Windows Tip: Assign Permanent Letters to Removable Drives
Each time you plug in a USB drive or SD card in a PC, Windows gives it a dynamic alphabetic letter. Here’s how to give your drive(s) a permanent letter.
Windows will assign drive letters to external flash drives, SD cards, and other removable storage devices dynamically as you plug them in. If you use many different external storage devices throughout the day, having different letters assigned each time can become annoying and make things feel unorganized. Here’s how to assign permanent letters to each device to make things easier.
Add Permanent Drive Letters to Removeable Storage
Windows progresses through the alphabet (sans A and B) to assign drive letters to devices as you plug them in. So if you plug in a USB flash drive to get data from it, it might be F: but the next time you plug it in, it might be E: or G: depending on the order you plug them in.
The neat thing is you can assign a permanent letter to a USB drive directly with Windows 7, 8.1, and Windows 10. It’s an easy process, and there’s no need to install any third-party utility.
Assign a Specific Drive Letter in Windows
1. To set this up, plug in the drive that you want to assign a permanent letter. Then open the Run dialog ( Windows Key+R ) and type: compmgmt.msc and hit Enter or click OK.
Or, right-click the Start button to bring up the hidden quick access menu in Windows 10 or 8.1 and select Computer Management .
2. Once that’s open, choose Disk Management in the left pane under Storage. It will take a few seconds while Windows looks for the drives currently connected to your PC and displays them in the right pane.
3. Right-click the drive you want to assign a permanent letter to and then choose Change Drive Letter and Paths from the menu.
4. A dialog box will open up, and here you need to click the Change button. Then make sure that Assign the following drive letter is selected and choose the letter you want to give it. Click OK and close out of Computer Management.
Now, each time you plug that drive into your PC, it will register with the drive letter you gave it.
39 Comments
March 31, 2016 at 7:33 am
This IS NOT permanent. Windows will still change them randomly. Again I repeat THIS IS NOT PERMANENT
April 27, 2016 at 4:41 am
this tutorial is rubbish. i have done this many times, windows still changes the drive letter. this is not permament at all!!!
May 14, 2016 at 5:20 am
Same experience as the other two users. I had changed my drive letter for a USB drive through disk management and it was working great for quite some time when suddenly today the drive letter was changed.
What I did notice is I had my e-reader connected before I turned on the USB drive (which had the letter assigned). Suddenly my e-reader has the assigned letter from the USB drive.
So… NOT PERMANENT AT ALL unless you turn on your drive with the “permanent letter” first.
Kumar Abhirup
May 31, 2016 at 4:52 am
Thanx, this helped me a lot.
August 30, 2022 at 10:27 am
For a while …
September 13, 2016 at 6:21 am
Nope. Windows 10 changes it if I plug in a different usb drive first.
October 8, 2016 at 12:29 am
This doesn’t work at all. You can change the drive letter from there, but if you unplug your unit and plug another one, windows will assign the previous letter to the new unit nonetheless. This is so annoying.
Pablo Guerrero
December 10, 2016 at 10:08 am
I usually have to use the Disk Management utility to correct the mess that Windows makes with drive letters. The most annoying thing is that Windows even changes the drive letters of those external disks that haven’t been unplugged.
Plugged to my laptop I always have an external diskdrive that always should be E: But if I have a SD card inserted in the SD drive and boot up the computer then the SD card is assigned E: and the always plugged (never unplugged) diskdrive is re-assigned as G: which is annoying since I have an application that looks for its overlays and databases on drive E:
Is there a way to say Windows that a used drive letter (like E:) is not available for dynamic drive letter assignment?
February 21, 2017 at 4:13 pm
Try assigning a letter well away from ABCDEF, like Z. This way windows won’t automatically reassign your letter when more drives are connected.
Steve Krause
February 22, 2017 at 10:38 am
Exactly what I do Will. Great tip.
Brian Burgess
May 2, 2017 at 8:00 pm
This is a great point, Will. I’ll upgrade the article to include your tip. Thanks!
July 8, 2017 at 12:47 am
It worked for a while. Then letters were changed after some days… again! :-(
April 29, 2024 at 7:39 am
That doesn’t work either.
MyTechMaster
March 1, 2017 at 4:47 pm
What Will says is true. If you assign the last letters of the alphabet to your external drives Windows will ALWAYS REMEMBER AND NEVER OVERWRITE THEM. Just don’t assign two of your external drives the same drive letter and this will work 100% of the time for you. Peace!
September 14, 2021 at 3:18 pm
((( NYM ))) after 30 years, still solving the world’s problems! another perfect answer. worked grrrrrreat! thank you my dear! see you in one of your forums helping folks soon! thank you thank you❗❗❗❗ zack
Sandy Lemberg
September 14, 2021 at 6:39 pm
Unless you have more than 26 external drives.
March 19, 2017 at 8:12 am
It is too late to assign a drive letter near the end of the alphabet. I have done a lot of work that uses drive letter E: I would have to redo all of this to change it to Z:
Surely, Microsoft would have a tool to assign drives permanently.
May 10, 2017 at 6:51 am
John, change your other drives to z,y,x, etc. then when the PC boots or you insert another drive/flash, it will be at the end and not take your E: drives spot.
April 1, 2017 at 9:23 am
With all the cracks in Windows I don’t see why there isn’t another “standard” OS that’s just as easy (or easier) and plug-n-play, that actually uses “memory” to remember stuff like drive letters. Or window size and placement. Or “Yes I’m sure” and “Yes I did click on ‘yes i’m sure'” and “No, I’m not a Robot…you are” and not to ask me to not ever show something again, every time…etc.
June 25, 2017 at 4:43 am
There is a shareware application which addresses this, though it’s intended for computer engineers and system administrators, not regular users. You can configure it to map drive letters according to DeviceIDs and other really permanent data. It runs as a service, to it autostarts with Windows. However, there’s no graphical interface. Everything has to be coded on an INI file, which is highly technical.
The software is called USBDLM is it’s free for private and educational uses. It’s available at Softpedia and other software archives.
July 7, 2017 at 8:25 am
The first 2 replies here are annoying. This works 100% unless you have gone and relettered multiple devices to the same letter. In that event only 1 (one) of the devices will acquire the desired letter and always the first. When the second device is plugged in Windows sees that the desired letter is use and uses the next available letter. You cannot give 2 devices the same letter, ever. Get over it.
Sheesh. I despise idiots.
If you’re using flash drives, think about reassigning them to A or B; these letters are still available and never used because no one has a floppy drive anymore. This way they can never get in the way of a letter you desire for an external drive.
For the idiot who programmed access to a database on an external drive, something that should never be done precisely because of drive letter changes, you either need to make sure the external drive is always assigned that letter or mount the drive into an empty NTFS folder to eliminate drive letter access. The only other thing you can do is manually assign a letter to the SD drive so it doesn’t take your precious E.
Computers should be more like cars and require an operator’s license, there’d be so many less morons trying to use a computer.
July 8, 2017 at 12:53 am
Some people at this forum really need a sex life, learning some manners, or probably both.
Noway Nohow
November 30, 2017 at 7:23 am
Hey Annoyed, your communication skills are annoying. Your tack is repugnant unless that is who you are as you go through life. Also, having a mobile drive that is being plugged into different employee’s computers does not make it practical to assign it under the user’s NTFS folder – especially if ACL’s are used for data security. One never sounds professional when they’re yelling/insulting.
July 7, 2020 at 10:33 am
This is why they invented File Servers, and NAS. Anyone you allow on your network can access, permissions always the same. Mobile hard drives are subject to Shaking, Shocking, Possibly dropping, and possibly locking.
Tact* and once upon a time it was understood that highly technical people have put most of their education and self-education into making their computer work instead of making people feel good about the way that we talk.
Annoyed set his name to Annoyed for good reason. It’s blatantly obvious to anyone willing to peruse that 6 out of the first 7 commentators DID NOT READ THE ARTICLE, in which the author specifically explains that drives like E:\ and F:\ will get rewritten as part of windows norm so you should “Permanently” set on letters far away from those so they don’t get reset:: ” When assigning your drive letter, make sure to choose a letter toward the end of the alphabet list. For example, X, Y, or Z — otherwise Windows has the tendency to eventually assign a different letter. Also, keep in mind that it will only be the assigned letter on the computer you changed it on. If you take your external drive to a different PC, Windows will give it a different dynamic letter. ” – The article you should have just read.
Being annoyed about people using computers badly is valid. Some of us work really hard to be professional and do things by best-practice so that solutions work long-term and no one has to guess at the state.
Then you read an article like this where most of the comments did not even bother to read the main text before complaining, and everyone else is doing backwoods duck-tape solutions.
ALSO WTF happened to the internet where now we’re all supposed to sound professional?
