Rtl_ul non Existent CD Drive: 4 Methods to Remove it

A few ejection solutions from our experts

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Key notes

  • Users reported that alongside their Windows 10 update, an extra drive letter also appeared.
  • This article will explore this issue and provide some fixes for the rtl_ul drive.
rtl_ul

After an update on the Windows 10  operating system, an extra drive letter might appear, for example, E:/ with the name RTL_UL.

The Extra CD drive in Windows 10 is closely related to a Realtek LAN driver. Also, if you browse it, you will find an executable file named RTK_NIC_DRIVER_INSTALLER.sfx.exe with a couple more files related to the driver.

We are exploring in this article ways to help you fix the non-existent CD drive in Windows 10, so keep on reading.

Why am I seeing the rtl_ul CD drive?

The rtl_ul CD drive you see is most likely a virtual CD drive created by the Realtek USB wireless adapter driver software. This virtual CD drive contains the necessary drivers and installation software for the Realtek USB wireless adapter.

When you plug in the Realtek USB wireless adapter to your computer, the driver software will automatically mount the virtual CD drive as if it were a physical one. This allows the driver software to be easily installed on your computer without manually downloading or locating the driver files.

Often, you do not need to interact directly with the virtual CD drive, as the driver software will automatically install and configure the wireless adapter.

However, installing or configuring the Realtek USB wireless adapter may encounter issues. In that case, you may need to access the virtual CD drive to install the driver software or run the installation program manually.

How do I remove the rtl_ul drive?

1. Assign a new drive path

  1. Press and hold the Windows+ X key.
  2. Left-click on the Disk Management option.
    Disk management - SSD drive won't format/SSD format error occured at offset
  3. Look under the upper and lower windows to see if the CD drive that appeared is detected.
  4. If you can see the drive in the Disk Management window, right-click on the drive and click Change drives letter and paths option.
    rtl_ul
  5. Next, assign a new path for the specific drive.
    rtl_ul

2. Use a restore point

  1. Press and hold the Windows + R key.
  2. In the run dialog box, write: rstrui and hit Enter.
    rstrui windows 10
  3. Click on the System Restore button.
    rtl_ul
  4. Select the Choose a different restore point option and click Next.
    rtl_ul
  5. If you don’t have the Choose a different Restore Point option, simply click Next.
  6. Select a restore point and hit Next.
  7. Click on Finish to initiate the restore process.
  8. Finally, Windows will restart the system after the system has been restored to an earlier state.

3. Eject your drive

  1. Open the File Explorer window by pressing Windows + E.
  2. Right-click on the drive that you have issues with.
  3. Next, left-click on the Eject option.
  4. After you successfully ejected it, reboot your Windows 10.

4. Use a partition Wizard

If the issue persists and the phantom drive remains, you can install and run the Aomei Partition Assistant.

This software lets you view and manage all the drives on your computer, including the mysterious drive we’re discussing.

After installing the software, you must select and format the newly found partition.

⇒ Get AOMEI Partition Assistant

That is as much as we will cover in this article. If you have read this far, the rtl_ul drive should no longer be an issue.

If you have any other questions or suggestions, please leave them in the comments section below.

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