How to Hide the Recovery Partition in Windows 10

In some cases, users may want to hide the recovery partition on their Windows 10 devices to keep it from showing up in File Explorer or other utilities. This can help reduce clutter or prevent accidental edits to this important partition. In this guide, we’ll go over how to hide the recovery partition without impacting its functionality.

What is the Recovery Partition in Windows 10?

The recovery partition is a dedicated area on the hard drive that holds files used to restore the system. It's essential for system repair, rolling back to previous Windows versions, and other recovery tasks. Removing or disabling it is not recommended, as it plays a key role in maintaining system stability.

Precautions Before Making Changes

Before proceeding, keep in mind that making any changes to disk partitions can have unintended consequences. It’s highly recommended to back up all data and ensure you understand each step. If you're unsure, consider consulting a professional.

Steps to Hide the Recovery Partition

To hide the recovery partition in Windows 10, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Disk Management

  1. Press Win + X and select Disk Management from the menu.
  2. Locate the recovery partition. It’s usually labeled as Recovery Partition and typically doesn’t have a drive letter.

Step 2: Assign a Drive Letter (if needed)

To hide the partition, you’ll first need to assign it a drive letter:

  1. Right-click on the recovery partition and select Change Drive Letter and Paths....
  2. Click Add and choose any available letter.
  3. Click OK to save the changes.

Step 3: Hide the Partition Using Command Prompt

After assigning a drive letter, open Command Prompt as an administrator:

  1. Press Win + S, type "Command Prompt," right-click it, and select Run as administrator.
  2. In Command Prompt, enter diskpart and press Enter.
  3. Type list volume to view all volumes.
  4. Find the volume with the drive letter you assigned to the recovery partition and note its number.
  5. Type select volume X, replacing X with the recovery partition’s volume number.
  6. Execute remove letter=Z, replacing Z with the assigned drive letter.

Once you run this command, the recovery partition will be hidden from File Explorer, but it will remain accessible for system recovery functions.