September 11, 2021 at 6:35 am
Finally I too fought this for years on many machines that I work on and finally I decided I would try this::::::: I decided I would go into safe mode and as administrator allocate a certain letter Z or x or y for these external SSD drives that I have to work with and then I rebooted and it never ever ever ever came back .
that was the solution I did a couple years ago and I’ve done it to all the machines I work on since and it’s perfect. Forever gone.
July 18, 2017 at 6:38 am
Thanks so much for the clear instructions.
August 3, 2017 at 6:58 am
This seems to work for me. I’ve assigned permanent letters a while ago and so far they’re not changing. I did assign only one of the four drives a letter towards the end of the alphabet, but the others are from A to E. Also, I gave each of the drives unique names.
August 21, 2017 at 4:22 am
I have three computers and three USB HDs. On each computer I have assigned these drives (for historical reasons) the letters G:, M: and O: respectively. D: is a partition on the internal HD and E: is the optical disc burner, so if I plug in any other USB device it usually comes up as F:. I find that these drive assignments stick . . . most of the time! Very occasionally one of the USB HDs comes up as F:. There appears to be no rhyme nor reason; but, hey!, it’s Windows, isn’t it, so that’s no real surprise. I just have to go into Disk Management to change it back and it usually behaves itself well for the next few weeks or months. Nothing, really, to get hot under the collar about.
September 14, 2021 at 2:11 am
That is exactly my experience, except I also have P and Q drives. I assigned these letters at a time when I had a multiple card reader occupying drive letters H to L. Goodness knows why the G drive occasionally gets reassigned as F, but it happens so infrequently that it’s no real inconvenience.
November 22, 2017 at 12:04 pm
Change drive letter is grayed out on my system. I am an administrator on the PC
Edward Bear
November 22, 2017 at 4:30 pm
You can use the command line program diskpart to change the driver letter: 1. open command prompt 2. type “diskpart” (in these instructions do not type the quotation marks), press Enter 3. type “list volumes” , press Enter 4. identify the volume number associated with the drive whose letter you wish to change – assume this is volume “N” 5. type “select volume N” (replacing N with appropriate volume number) then press Enter 6. type “assign letter=L” (replacing L with the appropriate new drive letter) then press Enter 7. type “exit” then press Enter to close diskpart and return to command prompt.
August 30, 2018 at 2:33 am
This works fine for me, even if changing Drive Letter is greyed out by our IT
January 7, 2018 at 4:20 am
You never said what to do if its when you try to change it its grayed out. I cant give it a letter. What do I do?
March 24, 2018 at 8:56 pm
Jay, when a drive letter is grayed out, it has already been assigned to another drive. Find out which drive has the letter you want to use and then change it’s letter to Z. This will free up the old drive letter and it will no longer be grayed out.
March 24, 2018 at 8:42 pm
This annoying problem could easily be avoided if the whole concept of drive letters was abandoned. Each drive should have a distinctive drive name (or number) assigned by the user. Drives should then optionally be listed alphabetically or numerically by Windows. I don’t know who started this drive A:\, B:\, C:\, etc. concept but in today’s computing world, it’s obsolete and unnecessary. As it stands now, you can choose to not assign a drive letter during formatting but if you do that, they will not list when you click “This Computer”. It makes you wonder what they are smoking.
March 30, 2019 at 5:39 am
Would really like to know how to assign a drive letter PER DEVICE, please
example. (this) thumb is always K (this thumb drive) is always L.
not the drive slot itself, but device.
January 27, 2021 at 6:05 pm
For years I’ve been using A: for my built-in SD Card reader, and E: through K: for specific external hard drives and specific thumb drives. I went through computer management to set all that up and it worked for years. For reasons that I cannot work out, my SD Card reader is automatically assigned E: whenever I put in any SD card, including the exact same SD card and/or reboot my computer. Even when I change the drive letter on the SD Card reader back to A: and reboot my computer, the drive letter is once again reset to E: by the computer even when there are no other drives of any kind attached to the computer before or after attempting to assign the SD Card reader to A:. I’ve since tried updating all the drivers, a couple of which have updated, and the problem persists. While I have upgraded one of my external drives recently, I cannot see how that would cause the problem especially since it is not the first time that I’ve replaced an external drive and assigned the new drive to the drive letter of the drive it replaced. I am not running any new software, so as far as I can tell it isn’t a software conflict. My system is set up such that the drive letters I have been assigning need to remain what I assigned them. (I’ve already assigned my DVD-ROM drive to Z:, and even that isn’t working properly now.) Once up a time using Computer Management might have “permanently” reassigned the drive letters, since 1/25/2020 that is apparently no longer the case. I need to find another solution that works.
Being old school and having started out on DOS computers with 5.25″ floppy drives, the lettering of the drives is not a problem to me in and of itself, and it makes no particular difference to me if the lettering of drives is ultimately done away with, but until that time we must work with the tools we have. So any help would be appreciated in resolving this.
June 13, 2023 at 8:40 am
At this moment I have the same problem with two USB drives installed in my router. Suddenly the original assigned letters changed and that played havoc in my desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
I agree with protesters. The letter assigning system is obsolete and it seems to me that nobody cares. Ok, let’s accept that A,B,C,D is used by the OS, but why not also use proper names for removable devices, let say movies, music1, music2, personal-letters or whatever. Of course if you assign the same name to two different USB drives that’s your problem.
June 21, 2023 at 1:54 pm
I do not have this problem.
1. Use high up letters — not D, E, etc, but P, Q, etc.
2. If you get an unwanted change, use Disk Management to change back
3 Use Windows 7. Who knows what Windows 10 or 11 will try to do to your system.
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USB Drive Letter Manager for Windows
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USBDLM is a Windows service that gives control over Windows' drive letter assignment for USB drives. Running as service makes it independent of the logged on user's privileges, so there is no need to give the users the privilege to change drive letters. It automatically solves conflicts between USB drives and network or subst drives of the currently logged on user. Furthermore you can define new default letters for USB drives and much more. It works on Windows XP to Windows 11 and Server 2003 to 2022.
USBDLM isn't a wonder tool. If Windows has problems with the USB drives itself then USBDLM cannot fix it. Here are some .
When a removable drive (USB flash drive, flash card reader, portable hard drive) is attached for the first time, Windows mounts it to the first available "local" drive letter. If there is a network share on this letter, Windows XP will use it anyway for the new USB drive because since XP network shares are specific to the current user and not visible in the "System" context where the letter is assigned. The USB drive then appears to be invisible. This is fixed by XP-SP3 in most situations. Windows can save only one letter per drive and one drive per letter. Therefore the assingments often overwrite each other, especially on low letters near the first available ones. You can change the letter assignments in the Windows Disk Management Console with a lot of mouse clicks but you have to do it again for every new device.
USBDLM can for newly attached USB drives ' devices; USBDLM can ask on arrival of a USB keyboard or network device if it shall be activated too All functions are applied to USB drives at the moment they are being attached, when the USBDLM service starts up and when a user logs on.
USBDLM runs as service under Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7/8/10/11 and all their Server Editions.
Unzip the distribution file (USBDLM.ZIP) file to "C:\Program Files" (a USBDLM folder is included).
Then execute the _edit-ini.cmd which creates or opens the configuration file, the USBDLM.INI. Make some setting now or later, e.g. by entering default drive letters for USB drives in section [DriveLetters].
Then register USBDLM as Windows service and start it by executing the
You can change the USBDLM.INI without restarting the service because it's checked for changes each time a new drive is attached.
You can deregister the USBDLM service by executing the Both can be done without the message box by using the following USBDLM commandline parameters
It returns Errorlevel 0 on success, 1 on failure.
You can stop and start the installed service by means of the _service_stop.cmd and _service_start.cmd and of course by "net stop USBDLM" / "net start USBDLM".
Running without a configuration USBDLM only prevents that a new drive gets the letter of a network share or a subst drive of the currently logged on user. It remounts then to the next letter that is really available.
USBDLM is configured thru a text file, the USBDLM.INI. The USBDLM.INI is read from the folder of the USBDLM.EXE. If required, read at Wikipedia how work.
Have a look into the help file for more details. If you get the "cannot display the webpage" error then the help file has the NTFS file attribute "downloaded from untrusted source" and Microsoft doesn't trust its own CHM file format. To fix this, right click the USBDLM_E.CHM, select Properties and click "Unblock". The help file is available too.
The typical 20-in-1 card reader eats one drive letter for each of its slots - if we own a card for or not. USBDLM can remove the reader's drive letters until a media is inserted. USBDLM assigns then a drive letter as configured. If you need different drive letters for a multislot cardreader, then use the criterion "DeviceType" in a DriveLetters section (MSCR is short for ulti lot ard eader):
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USBDLM can show a balloon tip with information about the drive letter(s) or mount points used for a just attached drive:
There is much more USBDLM can do, just take some time and read the help file...
For the complete history check out the help file which is available too.
