows 11
Replies
0
Views
964
Brink
Brink
  • Article Article
Devices Find Hardware ID (HWID) of Devices in Windows 11
Replies
0
Views
1K
Brink
Brink
  • Article Article
Time and Language Find Device Setup Country or Region Geographic Location (GeoID) in Windows 11
Replies
3
Views
2K
Brink
Brink
  • Article Article
Privacy and Security View Effective Permissions of File, Folder, Drive, or Registry Key in Windows 11
Replies
0
Views
973
Brink
Brink
  • Article Article
Privacy and Security Change Owner of File, Folder, Drive, or Registry Key in Windows 11
Replies
0
Views
1K
Brink
Brink
  • Article Article
System Find Windows Recovery (WinRE) Version in Windows 11
Replies
0
Views
1K
Brink
Brink
  • Article Article
Privacy and Security Change Permissions of File, Folder, Drive, or Registry Key in Windows 11
Replies
0
Views
1K
Brink
Brink

Latest Support Threads

Latest Tutorials

Back
Top Bottom