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How to Remove Phantom Drives

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Tuesday, March 7, 2017 3:42 PM

Here is the issue:

I have 3 'phantom' drives assigned letters on my Windows 10 machine. i have tried several well known methods to remove them, however cannot seem to get rid of them.

  • DiskPark does not show any of the assigned drive letters.
  • Disk Utility does not either.
  • The error when click on the 'phantom' drives says: ""[Mapped Drive Location] is unavailable.  If the location is on this PC, make sure the device or drive is connected or the disc is inserted, and then try again.  If the location is on a network, make sure you're connected to the network or Internet, and then try again."

It's almost like they don't exist, or am I missing something? Any suggestions? 

All replies (30)

Tuesday, March 7, 2017 11:46 PM

Right click disconnect ?

or from a Command Prompt;

net use x: /delete (substituting x for the drive letter).

Wednesday, March 8, 2017 7:34 AM

First, go to disk management to remove or change the letter of this phantom drive.

Besides, there is a Microsoft blog can be regarded as a reference.

How to remove phantom/ghost devices

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/xiz/2013/11/03/how-to-remove-phantomghost-devices/

Regards

Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help.
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Wednesday, March 8, 2017 5:53 PM

That's just the issue, it doesn't show up in disk management... I'll review the blog, thanks for that!

Thursday, March 9, 2017 3:43 AM

  They will not show up in disk management if they are network drives. Did you try Mr Happy's suggestion to delete the shares?

Bill

Thursday, March 9, 2017 6:12 PM

Open a Command Prompt (Admin)

subst x: /d

where X: is the drive letter of the phantom drive.

Rob Brown - Microsoft MVP - Windows and Devices for IT - Windows Insider MVP : Bicycle - Mark Twain said it right.

Sunday, October 1, 2017 9:24 PM

Bump.

Was there any resolution to this? I have the same issue after trying to mess (unsuccessfully) with an apple formatted hard drive. I assigned it a drive letter in diskpart and after disconnecting it from my computer the Local Disk (L:) drive I assigned it shows up with a blue question mark. I can't remove it with diskpart or reassign it. Plugging the hard drive back in does nothing. It does not show up in disk management. A full shutdown has no effect. I could just live with it but it annoys me.

Sunday, October 1, 2017 10:04 PM

Bump.

Was there any resolution to this? I have the same issue after trying to mess (unsuccessfully) with an apple formatted hard drive. I assigned it a drive letter in diskpart and after disconnecting it from my computer the Local Disk (L:) drive I assigned it shows up with a blue question mark. I can't remove it with diskpart or reassign it. Plugging the hard drive back in does nothing. It does not show up in disk management. A full shutdown has no effect. I could just live with it but it annoys me.

This is an older thread and unlikely to get any replies. You issues appears different so you need to log your own new question for your issues. See How to ask an effective question

Tuesday, January 9, 2018 8:25 AM | 21 votes

command pront as administrator

diskpart

list volume (here is now seen which volume has letter)

select volume x (x is a volume number when you want remove)

remove letter=x (x is a selected volume letters)

Monday, April 2, 2018 7:15 AM

Fantastic! Thanks 3DDD!

Did the trick for me - erased all phantom USB drive letters...

Tuesday, May 8, 2018 4:34 AM

Worked for me, too 3DDDD - thank you.

In my case, it was a persistent mapping for a thumb drive that had lasted through hard restarts.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018 9:30 AM

Thanks 3DDDD - worked a treat for me too.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018 3:51 PM

3DDD: your advice should be engraved in gold! thanks so much!

Wednesday, May 23, 2018 8:41 PM

Hint hint, if you post commenting 3DDDD's as positive, click the helpful button! Its the way things work around here ;)

Wednesday, June 6, 2018 9:21 PM

Thanks, cleaned up things for me.

Wednesday, June 6, 2018 10:44 PM

Thanks, cleaned up things for me.

Please include a quote what helped would help others. Also plus vote the poster if you have not already, thanks.

Saturday, July 14, 2018 12:45 AM | 3 votes

The method works, but a step was stated incorrectly.  Here is a more detailed set of instructions.

1. Open the Command Prompt
2. Type   diskpart    (enter)
3. Type   list volume   (enter)  This will show the volumes and phantom drive letters.
4. Type   select volume=0       naming the target volume (use the number shown on your screen!)

you will then get an acknowledgement as to the selected volume

5. type remove letter=x        (enter)  where x is the actual drive letter

you will get a message announcing a successful removal of the drive letter.

Type exit (return) to get back to Windows.  Or just close the window.

Basically, 3DDD got it right.

Monday, July 16, 2018 3:14 AM

Sorry for the rookie question. Trying to follow the steps, but getting stuck after entering "list volume". Nothing is coming up once enter "list volume" and click enter :-(

After few secs, if I click on enter again, the following message comes up:

"Virtual Disk Service Error: 

The object has been deleted."

Sunday, October 7, 2018 3:00 PM

Larry L_

I guess you're not a programmer

Tuesday, October 16, 2018 3:31 PM

Thanks 3DDDD - such a pleasure when someone gives a precise reply that actually works!

Tuesday, November 20, 2018 11:08 PM

Thank you!

Just could not get rid of a phantom disk, letter assigned or not. Computer Manager/Disk Manager showed the 'Disk' as removable, I was able to assign/remove a drive letter, but not get rid of it - until now! :-)

Thursday, February 14, 2019 10:40 PM | 2 votes

That was an AWESOME clarification mate, thank you!  BIG help!

However, just one thing... after entering 'list volume', the phantom drive/volume/letter DOESN'T SHOW in the list of volumes!

Now what...?  :)

Thank you or anyone else here in advance!

Friday, February 15, 2019 1:00 AM

Hello,

Network drives assigned drive letters in different user contexts will consume the drive letters but may not show in the UI unless you are in that user context

Open a cmd prompt and run 

Net use

Open an elevated CMD prompt and run 

Net Use

the lists may be different if you have mapped drives as the user or via an elevated prompt

Non_Network drives should be stored in the registry.

Also you can look at the registry>

HKLM\System\MountedDevices:

The dosdevices lines are where the driveletter is mapped to the volume

Thanks, Darrell Gorter [MSFT] This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Friday, January 24, 2020 1:17 AM

Thanks. This is the one that works. 

Saturday, March 28, 2020 2:03 PM

doesn't work - "System error 67 occured"

Saturday, March 28, 2020 2:04 PM

Doesn't work: "Access is denied" and I have administrator privilege.

Saturday, March 28, 2020 2:08 PM

I put

"subst d: /d"

system replies

"Invalid parameter -D:"

Saturday, March 28, 2020 2:15 PM

Very great THANK YOU, Sir or Lady. I tried so many different ways and yours worked!

Tuesday, March 31, 2020 11:39 PM

Very great THANK YOU, Sir or Lady. I tried so many different ways and yours worked!

Yes, however, which method worked?

Rob Brown - Microsoft MVP - Windows and Devices for IT - Windows Insider MVP : Bicycle - Mark Twain said it right.

Friday, May 29, 2020 5:12 AM

To remove Phantom Network Drives you will want to follow this Microsoft Article: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/932463/a-mapped-network-drive-appears-to-be-disconnected-after-you-install-or

--Zack AhSam-Kreiter

Saturday, May 30, 2020 11:31 AM

Do you have PowerISO downloaded?