External Hard Drive letter changes when on a different PC

[Mike99]

I’m using a USB EHD consisting of a desktop internal HDD in one of those USB enclosures.

I used the Windows 7 Disk Manager & allocated the HDD, labeled it, and assigned it drive letter ”V”. I then connect it to PC #2 where I want to backup a few files & make an image, but PC#2 assigns it drive letter “E”.

Everything I’ve read says to assign drives a letter, and that Windows doesn’t assign letters to portable drives. Yet Windows ignores the letter I assigned & gives it a different letter.

What happens when I make a drive image of PC#2 and have to restore it? I was under the impression it was not a good idea copy images to different drives. Will Windows or Macrium get confused trying to find the correct filepath when/if it comes time to restore?

FWIW when connected back to the original PC#1 the EHD does show up as letter “V”.

 

[samuria]

To see a drive it must have a letter and windows normally assigns the next free letter you can reassign it if you want but it doesn't really make any difference

 

[RolandJS]

Both computers can assign that particular external HD the same drive letter. I'm not sure, however, I think the same respective port on each computer has to be used, or, it doesn't matter what usb port is used (on each respective pc).

 

[Bree]

When you plug a usb drive into a PC Windows by default assigns it the first available letter. You can assign it another letter if you like, and that Windows on that PC will always use that letter from then on.

But the letter is recorded in the registry of that particular PC, not on the usb drive itself. Plug it into another PC and it gets the first available letter, until you reassign it there too.

RolandJS, no it doesn't matter which usb port you use. The usb drive is recognised by its unique ID and will get your assigned letter whichever port you use.

 

[Mike99]

Thanks everyone -

Looks like it's safe to also assign drive letter "V" with the second PC so I'll do that to be consistent.

 

[Banyarola]

This is what I do...You have to do it on each PC the drive is used on because assigning drive letters is PC specific...How to Assign a Persistent Drive Letter to a USB Drive in Windows

 

[cornemuse]

Assigning specific drive letters works, but/till the specific HDD is connected to a (second) computer that has 'the specific drive letter already in use', in which case the (second) computer will assign the next available drive letter to the connected HDD. In my experience, sometimes the newly assigned drive letter remains when the 'HDD' is re-connected to the original computer, sometimes not, ie, the letter you originally assigned stays assigned, , , ,

 

[Banyarola]

If you read the link I posted it shows how to avoid that by making the first with the drive letter M because very rarely will anything above M be used...
It works for me on several PC's with no problems...

I also assigned thumb drive letters with it also..

 

[Merel]

In my experience, there is ONLY ONE solution really working. You have to install USBDriveLetterManager (USBDLM).
It looks complicated but actually there is a particular mode to use it in a very simple manner.
You must use the option "By volume name"
I have used it for years with satisfaction.
I wrote a mini-manual for using that method. Unfortunately it is written in Dutch.
You install it on each PC and you will see each usb device having the same station letter on every computer.
Shame on Microsoft ! The problem was never solved. USBDLM does it all.

USB Drive Letter Manager - USBDLM

 

[RolandJS]

+1 Banyarola. For some years now, I started from driver letter Z and worked my way up for most if not all external devices. C, D for internal C and D partition respectively. I for internal DVD/CD player/writer, and whatever else in the middle.