V5.6.1 (2 June 2024) V5.6.0 (21 Feb 2024) V5.5.11 (30 August 2023) V5.5.10 (25 August 2023) V5.5.9 (09 July 2023) V5.5.8 (21 May 2023) V5.5.7 (22 Jan 2023) V5.5.6 (13 November 2022) V5.5.5 (04 September 2022) V5.5.4 (01 August July 2022) V5.5.3 (25 July 2022) V5.5.2 (24 July 2022) V5.5.1 (07 Nov 2021) V5.5.0 (27 June 2021) V5.4.11 (28 Feb 2021) V5.4.10 (08 Feb 2021) with a SerialNumberOffset of 0xFFFFFFFF V5.4.9 (24 Jan 2021) V5.4.8 (21 June 2020) ) and restart a USB port (for ) V5.4.7 (17 Jan 2020) V5.4.6 (30 Dec 2019) ) V5.4.5 (05 June 2019) V5.4.4 (18 March 2019) V5.4.3 (17 March 2019) V5.4.2 (17 February 2019) V5.4.1 (02 September 2018) V5.4.0 (26 August 2018) V5.3.9 (04 July 2018) V5.3.8 (30 June 2018) V5.3.7 (20 June 2018) V5.3.6 (06 June 2018) V5.3.5 (13 May 2018) V5.3.4 (18 April 2018) V5.3.3 (17 April 2018) V5.3.2 (22 Feb 2018) V5.3.1 (21 Feb 2018) V5.3.0 (18 Feb 2018) V5.2.8 (12 Jan 2017) V5.2.7 (7 Sept 2016) V5.2.6 (5 Sept 2016) V5.2.5 (31 Aug 2016) V5.2.4 (22 June 2016) V5.2.3 (5 June 2016) V5.2.2 (28 May 2016) V5.2.1 (10 May 2016) V5.2.0 (8 May 2016) V5.1.8 (25 April 2016) V5.1.7 (07 April 2016) V5.1.6 (17 March 2016) V5.1.5 (11 March 2016) V5.1.4 (09 March 2016) V5.1.3 (07 March 2016) V5.1.2 (03. March 2016) V5.1.1 (29. Februar 2016) V5.1.0 (29. Februar 2016) V5.0.2 (19 Jan 2016) V5.0.1 (18 Jan 2016) V5.0.0 (17 Jan 2016)
For home users I suggest the ZIP file. Just unzip it to "C:\Program Files" and run the _service_register.cmd - this registers USBDLM as Windows service and starts it. The _edit_ini.cmd opens the configuration file USBDLM.INI with admin privileges in the Windows text editor, if there is no USBDLM.INI it creates one first, containing some basic settings. The MSI is for admins who want to deploy the software in their network. An MSI with integrated USBDLM.INI is not difficult to create, see USBDLM help under . There is also some information about using the MSI for USBDLM updates.
The software is fully functional and does not expire. There is no 'full version'.
USBDLM is Freeware for private and educational (schools, colleges, universities) use only. The students shall outnumber all others. No explicit license is required then, just use it. Otherwise one licence per computer is required after a 30 day test period even though the software does not expire.
To support admins in schools which are often voluntary workers I made USBDLM freeware for schools, colleges and universities. But that's the line I've drawn and even your organization is non profit, good and important I have to say, it's beyond that line. Ask me for a discount in this case.
I don't ask for donations but some users insist, so:
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USBDLM V5 will need no more section and value numbering in the USBDLM.INI. The section priority is defined by they appearance in the INI file. _install.cmd and _uninstall.cmd will be renamed to what they really do: _service_register.cmd and _service_deregister.cmd There will be optional Balloontips on removal with an information if the removal was 'safe' or 'unsafe'. Balloontips for USB drives show in the icon if the device is running at High-Speed or SuperSpeed
How to Assign the Same Drive Letter for USB Drive in Windows
Assign the same drive letter for usb drive in windows.
Windows has a big limitation wherein it can’t reserve a drive letter for a specific external drive. The first available drive letter is assigned for new drives.
The Device ID can also be read by right-clicking on the drive in Device Manager and choosing Properties. The Details tab has all the info.
Change drive letter via the registry
Usb drive letter manager (usbdlm).
USB Drive Letter Manager (USBDLM) is a third-party program that runs as a Windows service that controls the Windows’ drive letter assignment for USB drives. Running as a service makes it independent of the logged-on user’s privileges, so there is no need to give the users the privilege to change drive letters. It automatically solves conflicts between USB drives and network or subst drives of the currently logged-on user.
The typical 20-in-1 card reader eats one drive letter for each of its slots, whether you insert the cards or not. USBDLM can remove the reader’s drive letters until a media is inserted.
This section is used if a drive with either DeviceID USB\VID_067B&PID_2517 or USB\VID_1234&PID_5678 is attached. The drive then gets assigned X: if available, otherwise Y: . If both are in use, then the first free letter is assigned.
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About the author, 1 thought on “how to assign the same drive letter for usb drive in windows”.
Excellent post, clear, well written, perfect explanation, Thank You so much a solution to a big problem anyone who backs up to a USB drive needs. Why doesn’t MSFT include a utility like his?
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The Best Windows Disk Partition Manager and PC Optimizer
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Three Easy Ways to Change USB Drive Letter in Windows 11, 10, 8 or 7
Top three ways about how to change USB drive letter are listed in this post. You can pick the one that you like.
By Bryce / Updated on May 12, 2023
The reasons for changing drive letter for USB device
You may want to change USB drive letter in Windows 11, 10, 8, or 7 under the following conditions:
☞ The USB device, like external hard drive is not recognized in Window Explorer out of drive letter conflict. To resolve the problem, you can reassign drive ☞ letter to the USB drive. ☞ T he USB drive letter keeps changing every time it was connected to your PC. You can assign a permanent drive letter to the USB drive . ☞ You just don’t like the drive letter that has been assigned automatically to the USB drive and want to change it .
How to: Change USB drive letter in Windows 11/10/8/7 easily
Next, there are three ways about how to change drive letter for USB flash drive, USB external hard drive, etc. will be displayed. Pick up one way as you like.
Method 1. Change USB drive letter via Disk Management
Method 2. change usb drive letter using cmd, method 3. change usb drive letter with a free 3rd party gui tool.
Disk Management is a Windows built-in tool, allowing you to manage disk and partitions conveniently. Follow the steps given below to change drive letter of USB drive in Disk Management.
Step 1. Press Windows + R in Windows 11/10/8/7, input “ d iskmgmt.msc ” and hit Enter key to open Disk Management.
Step 2. Right-click the USB partition that you want to change the drive letter and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths... .
Step 3. In the pop-up window, click Change… . If your USB drive is not showing up in drive out of drive letter missing, you can click Add to assign a drive letter to it.
Step 4. Choose a new drive letter from the list and click OK .
Note: If the USB drive is formatted with a file system incompatible with Windows OS, like Ext4 or is write-protected, you can find that “ Change Drive Letter and Paths ” option greyed out.
To resolve the problem, you can format your USB drive with a file system recognized by Windows 10 /11 or remove write protection at first. Or you can try Method 2 or Method 3 to change the drive letter for your USB drive.
You can also change drive letter for USB drive from Command Prompt through the following steps:
Step 1. Pres s Windows + R simultaneously, input cmd, and click OK .
Step 2 . Type diskpart and hit Enter .
Step 3. Run commands listed below in order.
▪ list volume ▪ select volume n ▪ assign letter= m ▪ exit ▪ exit
If you find out Change Drive Letter and Paths greyed out and are unfamiliar with Command Prompt, you can try a 3 rd party partition manager for Windows PC, AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard. It can change drive letter for USB drive even when it is write-protected or not formatted with NTFS or FAT file system. Now, free download it and take a closer look at how it works.
Step 1. Install and run the partition manager. In the home interface, right-click the partition whose drive letter needs to be changed and go to Advanced > Change Drive Letter .
Step 2. In the pop-up window, choose a new drive letter for your USB drive and click OK .
Step 3. You’ll go back to the main interface automatically. Click Apply and Proceed to commit the operation.
✍ Notes: ✌ You can get more functions, like quick partition, partition recovery, etc., if you upgrade to AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional . ✌ To more easily identify USB drive, like external hard drive, you can also choose to change name of USB drive.
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How to change drive letter using Settings on Windows 10
You can now change the drive letter for a partition using the “Manage Disks and Volumes” tools in Settings, and here's how on Windows 10.
On Windows 10, each drive you connect to the computer gets assigned a letter automatically to identify the device and make it accessible. However, sometimes, you may need to change the drive letter manually for many reasons.
For example, if you connect a drive (USB flash drive, external hard drive, or secondary hard drive) that was formatted on another device, the drive letter may conflict with another storage device on your computer. You prefer using a specific letter for a drive. Or you’re trying to organize the letters in a specific order.
