• You can mount a folder like a drive in Windows 11 for better organization and easy access.
  • The quickest way to do so is to assign a letter via Command Prompt.
  • A more permanent method is to assign the letter via a shortcut and enable it every time you log in.

You might be used to seeing a list of your hard drives – external, and internal storage devices – every time you navigate to “This PC.” But did you know that you can also mount folders to appear in the same way in Windows 11? It’s a great way to keep things organized, and in this article, we’ll be showing you how to mount a folder as a drive.

How to Mount a Folder as a Drive in Windows 11

Mounting a folder as a drive is a way to have access to any folder at your fingertips in a much more predictable and custom-made way. There are a few ways to get this done, but we’ll be showing you the two most popular methods. What’s important to note is that, unlike storage or a partition, mounting a folder as a drive won’t actually make it function like one. That said, let’s get started.

Using Command Prompt

The quickest and most effective way for using a folder like a drive is Command Prompt. This will create an icon that’ll show up in Explorer and “This PC.” What’s important to remember with this method is that the mounted folder will last only until the next reboot of your machine. It’s a temporary creation. Here’s what to do:

Step 1. Open the Run dialog (Win + R) and type “cmd” before pressing “OK.” Don’t run Command Prompt as an Admin, or the process won’t work.

Step 2. In Command Prompt, type the following: “subst X: “C:\Users\John Smith\Documents” and press “Enter.” The “X” can be substituted for any driver letter currently not in use. Likewise, the file path can be changed to anything, so long as it’s in quotation marks.

Step 3. The folder will be mounted as a drive and should be visible in Explorer. The storage space will be the same as your hard drive.

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Step 4. To dismount the drive, besides restarting, simply open Command Prompt in the same way, enter: “subst X: /d” and press “Enter.”

Creating a Desktop Shortcut

If you want your mounted drive to be more permanent, then you can create a shortcut using the same line you used in Command Prompt, and have it activate on startup every time. Here’s what to do:

Step 1. First, create the shortcut. Right-click the Desktop and select “New” and “Shortcut” from the menu.

Step 2. In the screen that pops up, insert your command line code, e.g., “subst X: “C:\Users\John Smith\Documents” and press “Next.”

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Step 3. Enter a name for your shortcut and press the “Finish” button.

Step 4. To ensure that your folder will mount as a drive every time you log in, open an Explorer window (Win + E) and navigate to C:\Users\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup and copy the shortcut across.

Why Mount a Folder as a Drive

So now you know how to mount a folder as a drive, you might be wondering why you need to do it in the first place. Well, there are a few, but here are three of the most common:

  • Convenience – It’s far easier to access a folder in “This PC” than navigate deep into File Explorer following a winding path.
  • Organization – For big projects, having large folders act as drives can better aid efficient organization.
  • Compatibility – Some older apps and programs need drive letters and short paths to run properly. Mounting a folder as a drive can help with this.

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