Last Updated on February 25, 2024 by Mathew Diekhake

While not used all that often, there is a “Network” option from the navigation pane in File Explorer that when clicked shows you computers and media devices that are connected to the same network.

It’s possible to remove that network link from the navigation pane if you prefer it not being available from the File Explorer.

All you need is to first sign in to one of the user accounts that has the administrative permissions assigned to it. The first account created by the computer owner always has the admin permissions and so does any account that has been given the administrative permissions by that original admin user account.

How to Add/Remove Network in Navigation Pane of File Explorer in Windows 10

You can add or remove the “Network” option from the navigation pane in File Explorer in Windows 10 by using the Registry Editor. You can open up the Registry Editor anyway you like, but the quickest is probably by typing “regedit” into the search field available in the taskbar and then clicking on the “Regedit” run command that becomes available under the “Best match” section.

With the Registry Editor open, navigate to the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{F02C1A0D-BE21-4350-88B0-7367FC96EF3C}\ShellFolder registry key and then double-click on the “Attributes” entry available from the right side pane.

Doing so opens up the “Edit DWORD” box where you can change the Value data. To add the “network” to the navigation pane, type the b0040064 digits and then click on the “OK” button to close the box and apply the changes. Conversely, to remove the “network” from the navigation pane, type the “b0940064” digits and then click on the “OK” button to close the box.

You’ll need to start off by changing the owner of the Shell folder registry key to the “Administrators” group for this to work. Some of you might have done that already and some of you might not. To check/do it, you need to right-click on the “ShellFolder” key in the left pane and then select “Permissions” from its context menu.

The Properties dialog box is now open. Click on the “Security” tab at the top of the box and then click on the “Advanced” button. Then at the top of the box will be a link that says “Change” in line with where it labels the “owner.” Click on that ‘Change” link, and it then lets you select a user or group.

Click on the “Find Now” button to the right side of the dialog box and then you’ll see a list of users who are associated with your computer. Click on the name of the account you are using now and another small dialog box opens up. All you need to do now is type “Administrators” into the available field where it says “Enter the object name to select” and then click on the “OK” button at the bottom of the window.

Windows 10’s File Explorer comes with an abundance of changes compared to the Windows Explorer that came with Windows 7. Some writers from other sites have put together some outstanding articles that piece the differences together and show you how you can make your new File Explorer look like the old one. One of the features they routinely miss, however, is anything to do with the Network feature. Now you know how to take care of that, too.

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