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You can access a USB volume through a folder path in Windows instead of—or alongside—a drive letter. In Disk Management, add a mount point and choose an existing empty folder on an NTFS or ReFS volume. Microsoft’s documented method also requires the USB volume itself to use NTFS or ReFS.
Before you start
- Connect the USB drive and make sure its volume is available in Windows.
- Choose an existing folder path on a volume formatted as NTFS or ReFS. The folder you use as the mount point must be empty.
- Sign in with an account that belongs to the Administrators or Backup Operators group; Microsoft requires membership in one of these groups to add or remove a mount point.
For this documented procedure, the USB volume must also use NTFS or ReFS. If it uses another file system, Microsoft says to back up or move its files and reformat it first. Formatting destroys data on the selected volume, so do not proceed unless you understand the consequences and have a verified backup. See Microsoft’s mount-point instructions and Disk Management guidance.
Assign the USB drive to a folder in Disk Management
- Open Disk Management. Right-click Start and choose Disk Management, search for it from Start, or press Windows key + R, enter
diskmgmt.msc, and press Enter. Disk Management is built into Windows 10 and Windows 11, and Microsoft says it works the same in both. - Identify the right USB volume. Check the disk and volume details in the lower pane before selecting anything. If more than one volume or disk is shown, confirm which one belongs to the USB drive; do not choose a volume based on its drive letter alone.
- Prepare the mount folder. Create or choose an empty folder on an NTFS or ReFS volume that already has a usable path—for example, a folder on a data drive. Do not choose a folder containing files.
- Open the path settings. Select the USB volume, then choose Action > All Tasks > Change Drive Letter and Paths. In the dialog, select Add.
- Choose the folder path. Select Mount in the following empty NTFS folder, browse to the empty folder you prepared, and confirm.
- Check access. Open the chosen folder in File Explorer. It should now show the contents of the USB volume.
These are Microsoft’s documented Disk Management steps; the exact controls available can depend on the volume’s state and your account permissions.
Folder mount point or drive letter?
A drive letter gives a volume a separate path such as E:. A folder mount point exposes it through a path such as D:ExternalUSB. Choose a folder path when it fits the way you organize files or applications; a drive letter may be more straightforward if you want a distinct letter in File Explorer. A folder mount point is an access path, not a performance improvement or a security feature.
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If the mount option is unavailable
- Check the file systems. Microsoft’s procedure requires NTFS or ReFS for both the USB volume and the volume hosting the empty mount folder. If the USB volume uses a different file system, reformatting may erase its data; back it up first and do not format simply to make the option appear.
- Check the folder. Confirm that the selected folder exists, is empty, and is on an NTFS or ReFS volume.
- Check your account. Use an account in the Administrators or Backup Operators group.
- Check whether Windows recognizes the volume. Confirm that the intended USB volume appears in Disk Management and is ready for use before changing its paths.
Microsoft notes that some USB disks cannot be initialized and may instead be formatted and assigned a drive letter. Do not initialize or format a disk as a troubleshooting shortcut: either operation can risk data loss. If the disk contains files you need, stop and protect them before making changes.
Optional command-line methods
Microsoft also documents DiskPart and PowerShell methods for assigning a mount point. They are alternatives for administrators familiar with those tools; Disk Management is the simpler choice for this task. If using a command-line method, carefully verify the selected volume and folder before applying changes.
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Security note
A folder mount path does not encrypt a USB drive or replace a removable-media security policy. Microsoft’s article about removable-media NTFS permission handling was published in January 2017 and identifies historical affected Windows versions; it should not be treated as evidence of a current Windows 10 or Windows 11 vulnerability. See Microsoft’s article and its version scope.
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