How do I prevent system volume information files from showing up in my usb flash drive?

Anonymous
2013-10-28T16:13:30+00:00

I recently upgraded to Windows 8.1 once it was made available to me via the app store. I noticed the other day when I had transfered some music to my game console that I had a folder titled "System Volume Information" on the root of my flash drive. I didn't know what it was so I deleted it and went about my business. I did the same thing today and there it was. So I deleted it and plugged it back into my laptop this time only to remove it again and return to the game console to reproduce the issue. Same as before. So I'd like to know step by step how to prevent these folders from being stored in my flash drive. I know these are not harmful files but it is irritating to have them stored on the flash drive. I don't want to have to constantly delete it all the time either. Especially when I know this used to never be an issue before.

I saw this and was able to make the files visable but I was confused about what to do in the command prompt.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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Anonymous
2014-01-08T02:25:00+00:00

There is a group policy option to turn off this feature. Enable Computer Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Windows Components \ Search \ Do not allow locations on removable drives to be added to libraries.

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Anonymous
2014-01-08T11:18:49+00:00

There is a group policy option to turn off this feature. Enable Computer Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Windows Components \ Search \ Do not allow locations on removable drives to be added to libraries.

Thanks for taking the time to investigate this Eliyas. That fix has worked for me. Just a heads up to anyone else reading this post, AFAIK this will only work in Win 8.1 Pro or Enterprise as other Win 8.1 versions do not have GPEDIT

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-09-19T19:00:41+00:00

    Go read this page

    http://www.thewindowsclub.com/prevent-system-volume-information-folder-usb

    Look at the part 3/4 down the page about using REGEDIT to create a key that will stop Windows 8.1 from writing the hidden files to external devices.  Note that that page does not say whether to select 32  or 64 bit DWORD...32bit works fine.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-09-19T17:18:21+00:00

    Thanks!

    I initially couldn't delete the Word directory after copying all the files and folders to another location.  Guess I should have moved them to save myself a little more work.  I remembered that folders had to be empty before they could be deleted, so I deleted everything in each folder, then deleted each folder individually, including the System Volume Information.  Guess that one will come back each time I mount the USB, but that is OK.

    Thanks once again!

    Have a Great Day and Better Tomorrows!

    David

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-09-19T15:36:45+00:00

    I am using Windows 7 and some how have put an existing folder within the System Volume Information folder.  Now I can't remove the folder.  I am willing to live with the System Volume Information folder, at least for now.  How can I extract my "Word" folder, along with all it's subfolders from the System Volume Information folder?  I do use the USB drive on several Windows 8.1 computers.

    If you are conversnt with using a command window, this will be do-able...

    Open a cmd window (Start>run> cmd <enter>

    Navigate to the ROOT of the SD card (for me this was 'E:')

    Type E: <enter>

    Type attrib -S -H -R "System Volume Information" <enter>

    type cd "System Volume Information" <enter>

    type dir *.* <enter>

    This will show all the files in the directory.

    Now you can construct a command to copy the file you need to a directory you can access...

    Type copy <"name of the folder">  <"destination where you want it to go">

    Example: copy MyWordFolder "C:\Directory name"

    (if there are any spaces in the strings you type, you must enclose them in quotes)

    Once you are sure the folder has been copied to an accessible place, you can remove the annoying folder--showing here ALL steps for completeness...

    Type E: <enter>

    Type cd **<enter**

    Type attrib -S -H -R "System Volume Information" <enter>

    You can then delete fles in the directory...

    type cd "System Volume Information" <enter>

    type del *.* <enter>

    You can then remove the directory...

    type *cd *

    type rd "System Volume Information"

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