File Explorer Doesn't Like Drive Letter Y:

mjohnsonn2 · 06 Feb 2021

I can’t get drive letter Y: to show up in file explorer.

I noticed this first when I tried to map a network drive Y: to a valid location. Permissions all good. Everything went smoothly. In fact when I went through the process to map another drive, I could even see the first mapping to Y: and any attempt to use Y: again said it was already mapped. Problem was that Drive Y: did not show up in file explorer. Other mappings to the same server show up fine.

Now before we go down a “mapping” issues rabbit hole—I checked permissions, I rebooted multiple times, I did a “use net Y: /delete,” I know the credentials to log in to the server, I checked reconnect, SFC and DISM found nothing. The problem also shows up when there is no mapping or network involved....

After I deleted the Y: mapping with use net, letter Y: was available and I could easily assign drive letter Y: to USB drives directly on the system (no network involved). This was verified by seeing the USB drive Y: in Windows Disk Management, in MiniTool Partition Wizard, in Hard Disk Sentinel, and at the command prompt. I definitely assigned letter Y:, but again, no drive letter Y: showed up in File Explorer.

I went ahead and used Z: to solve my original problem of mapping a network drive so all is well there, but I certainly don’t like that I have no idea why my File Explorer doesn’t like drive letter Y: while all the utilities like that letter just fine.

10 Pro 20H2 19042.746

Thoughts about what’s happening?

Try3 · 07 Feb 2021

File explorer cannot cope if you have assigned both
- a locally-connected drive
and
- a network drive
to the same drive letter.

Local drive assignments are listed at the end of this Registry key's entries

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices

Change and Assign Drive Letter - TenForumsTutorials

Network drive assignments are listed in a different Registry key

Code:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MountPoints2

Map network drive - TenForumsTutorials

Further discussion & explanation in Using same letter for a drive and a mapped drive hides that drive from FE - Kari - TenForums

Denis

mjohnsonn2 · 07 Feb 2021

Thanks Denis but I never tried assigning a network and local at the same time. This is really weird.

I start with Y not assigned to anything.
I successfully assign a local USB drive to Y: as indicated by all utilities and the command prompt also shows drive Y: along with its files. Drive Y: does not show in File Explorer. I reassign the local drive to Z: and it shows up in Explorer.

I do the same with a local SATA drive. Same result.

Again with no drives assigned to Y: which is the case because it doesn't show in the registry, it was released when I reassigned the local drives from previous trials, and because it's available during the following mapping process...
I succesfully map a network drive with Y: no errors indicated.
Drive Y: does not show in File Explorer.

I have indeed examined the registry entries you mentioned. Everything there looks good. File explorer still never shows anything associated with Y.

Thanks for trying, but I'm afraid the OS is troubled here. Perhaps something wrong with version 746. This smells to me like one of those things that will go away after a few more updates.

zbook · 07 Feb 2021

Please run:

DiskParInfo.bat - Click here to go to the BSOD batch repository to download and run this batch file.

mjohnsonn2 · 07 Feb 2021

Please run:
DiskParInfo.bat - Click here to go to the BSOD batch repository to download and run this batch file.

That was worth a try to see what's going on, thanks. It shows the info about the current drives just as other utilities do. No references to drive letter "Y" which will not display in File Explorer.

zbook · 07 Feb 2021

Please post the results (see instructions).

mjohnsonn2 · 07 Feb 2021

Attached