Can't unpin dead link to D:\ from File Explorer - Taskbar & Start Menu

When I right-click on the File Explorer icon either in the Taskbar or at the left edge of the Start menu, the context menu shows that "DATA (D:)" (without the quotation marks), one of my hard drives, is pinned. That's perfectly fine; I want that. But when I click on it, this message pops up:

The item you selected is unavailable. It might have been moved, renamed, or removed. Do you want to remove it from the list?
DATA (D:)
[DELETE] [CANCEL]

The D:\ drive definitely has not been moved, renamed or removed, and if I open File Explorer and click on D:\ in the navigation pane, it works just fine.

I figured I'd solve the problem by unpinning D:\ from File Explorer, then repinning it, but it won't unpin (regardless of whether I click on unpin, or click on DELETE in the dialog box). So I just have this dead and unusable pinned link.

Weirder still: If I pin a second link to D:\ to File Explorer, both links show up in the pin list, and both links work! I can then unpin either one, which leaves one remaining, but that remaining one again (as above) doesn't work and can't be unpinned.

What I want, of course, is one, pinned, working link to D:\ (or, if that's simply not possible for some reason, I want to get rid of the dead pinned link).

Hoping maybe there's a Registry key that will unlock this problem.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or assistance. I wasn't able to find a previous thread on this. I did see threads re problems with pinning to the Taskbar, but that's not my issue.

net use d: /delete

bro67 said:

net use d: /delete

Sorry, I don't understand what you mean.

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One more strange thing to add ...
As described above, If I right-click on the File Explorer icon, then click on the pinned DATA (D:) item, I get the error message dialog box. However, if instead of clicking on the D: item, I right-click on it, then click OPEN on the menu that opens, then D: opens just fine.

Makes no sense: a click on that item should have the same result as a right-click on it followed by a click on OPEN.

Berton said:

That suggests the mouse buttons have been reversed as in changing for a left-handed user instead of the usual right-handed user, could be in Mouse in Start, Settings, or a problem with the mouse itself.

Mouse buttons haven't been reversed, and they work fine in all other contexts (including other items on this very same pinned list in File Explorer).

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Also want to add:

I've attempted all the methods of unpinning that are listed in this tutorial:
Pin or Unpin Items on Jump Lists in Windows 10

Caveat; I am not a computer guru.

I had a similar thing happen to me. While I was doing some housekeeping of my system, I found that I had a folder pinned under 'Quick Access' that I did not want and could not remove.

Here's what worked;
In File Explorer > Right-click the Quick Access star icon, click Options, and click Clear.

Jeddie said:

Caveat; I am not a computer guru.

I had a similar thing happen to me. While I was doing some housekeeping of my system, I found that I had a folder pinned under 'Quick Access' that I did not want and could not remove.

Here's what worked;
In File Explorer > Right-click the Quick Access star icon, click Options, and click Clear.

Thank you. Unfortunately that doesn't work for me, but it does make me realize that DATA (D:) is also pinned to my Quick Access menu, and cannot be unpinned there either, but at least there it functions properly when clicked on!

I would suggest you to unpin the File Explorer from Taskbar and then again try to pin it and check if it helps as you check Fix blackscreen on roku or check out our website Thehimalayantime