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09-19-2017, 04:45 PM
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Windows7 USB External Drive Letter Assignment!
Having a strange problem - maybe we have an expert around...
1. OS: Windows7
2. I use a USB External Drive to hold all my files. Why? When I travel - I just shut off my desktop and attach the drive to my laptop. That gives me all my files, etc. (even my e-mail).
3. 100% of the time the drive is assigned the letter E.
I decided it was time to replace the drive with a new one ( been using the same one for 4 years) - so I bought a new drive, copied everything over to it. I powered down my Desktop, removed the old USB Drive and replaced it with the new one. Yes, same USB slot and even used the same USB extension cable.
Guess what? Windows7 assigned it letter G! Normally that wouldn't be a problem but when you save your stuff to Drive E, open Microsoft Word, etc. and select a previously opened file - it can't find it because the drive letter changed. Also, all my defaults for downloading pictures, etc. goes to drive E: into a pre-determined sub directory.
Now, to make matters interesting - I powered down my Desktop, removed the new drive and replaced it with the old drive and guess what? Yuppa - it was back to the letter E. Yuppa - powered down again and put the other drive in place and it went back to drive G. Powered down again, pulled out the new one and connected the old one - BINGO - back to Drive E.
Yes, I know I can go into the system and " force" it to re-assign the drive to letter E but I would prefer the system to handle it automatically.
Could someone explain to me what is happening? I really hate the thought of changing all my stuff to look for another drive letter.
Thanks!
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09-19-2017, 06:24 PM
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I wouldn't call myself an "expert", but are you sure that your new USB drive doesn't have hidden/system partitions? Sandisk, for one, is big on those, or at least they used to be.
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09-19-2017, 06:44 PM
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09-19-2017, 06:50 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Talldog
I wouldn't call myself an "expert", but are you sure that your new USB drive doesn't have hidden/system partitions? Sandisk, for one, is big on those, or at least they used to be.
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No partition. Just did another experiment. I plug'd the new drive into my laptop - bingo - it see's it as drive E. Plug'd it into my desktop - booooom - it see's it as drive G. I plug'd my old drive into my desktop - bingo - it see's it as drive E. Seems only my desktop has a problem - very interesting.
Thanks everyone for your suggestion - disk management may be the only way for now when it comes to my desktop.
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09-19-2017, 07:01 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kwselke
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It worked. Thanks.
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Mike
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09-19-2017, 11:35 PM
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Changing to the right drive takes like two-three seconds, right?
Quote:
Originally Posted by VPNAVY
Having a strange problem - maybe we have an expert around...
1. OS: Windows7
2. I use a USB External Drive to hold all my files. Why? When I travel - I just shut off my desktop and attach the drive to my laptop. That gives me all my files, etc. (even my e-mail).
3. 100% of the time the drive is assigned the letter E.
I decided it was time to replace the drive with a new one (been using the same one for 4 years) - so I bought a new drive, copied everything over to it. I powered down my Desktop, removed the old USB Drive and replaced it with the new one. Yes, same USB slot and even used the same USB extension cable.
Guess what? Windows7 assigned it letter G! Normally that wouldn't be a problem but when you save your stuff to Drive E, open Microsoft Word, etc. and select a previously opened file - it can't find it because the drive letter changed. Also, all my defaults for downloading pictures, etc. goes to drive E: into a pre-determined sub directory.
Now, to make matters interesting - I powered down my Desktop, removed the new drive and replaced it with the old drive and guess what? Yuppa - it was back to the letter E. Yuppa - powered down again and put the other drive in place and it went back to drive G. Powered down again, pulled out the new one and connected the old one - BINGO - back to Drive E.
Yes, I know I can go into the system and "force" it to re-assign the drive to letter E but I would prefer the system to handle it automatically.
Could someone explain to me what is happening? I really hate the thought of changing all my stuff to look for another drive letter.
Thanks!
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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .
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09-20-2017, 03:53 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Muss Muggins
Changing to the right drive takes like two-three seconds, right?
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Based on everything I have read - yuppa - only takes a few seconds.
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09-20-2017, 06:42 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VPNAVY
Based on everything I have read - yuppa - only takes a few seconds.
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Sounds like a first world problem of the first magnitude to me . . .
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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .
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09-20-2017, 08:28 AM
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The real first world problem is writing a detailed and clear explanation of the problem and posting it in a gun forum and asking how to resolve it. Then having a 60 something guy in Texas take the well written question and convert it into the Google Search query... "drive letter assignment for usb drives windows 7", and posting a link to the results. When you could have asked Google yourself.
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09-20-2017, 08:44 AM
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I used to call my daughter when I got hung up with a computer problem. One time I asked her how she knew the answer. She said she googled the question. I don't bug her anymore! There is a wealth of good info on the internet. There's also a lot of bull! Always consider the source.
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Dennis
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