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Quick Question - External Drive Renaming

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ChrisLF

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Premium Classic Member
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Feb 26, 2017
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47
Location
Warwick, UK.
Lightroom Experience
Intermediate
Lightroom Version
Classic
Lightroom Version Number
Lightroom Classic Version 12
Operating System
  1. Windows 11
Hi - I've recently changed a couple of my external drives and want to rename them so that Windows (11) doesn't change the drive letter when they are plugged in.

I did read in another post sometime ago that using letters later in the alphabet would avoid the drive letter changing but can't find it now.

What are the first letters that I can use? There won't be any impact on Lightroom as the drives are only used for backup.

Thanks, Chris
 
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You can do this through Disk Management, easiest way there is to right_click on start button. You can use almost any letter. I even use A: for my Adobe stuff. But I also use the far end for my Data drives. Example Z: and such. I always assign my DVD player to M: so, it is out of the mix. And always stays the same.
 
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Thanks Ken. The highest letter I've encountered so far for my drives is G so I'm looking for what is "safe" beyond that?

I know I could use say, X, Y and Z but I prefer to start a bit lower.
 
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ChrisLF said:
Hi - I've recently changed a couple of my external drives and want to rename them so that Windows (11) doesn't change the drive letter when they are plugged in.

I did read in another post sometime ago that using letters later in the alphabet would avoid the drive letter changing but can't find it now.

What are the first letters that I can use? There won't be any impact on Lightroom as the drives are only used for backup.

Thanks, Chris
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Drive letters are added in the order they are found and mounted by Windows on boot up. This includes any removable drives like thumb drives or SD Cards. Drives that have had Letters previously assigned when mounted are added with this drive letters assigned UNLESS that drive letter has been assigned to a drive already mounted.
Let's say that you have 4 EHDs, a DVD, and the Primary boot drive that are permanently attached. These 5 disks will be mounted as Boot drive C:\, the D:\ (the DVD), E:\, F:\, & G:\. If you don't have any other EHDs or thumb drives or Cards in Card readers attached, AND you never change ports for these EHDs, them Windows will always mount them and assign them in the same order. If you want to make sure that one of these EHDs is permanently assigned the same drive letter, then you can assign it any Drive letter above G:\. Some Lightroom users use the letter P:\ (for 'Photos") or L:\ (for Lightroom) or start at the end of the Alphabet knowing that these (X:\, Y:\ or Z:\) will get assigned before any possible interference.
It is a good practice to remove any removable drives (Thumb drives and card readers containing SD cards or similar) before rebooting the OS to prevent these removable drive getting mounted Before any permanent EHDs .
 
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