Whatever the reason it might be, starting with build 20175 (Dev Channel) , Windows 10 introduces a new experience to manage disks and volumes from within the Settings app, which also includes the ability to change the letter of a drive. (Technically, the partition inside the drive receives the letter, not the device. Since if the drive doesn’t have a formatted partition, no letter will be assigned and won’t be accessible.)
In this guide , you’ll learn the steps to change the drive letter using the “Manage Disks and Volumes” tools available on Windows 10 .
Change drive letter on Windows 10
To change the drive letter with Manage Disks and Volumes in the Settings app, use these steps:
Open Settings on Windows 10.
Click on System .
Click on Storage .
Under the “More storage settings” section, click the Manage Disks and Volumes option.
Select the drive with the partition you want to change the letter.
Select the partition.
Click the Properties button.
Click the Change drive letter button.
Use the drop-down menu and select the new letter.
Click the OK button.
Once you complete the steps, the drive’s partition will now start using the new letter.
Just remember that you can’t change the letter of the partition where Windows 10 is installed, which is usually labeled as “C”, and you shouldn’t try to assign a letter to the system reserved partitions.
If the settings are not available, it’s because you are not running the version of the operating system that includes the tool. The Manage Disks and Volumes settings are available starting with Windows 10 build 20175 or higher releases.
In the case that you’re using an older version or an older release, such as Windows 8.1 or Windows 10, then you’ll need to use the Disk Management console, or Command Prompt or PowerShell to change the drive letter.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter) , YouTube , LinkedIn and About.me . Email him at [email protected] .
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How to Assign a Drive Letter in Windows 11: A Step-by-Step Guide
Assigning a drive letter in Windows 11 is a straightforward process that can help you organize your drives better. By following a few easy steps, you can assign or change the drive letters to your liking. This guide will walk you through it step-by-step.
How to Assign a Drive Letter in Windows 11
In this section, we’ll go through the steps needed to assign a drive letter in Windows 11. This will make it easier to access and manage your drives.
Step 1: Open Disk Management
First, right-click the Start button and select "Disk Management."
Disk Management is a built-in tool in Windows 11 that lets you manage your disks and partitions. You can also access it by pressing Win+X and selecting it from the menu.
Step 2: Locate Your Drive
Then, find the drive you want to assign a letter to from the list.
Your drives and their associated letters will be displayed. Make sure you select the correct drive to avoid any unwanted changes.
Step 3: Right-click the Drive
Next, right-click on the drive and choose "Change Drive Letter and Paths."
This option lets you add, change, or remove drive letters. It’s essential for managing your storage efficiently.
Step 4: Click "Add" or "Change"
If the drive doesn’t have a letter, click "Add." If it already has one but you want to change it, click "Change."
Adding a new letter or changing an existing one is simple. Just follow the prompts in the dialog box.
Step 5: Select a New Drive Letter
Choose a new drive letter from the dropdown list, and then click "OK."
You can select any available letter. However, make sure it doesn’t conflict with existing network drives or other devices.
Step 6: Confirm Your Selection
A confirmation dialog will appear. Click "Yes" to apply the changes.
This step finalizes the process. Your drive will now have the new letter, making it easier to find and use.
After completing these steps, your drive will be assigned the new letter. This makes accessing your drives more intuitive and organized.
Tips for Assigning a Drive Letter in Windows 11
Backup Important Data: Always back up important data before making changes to your drives.
Avoid Conflicts: Choose a drive letter that doesn’t conflict with network drives or essential system drives.
Label Your Drives: Consider labeling your drives with meaningful names to make them easier to identify.
Check for Software Dependencies: Some software relies on specific drive letters, so ensure any changes won’t affect your applications.
Use Disk Management Regularly: Regularly check Disk Management to keep your drives organized and functioning correctly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can i change the drive letter of my system drive.
No, you can’t change the drive letter of your system drive (usually C:) as it may cause Windows to become unbootable.
What happens if I remove a drive letter?
Removing a drive letter will make the drive inaccessible through File Explorer, but it won’t delete any data.
Can I assign the same letter to two drives?
No, each drive must have a unique letter to avoid conflicts.
Will assigning a new drive letter affect my files?
No, assigning a new letter won’t affect your files. They will remain intact and accessible.
Why can’t I see my drive in Disk Management?
If you can’t see your drive, it might be a hardware issue or the drive may not be properly connected.
Open Disk Management.
Locate your drive.
Right-click the drive.
Click "Add" or "Change."
Select a new drive letter.
Confirm your selection.
Assigning a drive letter in Windows 11 is a simple yet powerful way to manage and organize your storage. It can help make accessing your files more intuitive and can prevent potential conflicts with software and network drives. Always remember to back up important data before making any changes, and choose your drive letters carefully to avoid any issues. Regularly checking your Disk Management settings can also keep your system running smoothly. Now that you know how to assign a drive letter in Windows 11, you can take better control of your computer’s storage system. For more tips on managing your Windows 11 system, keep exploring our guides and tutorials.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.
Read his full bio here .
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When you connect a new drive to your PC, Windows automatically assigns the next available letter after C, which is normally used for your system drive. So an external hard drive or USB thumb drive could end up as D, E, F, or whatever, depending on how many drive letters are already being used.
This is all well and good, but what if you want to assign the drive a letter? Maybe you want to use M for your music files or X for your top-secret X-Files. Here’s how in Windows 10.
Ensure that the drive you’re relettering isn’t in use and that no files from that drive are open.
Right-click on the Start button.
Click Disk Management to open the Disk Management console.
Right-click the volume that has the drive letter you want to change.
Click Change Drive Letter And Paths.
Click the Change button.
Choose from a list of available drive letters. (Don’t use A or B, which have historically been reserved for floppy drives and can sometime confuse older software.)
Click Yes if a popup windows appears asking if you really want to do this.
Close the Disk Management console.
You may need to restart your machine for the change to take effect, but once you do the drive will use the new letter.
More Windows tips…
How to turn on or off hibernate in Windows 10
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How to assign permanent letters to drives on Windows 10
You can assign drive letters manually, and in this guide, we show you how on Windows 10.
On Windows 10, when connecting a removable storage device or an internal hard drive, the system detects and assigns a drive letter automatically to make it usable. However, when reconnecting an external drive (such as a USB flash drive or SD or microSD cards), the system can end up assigning a different letter, which can be annoying.
If you want to see the same drive letter on a particular device, you can manually assign a permanent letter to any drive connected to your computer, and on Windows 10 , you can do this in at least three different ways, using Disk Management, Command Prompt, or PowerShell.
Using this approach will prevent Windows 10 from assigning a new letter or trying to set a letter already in use, which can cause conflicts. Also, it helps to select a drive letter that makes more sense to you.
In this Windows 10 guide, we walk you through several methods to manually assign a permanent letter to a drive, as long as you're connecting the drive to the same device and the letter isn't already in use.
How to assign a drive letter using Disk Management
How to assign a drive letter using command prompt, how to assign a drive letter using powershell.
To manage drive letters with the Disk Management tool, use these steps:
Open Start .
Search for Create and format hard disk partitions and click the top result to open the Disk Management experience.
Right-click the drive and select the Change Drive Letter and Paths option.
Click the Change button.
Select the Assign the following drive letter option.
Use the drop-down menu to assign a new drive letter. Quick tip: To avoid the system trying to assign the same letter to another drive, it's a good idea to start adding letters in backward order. For instance, instead of using D, E or F, it better to start with Z, Y or X when assigning a new letter.
Click the OK button.
Click the OK button again.
Once you complete these steps, the drive will permanently retain the assigned letter, even after reconnecting it. However, if you connect the drive to another device, it may receive a different letter.
While the easiest way to assign a new drive letter is to use Disk Management, you can also use DiskPart in Command Prompt to perform the same task.
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To assign a drive letter using Command Prompt, use these steps:
Search for Command Prompt , right-click the result, and then select the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to start DiskPart and press Enter : diskpart
Type the following command to list all the available volumes and press Enter : list volume
Type the following command to select the volume (drive) to assign a new letter and press Enter: select volume 3 In the command, make sure to change "3" to the number that represents the drive on your device.
Type the following command to assign a new drive letter, and press Enter : assign letter=Z The command assigns the letter "Z" to the drive assuming it's available. However, you need to make sure to change the letter for the one that you want to use.
After completing these steps, similar to Disk Management, every time you reconnect the storage to the same device, Windows 10 should assign the same letter automatically.
Alternatively, you can also use PowerShell to change a drive letter on Windows 10 using these steps:
Search for PowerShell , right-click the result, and then select the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to list the available drives and press Enter : Get-Disk
Type the following command to assign a permanent letter to the drive and press Enter : Get-Partition -DiskNumber 1 | Set-Partition -NewDriveLetter Z In the command, make sure to change "1" to the number that represents the drive that you want to modify, and change "Z" for the new letter that you want to use.
