Naming External hard drives

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  1. Posts : 168
    Windows 7 Home Premium
       #1

    Naming External hard drives


    I am using 3 external hard drives and noticed a couple of times there drive letters have changed.
    Maybe I have had them unplugged for some reason I cannot remember, but it causes confusion with some files that use shortcuts.
    I would like to know if it is possible to give the drives permanent drive letters also change there names?

    Thanks
    jack
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 409
    win7 Ult 64
       #2

    Wont be able to give them perm drive letters since they are externals and that will change as you power them up and down but you can change the names by right clicking on the drive Icon in the explorer window and selecting rename.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 2
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
       #3

    I'm pretty sure that's not correct. When I had Vista and a wd external usb drive, I permanently assigned it letter z through disk management.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 7
    Windows 7 Pro x64
       #4

    Can't external drive letter designations be permanently changed through Computer Management>Storage>Disk Management?

    From Disk Management right click on the drive to be permanently designated>Change drive letter and paths>Change>(from the dropdown menu select the drive letter to be permanently assigned to that drive)>OK
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 2,164
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit
       #5

    My externals keep the same drive letter when I reboot or unplug them and then re-attach them.
    I did use Disk Management to give them the drive letters they have since they needed to have specific letters.

      My Computer


  6. Posts : 5,642
    Windows 10 Pro (x64)
       #6

    If you assign a drive letter, then disconnect the HDD. If you then connection some other device that uses drive letters and the next drive letter to be used is that one you assigned. Then you connect the external HDD it will no longer have the assigned drive letter. But as long as that case does not happen Windows should remember.

    Just to recap. As long as the drive letter you assign is free when you connect your external HDD, it will use it.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 168
    Windows 7 Home Premium
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Thanks everyone.
    jack
      My Computer


  8. mjf
    Posts : 5,969
    Windows 7x64 Home Premium SP1
       #8

    You are actually assigning letters to the partition. So you can assign letters to the various partitions of a multi-partitioned drive.

    By picking high letters say "M, N, ......." I find you are unlikely that Windows will take the the letter on a tempoary basis for some other device.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 168
    Windows 7 Home Premium
    Thread Starter
       #9

    one last question:
    I noticed alongside my internal and external hard drives there are about 5 drives listed as Removable Drives.
    What are these also can I delete them?

    Thanks
    jack
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 5,642
    Windows 10 Pro (x64)
       #10

    Do you have a memory card reader installed?
      My Computer


 
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