How to Remove Quick Access from Explorer Pane in This PC?


Sir Topham Hatt

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OS
Windows 11
I want to be able to remove this top section of my drives (which are pinned to Quick Access) in the Explorer file pane.

1675861793699.png

There is a tutorial that doesn't require any registry changes but next to my START button, I have the Explorer icon (which opens to This PC). But if I right-click on it, I get a list of my drives as they're pinned to quick access. That means the tutorial here: Remove Quick Access Folders from Navigation Pane of File Explorer in Windows 11 Tutorial does not work for me.

Is there a registry setting I can change to get rid of them from This PC explorer pane?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
Does right-click of the map tack and Unpin from Quick Access not work? I just took Videos off mine then I went to C:\Users\MYNAME, right-clicked Videos and Pin to Quick Access to put it back.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro RTM
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 3400
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 11th Gen. 2.40GHz
    Memory
    12GB
    Hard Drives
    256GB SSD NVMe
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro RTM x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 5890
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 10th Gen. 2.90GHz
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Onboard, no VGA, using a DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" Dell
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD NVMe, 2TB WDC HDD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender/Microsoft Security
Do I understand correctly that you want to keep all your drives under "Quick access", but when you click on "This PC", you want the section "Devices and drives"-section removed? I don't think this is possible natively but I could be wrong. Or maybe I misunderstand your request.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
I want to be able to remove this top section of my drives (which are pinned to Quick Access) in the Explorer file pane.

View attachment 52179

There is a tutorial that doesn't require any registry changes but next to my START button, I have the Explorer icon (which opens to This PC). But if I right-click on it, I get a list of my drives as they're pinned to quick access. That means the tutorial here: Remove Quick Access Folders from Navigation Pane of File Explorer in Windows 11 Tutorial does not work for me.

Is there a registry setting I can change to get rid of them from This PC explorer pane?


Both work on Windows 11.


Do Option #2, here...








Or step by step...

1. Open the Windows Registry as an administrator by launching the Run command using the Windows + R keyboard shortcut, typing "regedit", and hitting Enter.

2. Navigate to the following registry path:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{679f85cb-0220-4080-b29b-5540cc05aab6}\ShellFolder

3. Now you need to change the permissions of ShellFolder, right-click ShellFolder, select Permissions, then click the Advanced button.

4. At the top of Advanced Security Settings for ShellFolder, change the ownership of the folder to "Administrators".

5. To do this, click Change, click Advanced, click the Find Now button, and from "search results" select "Administrators", then click OK, OK again, then Apply, hit OK, and hit OK one last time to close the ShellFolder Permissions box.

6. Now... Under "Group or User Names", choose: Administrators and put a check mark in... "Full Control"
Then click Apply and OK.

7. With that completed, we can now change the settings to remove Quick Access from File Explorer.

8. Inside "ShellFolder", double-click Attributes, and change data value from a0100000 to a0600000, and click OK.

9. You can now either restart Windows 10 or open the Task Manager, find and select Windows Explorer, and click Restart from bottom-right corner.





Image1.jpg


I also removed "Home" and all those library folders.

 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦22631.3374 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 4702)
    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 Internet Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
  • 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
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 13 years?

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows
Does right-click of the map tack and Unpin from Quick Access not work? I just took Videos off mine then I went to C:\Users\MYNAME, right-clicked Videos and Pin to Quick Access to put it back.

Nope, this removes them from Quick Access. I don't want to do that as on my START bar, I can right-click on the the Explorer Icon and get shortcuts direct to each drive. If I remove them from Quick Access, I don't have the shortcuts:
1675869511547.png


Do I understand correctly that you want to keep all your drives under "Quick access", but when you click on "This PC", you want the section "Devices and drives"-section removed? I don't think this is possible natively but I could be wrong. Or maybe I misunderstand your request.
Yeah, I want the top section removed, which is Quick Access as the drives are listed below anyway.


Do Option #2, here...

I seem to remember setting permissions but I've managed to go through and edit. Will see what happens next time I boot my PC.


This isn't what's required here. This registry setting removes REMOVABLE drives, not hard drives :p
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
suit yourself.... try it and if it is not what you want - you can reverse (enable) it... but I think that is what you are wanting to do...View attachment 52203
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows

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