Once you complete the steps, the drive will be accessible through File Explorer using the letter that you assigned, and Windows 10 won't try to change it.
Updated March 7, 2019: We revised this guide to make sure it's current with the latest version of Windows 10.
More Windows 10 resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:
Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
Windows 10 forums on Windows Central
Mauro Huculak is technical writer for WindowsCentral.com. His primary focus is to write comprehensive how-tos to help users get the most out of Windows 10 and its many related technologies. He has an IT background with professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, and CompTIA, and he's a recognized member of the Microsoft MVP community.
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Control USB Drive Letter Assignment in Windows XP/2003/Vista/2008
Windows Server 2008
Enter the USBDLM utility
The USBDLM is a freeware for personal use Windows service that gives control over Window’s drive letter assignment for USB drives. Running as service makes it independent of the logged on user’s privileges, so there is no need to give the users the privilege to change drive letters.It automatically solves conflicts between USB drives and network drives of the currently logged on user. Furthermore you can define new default letters for USB drives and much more.
Check if the letter is used by a network share of the currently logged on user and assign the next letter that is really available
Reserve letters, so they are not used for local drives
Assign a letter from a list of new default letters, also dependent on many different criteria as the active user, drive type, connection (USB, FireWire), USB port, volume label, size and others
Assign letters for a specific USB drive by putting an INI file on the drive
Remove the drive letters of card readers until a card is inserted
Show a balloon tip with the assigned drive letter(s)
Define autorun events depending on many different criteria
Many other things, see help file, available online as HTML version too
All functions are applied to USB drives at the moment they are being attached, when the USBDLM service starts up and when a user logs on.
Instructions can be found on the author’s site, so you’d better read them from there. Running without a configuration USBDLM only prevents that an USB drive gets the letter of a network share drive of the currently logged on user. It remounts then to the next letter that is really available. However it is worth noting that USBDLM is configured thru a text file, the USBDLM.INI. The USBDLM.INI is read from the folder of the USBDLM.EXE. New default letters for new USB drives (flash or hard drive)
USBDLM can have up to 9 ‘LetterX’ entries in each section. They don’t have to be continuous. For Card readers, the typical 20-in-1 card reader eats one drive letter for each of its slots – if we have a card for or not. USBDLM can remove the reader’s drive letter until a media is inserted.
USBDLM assings then a drive letter as configured. If you need different drive letters for a multislot cardreader, then use the criterion ‘DeviceType’ in a DriveLetters section (MSCR is short for MultiSlotCardReaders which can be used too):
You can prevent Windows mounting to certain letters by putting them into section ExcludedLetters. This is especially useful for letters of network shares which Windows may assign to USB drives while booting.
USBDLM can show a balloon tip with information about the drive letter(s) or mount points used for a just attached drive:
I hope you found this article useful, and that it saves you time on the job! Got a question? Post it on our Windows Server 2008 forums!
How to Change a Drive Letter in Windows
Sometimes when you plug in a USB device, it doesn't show up
A task you will most likely have to perform a few times in Windows is changing the drive letter for an external hard drive, mapped network drive, or DVD drive. Sometimes when you plug in a USB flash drive, it doesn’t automatically get a drive letter assigned to it and it may not show up on your computer.
In those types of cases, you have to change the drive letter for the device and it will normally pop right up. In this article, I’ll show you how to change the drive letter for these devices using the GUI and also via the command prompt.
Change Drive Letter via Disk Management
You can open disk management on a Windows PC by either right-clicking on the Computer or This PC icon on the desktop and choosing Manage or by clicking on Start and typing in diskmgmt.msc .
You’ll see a list of volumes at the top and the disks and partitions at the bottom. Any partition that has a drive letter will be shown in the white area. If you connected a USB drive and you see it listed, but it doesn’t have a drive letter, you can now assign one.
To assign or change the drive letter for a disk or partition, simply right-click on it and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths .
A window will pop up with the current drive letter, if there is one, and a couple of options. Here you want to click on Change .
Next, you will choose the new drive letter from the dropdown list. You can pick from the letters A to Z.
That’s about it. Click OK to close out all the dialogs and the drive should now show up in Windows with the new drive letter. If you’re having issues using the GUI interface or you simply feel more comfortable using the command prompt, read the instructions below on how to use diskpart.
Use DiskPart to Assign Drive Letter
If you need to change or assign a drive letter via the command prompt, you have to use the diskpart command. I’ve written a bit on how to use diskpart , which is really useful for many disk management tasks.
To get started, open an administrator command prompt in Windows by clicking on Start, typing in CMD and then right-clicking and choosing Run as Administrator .
Now type in the following commands, each followed by the Enter key.
Above, you’ll replace x with the volume number in the list that corresponds to the drive you want to change and with the letter you want to assign to the drive. Here are the commands I ran for an external USB drive:
You’ll also notice that under the Type column, external drives will show up as Removable . That’s a good way to check before you select a volume. You can also figure out which drive is correct by looking at the size and also looking at the Info column. Volume 0 in my case is the system partition, so I wouldn’t want to mess with that by accident.
Overall, it’s a fairly simple process and hopefully you won’t run into any problems. There are times, however, when things don’t work properly. Below are some possible reasons.
Troubleshoot Can’t Change Drive Letter in Windows
One problem that I have seen is that the Change Drive Letter option is simply greyed out. This can occur for a few reasons. One of the main reasons is the volume is not formatted in FAT or NTFS format. For example, if you are attaching a disk from a Mac computer, you will not be able to change the drive letter unless you format the drive into a compatible format.
Another reason is if the drive is set to read-only. If so, you’ll have to Google the steps to change the drive to allow read/write access.
Also, if you don’t need any of the data on the volume in question, a simple solution is to delete the volume, which is normally never greyed out. Once you delete the volume, you can right-click again and create a new simple volume. Now you will be able to change the drive letter.
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Home » Tech Tips » Windows » How to Assign or Change Drive Letter in Windows 11?
How to Assign or Change Drive Letter in Windows 11?
Windows by default uses C drive (C:) for hosting system and application files. You can choose different drives like D: instead of C: while installing Windows on your computer. Similarly, it is also possible to manually change the installed app’s location , though generally users install apps on C: drive. Did you anytime think of changing the existing drive letters in your system? Here is how you can do that in Windows 11 PC.
Default Drive Name Assignments in Windows 11
Let us say, you have two partitions C: and D: volumes on your hard disk. Here is how the default drive letter assignment in Windows work:
A: – floppy disk drive for IBM computers (obsolete)
B: – floppy drive for MS-DOS and Windows computers (obsolete)
C: – Windows and app installation files
D: – storage space partition
E: – the letter after your storage partition for CD drive (if CD/DVD drive is available)
F: onwards – removable storage disks like USB and external hard disks
When you have more partitions on the hard drive, system will use the next drive letters like E: or F: when you insert an external drive. For example, when you have C: and D: drives on your hard disk and insert an USB drive , it will take the letter E: or later.
Changing Drive Letters in Windows 11
It is not necessary to live with the assigned drive letters forever on your system. You can either reduce / increase the drive’s space and assign new letters or simply change an existing drive’s letter. For example, you have 400GB D: drive which you can simply change to F: drive. Alternatively, you can divide it into 200GB + 200GB drives and name them as G: and H: drives.
Windows 11 makes it easy to change the drive letters from the Settings app without using registry or changing system files. However, you can also do the same from Computer Management as with the case in Windows 10 .
1. Change Drive Letter from Windows 11 Settings
If you want to change the assigned drive letters for any partition on your hard disk except C drive then this is the option you should proceed with.
Press “Win + I” keys or use Windows Search to find Windows Settings app.
Once you are in the Settings app, go to “System” tab and then click on “Storage” option.
Go down to the bottom of the “Storage” settings section and click on “Advanced storage settings” available under “Storage management” section.
This will expand the section and click on “Disks & volumes” option.
The “Disks and volumes” section will show all your existing drives and click on the one you want to change the letter name. it will show two buttons – “Explore” and “Properties” and click on the “Properties” button.
On the next screen, you can see the buttons for “Change label” and “Change drive letter”.
Click “Change drive letter” button and select your favorite letter from the dropdown to assign.
The dropdown will show all letters except C: and the current volume. In the above example, we want to change the D: drive and the system shows A to Z letters except C and D. Since D is the current volume, it is not shown in the list. But C is not shown because it is a system volume partition and you cannot change the drive letter for C. You will not see “Change drive letter” button when selecting properties of C drive. However, you can assign A and B for drive letters which were once reserved only for floppy disks. Since floppy disk is obsolete Windows allows you to assign those reserved drive letters A and B also.
