How to add Google Drive to File Explorer Navigation Pane in Windows 10

If you have Google Drive installed on your computer, you can add a Google Drive link to the navigation pane of File Explorer in Windows 10. This will make it easier for you to access. You will have to use the registry editor to do the work for you.

Previously, Google Drive was automatically added to the navigation pane in File Explorer immediately after installation. However, the thing has changed over the years, and now you have to add it manually. As you are going to edit a few things in Registry Editor, it is recommended that you first create a system restore point or generate a backup of registry files.

How to Add Google Drive to File Explorer

To add Google Drive to the navigation pane of File Explorer in Windows 10, follow these steps:

1. Open Notepad on your computer.
2. Paste the required registry code and save it as a .reg file
3. Then double-click on the .reg file.
4. Add the content to your registry.
5. Restart Windows Explorer.

At the start, you need to open Notepad and paste the following text:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareClassesCLSID{3935ea0f-5756-4db1-8078-d2baf2f7b7b2}]
@="Google Drive"
"System.IsPinnedToNamespaceTree"=dword:00000001
"SortOrderIndex"=dword:00000042

[HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareClassesCLSID{3935ea0f-5756-4db1-8078-d2baf2f7b7b2}DefaultIcon]
@=hex(2):43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,20,00,46,
00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,47,00,6f,00,6f,00,67,00,6c,00,65,00,5c,00,
44,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,65,00,5c,00,67,00,6f,00,6f,00,67,00,6c,00,65,00,64,
00,72,00,69,00,76,00,65,00,73,00,79,00,6e,00,63,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,
2c,00,30,00,00,00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareClassesCLSID{3935ea0f-5756-4db1-8078-d2baf2f7b7b2}InProcServer32]
@=hex(2):43,00,3a,00,5c,00,57,00,49,00,4e,00,44,00,4f,00,57,00,53,00,5c,00,73,
00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,00,68,00,65,00,6c,00,
6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareClassesCLSID{3935ea0f-5756-4db1-8078-d2baf2f7b7b2}Instance]
"CLSID"="{0E5AAE11-A475-4c5b-AB00-C66DE400274E}"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareClassesCLSID{3935ea0f-5756-4db1-8078-d2baf2f7b7b2}InstanceInitPropertyBag]
"Attributes"=dword:00000011
"TargetFolderPath"=hex(2):25,00,55,00,73,00,65,00,72,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,66,
00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,25,00,5c,00,47,00,6f,00,6f,00,67,00,6c,00,65,00,20,00,
44,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,65,00,00,00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareClassesCLSID{3935ea0f-5756-4db1-8078-d2baf2f7b7b2}ShellFolder]
"FolderValueFlags"=dword:00000028
"Attributes"=dword:f080004d

[HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerHideDesktopIconsNewStartPanel]
"{3935ea0f-5756-4db1-8078-d2baf2f7b7b2}"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerDesktopNameSpace{3935ea0f-5756-4db1-8078-d2baf2f7b7b2}]
@="Google Drive"

Then click on File button and select Save as. You can also press Ctrl + Shift + S simultaneously.

You must now choose a location where you want to save the file.

Then give a name to your file with .reg extension. For example, if the file name is test register, it should be test-registry.reg. Then expand the Save as type drop-down list and select All the files. Now you can click on the to save button.

After saving the file, double-click it. You can find the UAC prompt where you have to click on the Yes button.

Right after that, a confirmation window should appear where you can find a Yes button. As usual, you must click this button.

If all goes well, you should see a success message.

This time click on the Okay to close the window and restart Windows Explorer to find Google Drive in the navigation pane.

The process of adding and removing is almost the same, but there is a change in the registry code. To hide Google Drive in the sidebar panel, you need to delete or modify certain registry keys and values. Here’s how.

How to remove Google Drive from File Explorer

To remove Google Drive from the File Explorer navigation pane, follow these steps:

1. Pen REgistry Editor
2. Go to CLSID in HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
3. Delete {3935ea0f-5756-4db1-8078-d2baf2f7b7b2}.
4. Go to NameSpace in HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
5. Delete {3935ea0f-5756-4db1-8078-d2baf2f7b7b2}.
6. Go to NewStartPanel in HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
7. Delete {3935ea0f-5756-4db1-8078-d2baf2f7b7b2}.
8. Restart Windows Explorer.

Open the registry editor and navigate to the following path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareClassesCLSID

Here you can find a key named {3935ea0f-5756-4db1-8078-d2baf2f7b7b2}.

Right click on it, select Remove and confirm the change.

Then go to this path-

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerDesktopNameSpace

Find {3935ea0f-5756-4db1-8078-d2baf2f7b7b2} and follow the same steps as above to remove it.

Now go to this path-

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerHideDesktopIconsNewStartPanel

Find {3935ea0f-5756-4db1-8078-d2baf2f7b7b2} and follow the same steps to remove them.

Google Drive should be removed immediately from the File Explorer navigation pane.

You can also create a .reg file with the following registry code, save it as a .reg file, and run it:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareClassesCLSID{3935ea0f-5756-4db1-8078-d2baf2f7b7b2}]

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerDesktopNameSpace{3935ea0f-5756-4db1-8078-d2baf2f7b7b2}]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerHideDesktopIconsNewStartPanel]
"{3935ea0f-5756-4db1-8078-d2baf2f7b7b2}"=-

I hope you find this tutorial useful.

Then read: How to remove Dropbox from the File Explorer navigation pane