Windows To Go - Unhide Drives from Host Computer

How to Hide or Unhide Drives from Host Computer on "Windows To Go" Workspace​

   Information

When you are booted to the Windows To Go USB flash drive, the host PC internal hard drives will be offline by default to be hidden and unaccessible by the Windows To Go workspace. The only exception is that the host PC that you created Windows To Go on will let you see only it's internal data drives and never it's OS drive by default.

This tutorial will show you how to hide or unhide the internal hard drives from the host PC to have access to them while on the Windows To Go workspace.

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

EXAMPLE: Host PC Drives Hidden and Unhidden in Windows To Go
NOTE: In both examples below, the Windows To Go USB flash drive is the C drive with the BitLocker lock on it.

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Here's How:

1. While booted into the Windows To Go workspace USB flash drive, open the WIN+X Power Users Task menu, and click/tap on Disk Management. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: This must be done in the Windows To Go workspace. It will not work if done in the Windows 7 or Windows 8 host pc.

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2. If prompted by UAC, click/tap on Yes.

3. Do step 4 or 5 below for what you would like to do.

4. To Hide a Host PC Hard Drive in Windows To Go

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A) Right click or press and hold on a Disk # from the host PC that is online that you would like to hide, and click/tap on Offline. (see screenshot below step 5)​

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B) After a moment, the disk will now be offline and hidden in the Computer window of Windows To Go.​

5. To Unhide a Host PC Hard Drive in Windows To Go

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A) Right click or press and hold on a Disk # from the host PC that is offline that you would like to unhide, and click/tap on Online. (see screenshot below)​

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B) After a moment, the disk will now be online and available in the Computer window of Windows To Go. (see screenshot below)​

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6. When finished, you can close Disk Management if you like.


That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Change Status of a Disk to Offline or Online in Windows
• How to Create a "Windows To Go" Workspace on a USB Flash Drive in Windows 8 Enterprise
• How to Setup "Windows 8 To Go" on a USB Flash Drive or USB Disk in any Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Enable or Disable Store on Windows To Go Workspaces
• How to Enable or Disable Hibernate in "Windows To Go" Workspace
• How to Enable or Disable Sleep in "Windows To Go" Workspace

 

[theog]

Works fine with Windows 10 D P Enterprise.

 

[Brink]

Yeah, I'm finding most of what works on Windows 8 will also do so in 10 as well so far.

 

[theog]

Should be called Windows 8.1.2.3.

 

[RoboMWM]

Actually, it seems that Windows 10 TP (pro version) appears to not default to putting the internal HD offline. While it's helpful to do it manually via disk management, is there a way I can "lock" this (for potential security reasons)?

I tried the san_policy from Windows To Go Step by Step - TechNet Articles - United States (English) - TechNet Wiki but it didn't appear to have any effect...

 

[Gr11zzly]

Doesn't work for me . I can't see the option to hide or unhide my drives. Windows 8.1 .
following the instructions
Perhaps I'm in the wrong application? I'm using Disk Management on my desktop because drives that are shown as "online" are not appearing in explorer so I hoped that toggling the online offline might correct the issue.

 

[Brink]

Hello Gr11zzly,

You'll need to do this from within the Window To Go workspace instead of in the Windows on the host PC.

 

[Gr11zzly]

Hello Gr11zzly,


You'll need to do this from within the Window To Go workspace instead of in the Windows on the host PC.

Thanks for the clarification.
More research to find out what that is--probably wont solve my problem but I'll look

 

[Brink]

It's while you're running Windows from the Windows To Go USB flash drive.

 

[CountryBumkin]

If the Win-2-Go drive is "C:" what happens when you unhide the computer's C: drive?

For example: I have a computer with primary drive C: and secondary drive D: (both same size). I want to access files on the D: drive (in my case I can't boot to Windows because the primary drive C: has a bad boot sector). So I boot using the Win-2-Go , and go to Disk Management and see both drives, when I unhide them what drive letters will they have assigned (still C: and D or something else (since Win-2-Go is now Drive C.

I assume the Win-2-Go will have drive C: assigned to it, as in your example (but maybe this is my error).

 

[Brink]

It will have the host Windows drive as another drive letter than C.

Only the currently running Windows will have C.