2. Change Drive Letter from Disk Management in Windows 11
Though changing drive letter is easy with Windows Settings, it does not allow changing C drive letter. You can use Disk Management app for changing any drive letter with additional features.
Press “Win + R” keys to Run prompt .
Type compmgmt.msc and press “OK” button.
This will open Computer Management app and select “Disk Management” from the sidebar available under “Storage” section.
You will see all the drives available on your computer and select C or D or any drive that you want to assign a new letter.
Go to “Action > All Tasks > Change Drive Letter and Paths…” menu.
On the pop-up that appears, click on “Change…” button.
Click on the dropdown against “Assign the following drive letter:” option.
Select your favorite letter and click “OK” button.
Here you will see all the drive letters except D which is already assigned to another partition volume on the hard disk. Though it is possible to change drive letter for C, we do not recommend as it can affect the installed programs on your computer. Most programs by default install under “Program Files” section in C drive. Changing the drive letter may affect the installed programs and they may stop working. In such a case, you need to uninstall and reinstall the program on the new drive again. This will be a big task if multiple programs stopped working. Therefore, choose the system drive when you clean install Windows first time and stick with that. If you are using preinstalled Windows on C drive, then continue to use that without changing. You can change all other drives using Disk Management or Windows Settings app.
If you want to create parition, select the volume and right click on it. From the menu, select “Shrink Volume” option and select the reduced size for your volume. The remaining size will become unallocated for which you can assign a new label and letter as explained above. Learn more about how to create disk paritions in Windows computer .
Assigning Drive Letter to Removable Disks
As mentioned, Windows will assign the available drive letter for removable disks after the current partition volumes. The problem is when you have multiple removable disks, the assigned letters will change every time which may confuse you. The good part is that you can assign a drive letter as explained above for your removable USB or external hard disk. Windows will remember the assigned letter and use the same whenever you insert the external drive. However, make sure to use the letters clearly away from the current and CD/DVD drives. For example, you can use X or Y or even A or B which are generally not assigned.
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Change a drive letter
4 contributors
Applies To: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2019, and Windows Server 2016
If you want to change a drive letter assigned to a drive, or you have a drive that doesn't yet have a drive letter, use Disk Management to change it. You can also mount the drive in an empty folder so that it appears as a folder. For more information, see Mount a drive in a folder .
If you change the drive letter of a drive that already contains Windows or apps, apps might have trouble running or finding the drive. We suggest not changing the drive letter of a drive that already contains Windows or apps.
The following steps show how to change the drive letter.
Open Disk Management with administrator permissions.
In Disk Management, select and hold (or right-click) the volume on which you want to change or add a drive letter and select Change Drive Letter and Paths .
If you don't see the Change Drive Letter and Paths option or it's grayed out, the volume either isn't ready to receive a drive letter or it's unallocated and needs to be initialized . It might also be that the drive isn't accessible, which is the case with EFI system partitions and recovery partitions. If you've confirmed that your volume is formatted with a drive letter that you can access but you're still unable to change it, that's beyond the scope of this article. We suggest contacting Microsoft Support or the manufacturer of your PC for more help.
To change the drive letter, select Change . To add a drive letter if the drive doesn't already have one, select Add .
Select the new drive letter and choose OK . Then select Yes when prompted about how programs that rely on the drive letter might not run correctly.
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If you use multiple USB drives, you've probably noticed that the drive letter can be different each time you plug one in. If you'd like to assign a static letter to a drive that's the same every time you plug it in, read on.
Windows assigns drive letters to whatever type of drive is available---floppies, internal hard disks, optical drives, SD cards, and external USB drives. This can be annoying---especially if you use backup tools or portable apps that prefer to have the same drive letter every time.
Related: What Is a "Portable" App, and Why Does It Matter?
To work with drive letters, you'll use the Disk Management tool built into Windows. In Windows 7, 8, or 10, click Start, type "create and format," and then click "Create and format hard disk partitions." Don't worry. You're not going to be formatting or creating anything. That's just the Start menu entry for the Disk Management tool. This procedure works the same in pretty much any version of Windows (though in Windows XP and Vista, you'd need to launch Disk Management through the Administrative Tools item in the Control Panel).
Windows will scan and then display all the drives connected to your PC in the Disk Management window. Right-click the USB drive to which you want to assign a persistent drive letter and then click "Change Drive Letter and Paths."
The "Change Drive Letter and Paths" window the selected drive's current drive letter. To change the drive letter, click "Change."
In the "Change Drive Letter or Path" window that opens, make sure the "Assign the following drive letter" option is selected and then use the drop-down menu to select a new drive letter. When you're done, click "OK."
NOTE: We suggest picking a drive letter between M and Z, because earlier drive letters may still get assigned to drives that don't always show up in File Explorer---like optical and removable card drives. M through Z are almost never used on most Windows systems.
Windows will display a warning letting you know that some apps might rely on drive letters to run properly. For the most part, you won't have to worry about this. But if you do have any apps in which you've specified another drive letter for this drive, you may need to change them. Click "Yes" to continue.
Back in the main Disk Management window, you should see the new drive letter assigned to the drive. You can now close the Disk Management window.
From now on, when you disconnect and reconnect the drive, that new drive letter should persist. You can also now use fixed paths for that drive in apps---such as back up apps---that may require them.
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Windows 10 fails to assign drive letter to external USB hard disk drive on plugin
I have a correctly formatted (Master Boot Record, FAT32) 500 GB SATA 2.5 inch drive in an external hard drive enclosure, connected by USB chord.
This drive automatically mounts flawlessly to my Ubuntu laptop, but when plugged into my Windows 10 laptop, it only registers the presence of a USB device that can be "safely removed," it doesn't assign a drive letter.
This is terribly inconvenient, as you might imagine.
How do I figure out if this is possible, and if it is, how do I fix it?
external-hard-drive
4 Answers 4
That sounds like a volume flag is set. Try this procedure to let Windows assign a letter automatically. 1. Open a CMD prompt with Administrator previlege . 2. Type in DiskPart and hit Enter. 3. Run the following commands one by one. Case insensitive.
Identify your external drive from the given list manually. Assume it's disk # (a number), and run
Done. Now on every Windows system it should be assigned with a letter automatically and show up in Explorer.
Yep, the DiskPart is a great utility, only needs a very carful handling. But does it exist under Win 10? technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc766465(v=ws.10).aspx – Ale..chenski Commented Feb 1, 2017 at 23:35
Why do you think it doesn't exist in Win10??? It's ever been there since WinXP (or even earlier!). It's a command-line utility, which means it has no GUI. – iBug Commented Feb 2, 2017 at 2:46
just asking... utilities may come and go. Search is gone. Webcam is gone. It is not a given that a vending kiosk as W10 has any utilities. – Ale..chenski Commented Feb 2, 2017 at 3:03
System utilities never go. Like servicing sc.exe , Net Shell netsh.exe , Net User net.exe and Task Scheduler sched.exe (previously at.exe ). – iBug Commented Feb 2, 2017 at 3:09
This worked for me, except I had to do list volume then select volume # , otherwise the attribute command would return "No volume selected." – McGuireV10 Commented Aug 29, 2017 at 15:07
This issue drove me wild for half a year. I tried everything including the answer above, which was close but didn't resolve it. In the end it turned out to be that the volume was marked hidden. This is how I resolved the issue:
Click the start menu or press the windows key
Type diskpart and press the enter key
Click yes in the dialog that pops up
Type list volume into the diskpart window and press the enter key
Identify the volume that is causing the issue and note the volume number
Type the following into the diskpart window (replace X with the volume number from the previous step):
If the hidden attribute is yes then this is your problem. Simply type:
Then press the enter key and windows should automatically assign a drive letter.
If it doesn't it might be that automount is disabled or stuck you can try fixing that with:
Thanks, I've solved the problems using automount disable and then automount enable – drypatrick Commented Sep 6, 2023 at 7:41
Just to add to kaan_a's answer :
With Windows 10 DiskPart, when you execute
A table will appear and show as "INFO". This will show the status of the volume and, in the example attached, which happened to me, it showed as "Hidden".
The USB I connected shows up as NOT hidden in DiskPart, but with no drive letter assigned. When I click the USB icon in the system tray (flash drive icon) there are no options to do anything with it, and File Exploder does not list it.
When I use diskpart to Attribute Volume Clear NoDefaultDriveLetter, I get "operation is not supported on removable media". I started diskpart as administrator so that shouldn't be an issue.
Also, the same USB acts the same in other computers too. No drive letter. Not seen in File Exploder.
I'm running with W10 22H2.
And I appear to have just solved my issue with it.
I used diskmgmt to assign it drive letter R, and it showed up in File Explorer right away. (Right-click the drive in the upper pane is where you find that.)
I put it into another laptop and it showed up as drive letter E.
I still don't know why I got "operation is not supported on removable media."
