How to remove Network icon from Windows 10 File Explorer

By default, Windows 10 shows the Network icon in the navigation pane of File Explorer. It is useful to quickly browse your local area network. But for users who have only one PC and no home network, or for those who prefer another way of network sharing instead of the default Windows SMB protocol, that icon can be completely useless. If you are not going to use it and don't wish to see the Network icon in the navigation pane, here is how to remove it from Windows 10 File Explorer.

To remove and hide the Network icon from Windows 10 File Explorer, do the following:

  1. Open Registry Editor.
  2. Go to the following Registry key:
    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{F02C1A0D-BE21-4350-88B0-7367FC96EF3C}\ShellFolder

    Tip: See how to jump to the desired Registry key with one click.
    You need to take ownership of this key as described HERE or using the RegOwnershipEx app (recommended).

  3. Set the value data of the DWORD value Attributes to b0940064.
  4. If you are running a 64-bit operating system, repeat the steps above for the following Registry key:
    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{F02C1A0D-BE21-4350-88B0-7367FC96EF3C}}\ShellFolder
  5. Restart Windows 10.
  6. Open the File Explorer app. The Network icon will disappear from the File Explorer navigation pane:

That's it. To restore the Network icon, set the Attributes value data to b0040064.

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Author: Sergey Tkachenko

Sergey Tkachenko is a software developer who started Winaero back in 2011. On this blog, Sergey is writing about everything connected to Microsoft, Windows and popular software. Follow him on Telegram, Twitter, and YouTube.

19 thoughts on “How to remove Network icon from Windows 10 File Explorer”

  1. Is there any tweak to use windows classic theme in windows 10?

    I was using windows classic theme in windows 7, and now I have upgrade to windows 10.
    But it has no classic theme.., The white bright theme makes my eyes sore…
    The dark theme by editing registry is applied only new windows styles of windows 10..,
    Dark theme tweaking cannot change the color of file explorer of windows 10.

    1. You could use custom visual theme. Mr. GRiM usually creates black styled VSs. A link to one of his works: virtualcustoms.net/showthread.php/69707-Windows-10-Black-Edition

  2. how about removing the QUICK ACCESS links on the left? click on My Computer and you get the exact same links. talk about retarded redundancy.

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