Windows Registry Location for SMB Share History

When you connect to network shared folders via SMB in Windows, the operating system logs these interactions across multiple registry locations for caching, auto-completion, and quick access. This article details the exact registry keys used to store UNC paths, mapped network drives, and Explorer history, and explains how to locate and clear this data using the Registry Editor (Regedit).

1. The Primary SMB Connection History: MountPoints2

The most comprehensive record of network share access (UNC paths) is located in the MountPoints2 key:

• Registry Path:
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MountPoints2

Inside this key, Windows creates a subkey for every network share accessed. Network UNC paths are stored with the format ##ServerName#ShareName (where hash symbols # replace backslashes \). Deleting these specific ## subkeys will remove the cached connection details and credentials associations for those shares.

2. Mapped Network Drives

If a network share was mapped to a specific drive letter (e.g., Z:), Windows records the persistent mapping details here:

• Registry Path:
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Network\

Under this key, you will see subkeys corresponding to each mapped drive letter (e.g., HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Network\Z). Inside each letter’s subkey, the string value named RemotePath contains the full SMB UNC path (such as \\server\share).

3. File Explorer Typed Paths

When a user manually types a UNC path into the File Explorer address bar, the history is saved as a Most Recently Used (MRU) list:

• Registry Path:
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\TypedPaths

The values are labeled sequentially (e.g., url1, url2) and contain the exact network paths entered.

4. Run Dialog History (RunMRU)

If network shares are accessed using the Windows Run dialog (Win + R), the entries are stored separately:

• Registry Path:
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU

Entries are stored as alphabetical string values (a, b, c), with an MRUList entry tracking the order in which they were used.

How to Clear Network Share History

To remove the history of accessed network shares: 1. Open the Registry Editor by pressing Win + R, typing regedit, and pressing Enter. 2. Navigate to the relevant keys listed above. 3. Right-click the specific subkey or value containing the network path you wish to delete and select Delete. 4. Restart the explorer.exe process or log out of Windows to apply the changes.