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How to Format Unrecognized USB Drive? Here’s the Guide
For some reason, your connected USB drive may not show up in Windows. Then, you may have difficulty formatting such an unrecognized USB drive. But don’t worry. Below, this post offers a detailed guide on how to format unrecognized USB drives efficiently. You can take a look.
Preparations: Make Your USB Drive Visible
Before you format unrecognized USB drive, take action to make the specific drive visible on the computer first. Here are multiple troubleshooting methods available for you.
Switch to another USB port : If the current USB port is damaged, your USB drive won’t show up. As for this, you need to connect the USB drive to a different USB port to see if it works.
Assign a Drive Letter : Assign a drive letter to the USB drive to make it visible in File Explorer. You can refer to this guide to add or change the drive letter to the USB: How to Change Drive Letter/Name on Windows 11? Here Are 4 Methods .
Update the USB driver : The outdated or faulty USB driver may cause unrecognized USB drives. To fix it, right-click the Start icon and select Device Manager > Expand the Disk drives category > Right-click the USB driver and select Update driver > Select S earch automatically for drivers .
How to Format Unrecognized USB Flash Drive
Once your Windows detects the USB drive, you can easily format the drive. In this part, we delve into how to format a USB drive that is not recognized in 3 ways. You can pick one to format unrecognized USB drives according to your preference.
Way 1: Format Unrecognized USB Drive via Disk Management
Disk Management is a Windows built-in utility that helps with basic partition/disk tasks including formatting. Read on to learn how to format a USB drive that doesn’t show up with this tool.
Step 1 : Right-click the Start icon and select Disk Management .
Step 2 : Right-click the target USB partition and select Format .
Step 3 : In the pop-up window, select the desired file system from the drop-down menu. Then tick the Perform a quick format option and click OK . When prompted, click OK to confirm.
Way 2: Format Unrecognized USB Drive via Diskpart
Diskpart is a useful partition utility in Windows that enables you to manage your disks or partitions with corresponding command lines. The following shows you how to format unrecognized USB flash drives step by step.
Step 1 : Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
Step 2 : Type cmd in the text box and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open Command Prompt as an administrator.
Step 3 : Type the following commands in the elevated Command Prompt, and then press Enter after each.
select disk 2 (replace 2 with the number of your USB drive)
create partition primary
format fs=ntfs quick (you can change ntfs to a different file system)
Way 3: Format Unrecognized USB Drive via MiniTool Partition Wizard
MiniTool Partition Wizard is a third-party partition manager with a wide range of features. For instance, you can use it to partition hard drive , format USB to FAT32 /NTFS/exFAT, convert MBR to GPT without data loss, and more.
It’s worth noting that MiniTool Partition Wizard breaks through the 32GB limit of FAT32. To be specific, it allows you to format a USB drive larger than 32GB to FAT32. For how to format a USB drive that is not recognized, focus on the content below.
Step 1 : Download and install MiniTool Partition Wizard on your PC. Then launch it to enter the main interface.
Step 2 : Highlight the target partition and select Format Partition from the left action panel. Also, you can right-click the target partition and select Format from the context menu.
Step 3 : In the Format Partition window, select a preferred file system and click OK .
Step 4 : Finally, click Apply to execute the pending operation.
Bottom Line
How to format a USB drive that doesn’t show up? Hope you get the answer in the format unrecognized USB drive guide.
How to assign permanent letters to drives on Windows 10
How to change/assign a drive letter in Windows 10
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COMMENTS
How to limit Drive Letters Windows assigns to new removable USB drives
Mount the external drive you want to assign a permanent letter to. Click the Windows icon and start typing "format". Select "Create and format hard disk partitons, Control panel" when Windows suggests it. The app opens a window titled Disk Management. Select the external drive from the list, right-click, and select "Change Drive Letter and ...
Windows Tip: Assign Permanent Letters to Removable Drives
Right-click the drive you want to assign a permanent letter to and then choose Change Drive Letter and Paths from the menu. 4. A dialog box will open up, and here you need to click the Change ...
USB Drive Letter Manager
USBDLM is a Windows service that gives control over Windows' drive letter assignment for USB drives. Running as service makes it independent of the logged on user's privileges, so there is no need to give the users the privilege to change drive letters. It automatically solves conflicts between USB drives and network or subst drives of the ...
How to Assign the Same Drive Letter for USB Drive in Windows
Now, safely eject the external drive. Launch the Registry Editor ( regedit.exe) Go to the MountedDevices registry branch below: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices. Rename the \DosDevices\G: value to \DosDevices\R: Exit the Registry Editor. Next time when you connect the same drive, Windows assigns it the R: drive letter if it's free.
How to Change a Drive Letter on Windows 10 or Windows 11
Changing a drive letter is pretty simple. Click the Start button, type "Disk Management" in the search bar, and then hit Enter. The program name displayed in the search will not be Disk Management. It will be "Create and format hard disk partitions." You could also hit Windows+X or right-click the Start button, and then click "Disk Management."
Three Easy Ways to Change USB Drive Letter in Windows 11, 10, 8 or 7
Step 1. Install and run the partition manager. In the home interface, right-click the partition whose drive letter needs to be changed and go to Advanced > Change Drive Letter. Step 2. In the pop-up window, choose a new drive letter for your USB drive and click OK. Step 3.
Change and Assign Drive Letter in Windows 10
1 Open an elevated command prompt. 2 Type diskpart into the elevated command prompt, and press Enter. (see screenshot below) 3 Type list volume into the elevated command prompt, and press Enter. 4 Make note of the volume number (ex: 5) for the drive letter (ex: "F") of the drive (volume) you want to change.
How to change drive letter using Settings on Windows 10
Open Settings on Windows 10. Click on System. Click on Storage. Under the "More storage settings" section, click the Manage Disks and Volumes option. Manage Disks and Volumes. Select the drive with the partition you want to change the letter. Quick note: You may need to click the arrow button in the top right corner of the drive to see all ...
windows 7
The USB Drive Letter Manager for Windows is your friend.. USBDLM is a Windows service that gives control over Window's drive letter assignment for USB drives. Running as service makes it independent of the logged on user's privileges, so there is no need to give the users the privilege to change drive letters.
USB Drive Letter Manager USBDLM Download Free
USBDLM is a Windows service that gives control over Windows' drive letter assignment for USB drives. Running as service makes it independent of the logged on user's privileges, so there is no need ...
How to Assign a Drive Letter in Windows 11: A Step-by-Step Guide
By following a few easy steps, you can assign or change the drive letters to your liking. This guide will walk you through it step-by-step. How to Assign a Drive Letter in Windows 11. In this section, we'll go through the steps needed to assign a drive letter in Windows 11. This will make it easier to access and manage your drives.
How to assign a drive letter in Windows 10
Right-click on the Start button. Click Disk Management to open the Disk Management console. Right-click the volume that has the drive letter you want to change. Click Change Drive Letter And Paths ...
How to assign permanent letters to drives on Windows 10
Search for Create and format hard disk partitions and click the top result to open the Disk Management experience. Right-click the drive and select the Change Drive Letter and Paths option. Click ...
Control USB Drive Letter Assignment in Windows XP/2003/Vista/2008
The USBDLM is a freeware for personal use Windows service that gives control over Window's drive letter assignment for USB drives. Running as service makes it independent of the logged on user ...
How to Change a Drive Letter in Windows
To assign or change the drive letter for a disk or partition, simply right-click on it and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths. A window will pop up with the current drive letter, if there is one, and a couple of options. Here you want to click on Change. Next, you will choose the new drive letter from the dropdown list.
Download USB Drive Letter Manager (USBDLM)
USB Drive Letter Manager (USBDLM) is a Windows service that gives control over Window's drive letter assignment for USB drives. It automatically solves conflicts between USB drives and network or subset drives of the currently logged on user. Furthermore, you can define new default letters for USB drives and much more.
How to Assign or Change Drive Letter in Windows 11?
Go to "Action > All Tasks > Change Drive Letter and Paths…" menu. Change Drive Letter in Disk Management. On the pop-up that appears, click on "Change…" button. Select Change Button. Click on the dropdown against "Assign the following drive letter:" option. Select your favorite letter and click "OK" button.
How can I permanently assign drive letters to my USB devices in Windows?
The drive letter is stored in the windows registry, not on the device, windows looks at the device ID and checks the windows registry and assigns the drive letter based on that, if there is no pre assigned letter it will assign the first unused drive letter. so no way to do what you want from PC to PC other than assign the same drive letter for ...
Manually assigning a drive letter using CMD/Diskpart
Procedure. Open up a command prompt (CMD/PowerShell). Type "diskpart" to start up diskpart. You will see the prompt change to "DISKPART>". Type "list vol" to list all available volumes. You can identify the drive by size and file system. Additionally, the volume doesn't currently have a drive letter. Select the volume using "sel vol <number>".
