Assign Drive Letters to Folders in Windows

We’ll show you 3 different methods to try

If there are folders that you access frequently, this post shows you how to quickly access these folders in Windows Explorer without having to enter the full path to the folder. We will discuss three ways to map folders to drive letters.

Method 1: Use the subst DOS Command

First, we will use an old DOS command, calledsubst, that allows you to assign a drive letter to any folder in Windows.

For this example, we will assign a drive letter for the following folder:C:\Users\Lori Kaufman\Documents\My Work.

Open theStartmenu and enter “cmd.exe” (without the quotes) in theSearch programs and filesbox. Clickcmd.exein the results to open the command prompt window.

In the command prompt window, type the following command to associate drive “Y:” with the folder.

NOTE:If there are spaces in the path name, be sure to put quotes around the full path.

Now, when we open Windows Explorer, we see a new drive labeledY:that will directly open theMy Workfolder.

Use this same process to assign different drive letters to all your frequently used directories. However, thesubstcommand cannot be used with mapped network folders.

Method 2: Use the psubst Utility

A disadvantage of using thesubstcommand is that these virtual drives are temporary and will be removed as soon as you shutdown or restart the computer or log off. However, you can solve this by using the freepsubstutility, which operates like the subst command but it creates permanent virtual drives that are persistent even after rebooting your computer.

Download thepsubstutility from

https://github.com/ildar-shaimordanov/psubst

Now go ahead and read my post on how to use psubst to map a folder to a drive letter.

Method 3: Use a Graphical Tool

If you would rather use a graphical tool to map drive letters to folders, there is a free utility called,Visual Subst, that’s like a graphical version of thepsubstutility.

DownloadVisual Substfrom

http://www.ntwind.com/software/utilities/visual-subst.html

To installVisual Subst, double-click on the.exefile you downloaded.

On theInstallation Optionsscreen, select the check boxes for theProgram Shortcutsyou want to install and clickNext.

When the setup is completed, clickClose. Double-click the shortcut to start the program. You can also start it from theStartmenu.

The mainVisual Substwindow displays. Select a desired drive letter from the drop-down list.

To select a folder to map to the selected drive letter, click theBrowsebutton to the right of the edit box.

On theBrowse For Folderdialog box, navigate to the folder you want to map, select it, and clickOK.

To map the selected folder to the selected drive letter, click the green plus button on the button bar to the left of the drive letter drop-down list.

The virtual drive is added to the list. Add more virtual drives by selecting a drive letter and a corresponding folder and adding it to the list as described above.

If you want the virtual drives you defined available automatically when you start Windows, select theApply virtual drives on Windows startupcheck box so there is a check mark in the box.

To save the settings forVisual Subst, click the floppy disk button on the button bar. A file with the.iniextension is saved in the same directory whereVisual Substwas installed.

The mapped folders display asHard Disk Drivesin Windows Explorer.

If you want to remove the mapping for a folder, openVisual Substagain and select the virtual drive from the list. Click the redXbutton on the button bar.

Mapping folders to drive letters can save you a lot of time andVisual Substmakes adding virtual drives easy.Visual Substworks in Windows 2000, Windows XP, and later versions of Windows including Windows 7, 8 and 10. Enjoy!

Founder of Help Desk Geek and managing editor. He began blogging in 2007 and quit his job in 2010 to blog full-time. He has over 15 years of industry experience in IT and holds several technical certifications.Read Aseem’s Full Bio

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Assign Drive Letters to Folders in Windows#

Method 1: Use the subst DOS Command#

Method 2: Use the psubst Utility#

Method 3: Use a Graphical Tool#

Assign Drive Letters to Folders in Windows

Method 1: Use the subst DOS Command

Method 2: Use the psubst Utility

Method 3: Use a Graphical Tool