Change a drive letter
The following steps show how to change the drive letter. Open Disk Management with administrator permissions. In Disk Management, select and hold (or right-click) the volume on which you want to change or add a drive letter and select Change Drive Letter and Paths. Tip. If you don't see the Change Drive Letter and Paths option or it's grayed ...
How to Assign a Persistent Drive Letter to a USB Drive in Windows
Right-click the USB drive to which you want to assign a persistent drive letter and then click "Change Drive Letter and Paths." The "Change Drive Letter and Paths" window the selected drive's current drive letter. To change the drive letter, click "Change." In the "Change Drive Letter or Path" window that opens, make sure the "Assign the ...
USB drive letter assignments
Plug in that device and unplug all other USB drives . . . Click your Start Button, type regedit and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices. On the right, scroll down to the bottom. Right click the appropriate Key and choose Delete. Close the Registry Editor and unplug the USB drive. That's It.
Windows 10 fails to assign drive letter to external USB hard disk drive
2. Type in DiskPart and hit Enter. 3. Run the following commands one by one. Case insensitive. Identify your external drive from the given list manually. Assume it's disk # (a number), and run. Done. Now on every Windows system it should be assigned with a letter automatically and show up in Explorer.
External USB drive letter assignment problem
External USB drive letter assignment problem. Hi All, I'm faced with a little conundrum concerning what I feel the 'willy-nilly' assignment of a drive letter to external SSD backup disks. Looking for your insights (and hopefully solutions). When I attach disk-1 to my brand new Dell laptop running Windows 10 (updates up to date) it assigns it ...
Docking Station No Longer Allows Drive Letter Assignment
Uninstall the driver: connect the docking station, win+x - Device Manager - click on the small triangle in front of the Universal Serial Bus Controller, and uninstall all the drivers related to USB inside, right-click to uninstall all of them, and don't check the box when you uninstall them "Remove the driver software for this device", after ...
Complete Guide on How to Format Unrecognized USB Drive
As for this, you need to connect the USB drive to a different USB port to see if it works. Assign a Drive Letter: Assign a drive letter to the USB drive to make it visible in File Explorer. You can refer to this guide to add or change the drive letter to the USB: How to Change Drive Letter/Name on Windows
How to create a drive partition in Windows
4. Virtual Hard Disk Type. You can select Fixed Size or Dynamically Expanding as your VHD type. When you create a virtual hard drive with a fixed size, the entire amount of storage space is ...
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Mount the external drive you want to assign a permanent letter to. Click the Windows icon and start typing "format". Select "Create and format hard disk partitons, Control panel" when Windows suggests it. The app opens a window titled Disk Management. Select the external drive from the list, right-click, and select "Change Drive Letter and ...
Right-click the drive you want to assign a permanent letter to and then choose Change Drive Letter and Paths from the menu. 4. A dialog box will open up, and here you need to click the Change ...
USBDLM is a Windows service that gives control over Windows' drive letter assignment for USB drives. Running as service makes it independent of the logged on user's privileges, so there is no need to give the users the privilege to change drive letters. It automatically solves conflicts between USB drives and network or subst drives of the ...
Now, safely eject the external drive. Launch the Registry Editor ( regedit.exe) Go to the MountedDevices registry branch below: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices. Rename the \DosDevices\G: value to \DosDevices\R: Exit the Registry Editor. Next time when you connect the same drive, Windows assigns it the R: drive letter if it's free.
Changing a drive letter is pretty simple. Click the Start button, type "Disk Management" in the search bar, and then hit Enter. The program name displayed in the search will not be Disk Management. It will be "Create and format hard disk partitions." You could also hit Windows+X or right-click the Start button, and then click "Disk Management."
Step 1. Install and run the partition manager. In the home interface, right-click the partition whose drive letter needs to be changed and go to Advanced > Change Drive Letter. Step 2. In the pop-up window, choose a new drive letter for your USB drive and click OK. Step 3.
1 Open an elevated command prompt. 2 Type diskpart into the elevated command prompt, and press Enter. (see screenshot below) 3 Type list volume into the elevated command prompt, and press Enter. 4 Make note of the volume number (ex: 5) for the drive letter (ex: "F") of the drive (volume) you want to change.
Open Settings on Windows 10. Click on System. Click on Storage. Under the "More storage settings" section, click the Manage Disks and Volumes option. Manage Disks and Volumes. Select the drive with the partition you want to change the letter. Quick note: You may need to click the arrow button in the top right corner of the drive to see all ...
The USB Drive Letter Manager for Windows is your friend.. USBDLM is a Windows service that gives control over Window's drive letter assignment for USB drives. Running as service makes it independent of the logged on user's privileges, so there is no need to give the users the privilege to change drive letters.
USBDLM is a Windows service that gives control over Windows' drive letter assignment for USB drives. Running as service makes it independent of the logged on user's privileges, so there is no need ...
By following a few easy steps, you can assign or change the drive letters to your liking. This guide will walk you through it step-by-step. How to Assign a Drive Letter in Windows 11. In this section, we'll go through the steps needed to assign a drive letter in Windows 11. This will make it easier to access and manage your drives.
Right-click on the Start button. Click Disk Management to open the Disk Management console. Right-click the volume that has the drive letter you want to change. Click Change Drive Letter And Paths ...
Search for Create and format hard disk partitions and click the top result to open the Disk Management experience. Right-click the drive and select the Change Drive Letter and Paths option. Click ...
The USBDLM is a freeware for personal use Windows service that gives control over Window's drive letter assignment for USB drives. Running as service makes it independent of the logged on user ...
To assign or change the drive letter for a disk or partition, simply right-click on it and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths. A window will pop up with the current drive letter, if there is one, and a couple of options. Here you want to click on Change. Next, you will choose the new drive letter from the dropdown list.
USB Drive Letter Manager (USBDLM) is a Windows service that gives control over Window's drive letter assignment for USB drives. It automatically solves conflicts between USB drives and network or subset drives of the currently logged on user. Furthermore, you can define new default letters for USB drives and much more.
Go to "Action > All Tasks > Change Drive Letter and Paths…" menu. Change Drive Letter in Disk Management. On the pop-up that appears, click on "Change…" button. Select Change Button. Click on the dropdown against "Assign the following drive letter:" option. Select your favorite letter and click "OK" button.
The drive letter is stored in the windows registry, not on the device, windows looks at the device ID and checks the windows registry and assigns the drive letter based on that, if there is no pre assigned letter it will assign the first unused drive letter. so no way to do what you want from PC to PC other than assign the same drive letter for ...
Procedure. Open up a command prompt (CMD/PowerShell). Type "diskpart" to start up diskpart. You will see the prompt change to "DISKPART>". Type "list vol" to list all available volumes. You can identify the drive by size and file system. Additionally, the volume doesn't currently have a drive letter. Select the volume using "sel vol <number>".
The following steps show how to change the drive letter. Open Disk Management with administrator permissions. In Disk Management, select and hold (or right-click) the volume on which you want to change or add a drive letter and select Change Drive Letter and Paths. Tip. If you don't see the Change Drive Letter and Paths option or it's grayed ...
Right-click the USB drive to which you want to assign a persistent drive letter and then click "Change Drive Letter and Paths." The "Change Drive Letter and Paths" window the selected drive's current drive letter. To change the drive letter, click "Change." In the "Change Drive Letter or Path" window that opens, make sure the "Assign the ...
Plug in that device and unplug all other USB drives . . . Click your Start Button, type regedit and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices. On the right, scroll down to the bottom. Right click the appropriate Key and choose Delete. Close the Registry Editor and unplug the USB drive. That's It.
2. Type in DiskPart and hit Enter. 3. Run the following commands one by one. Case insensitive. Identify your external drive from the given list manually. Assume it's disk # (a number), and run. Done. Now on every Windows system it should be assigned with a letter automatically and show up in Explorer.
External USB drive letter assignment problem. Hi All, I'm faced with a little conundrum concerning what I feel the 'willy-nilly' assignment of a drive letter to external SSD backup disks. Looking for your insights (and hopefully solutions). When I attach disk-1 to my brand new Dell laptop running Windows 10 (updates up to date) it assigns it ...
Uninstall the driver: connect the docking station, win+x - Device Manager - click on the small triangle in front of the Universal Serial Bus Controller, and uninstall all the drivers related to USB inside, right-click to uninstall all of them, and don't check the box when you uninstall them "Remove the driver software for this device", after ...
As for this, you need to connect the USB drive to a different USB port to see if it works. Assign a Drive Letter: Assign a drive letter to the USB drive to make it visible in File Explorer. You can refer to this guide to add or change the drive letter to the USB: How to Change Drive Letter/Name on Windows
4. Virtual Hard Disk Type. You can select Fixed Size or Dynamically Expanding as your VHD type. When you create a virtual hard drive with a fixed size, the entire amount of storage space is ...