Computer and Software Support


How to Change Drive Letter Assignments

 

Windows XP

If you need to change the drive letter assignments, here is the procedure to change the assignments. The following procedure shows how to change the drive letter for the DVD drive but the procedure is the same for all situations but the drive letter assignments (meaning the drive letter you will give it) will vary depending on your configuration.

How to Change drive letters

  1. Go to Computer Management (This link will open in a different window)
  2. Click Disk Management
   
  1. Right click on the DVD  drive letter E
  1. Click Change Drive Letter and Paths
  2. Click Change
   
  1. Choose the letter you want the drive to have
  1. Click on OK
   
  1. Reboot the computer

 

For the instructions, I am going to change the drive letters as follows

Old drive letter configuration

  • Main hard drive drive letter C
  • CDRW is drive letter D
  • DVD is drive letter E
  • Secondary Hard Drive letter F

 

New desired drive letter configuration

  • Main hard drive drive letter C
  • Second hard drive drive letter D
  • CDRW is drive letter E
  • DVD is drive letter F

 

To make the new drive assignments, you have to do the following in this order

  • Move the drive to unused drive letters. Assign them to drive letters that will not be used. You then reboot the computer. Use drive letters that will not be assigned permanently. During the drive letter change, windows will not allow you to pick a letter that is currently being used. To change a drive letter to one that is being used, you have to move all the drive letters to letters that is not being used and reboot the computer. This is why there is two steps in moving the drive letters.
  • Assign them the drive letters you want to use.

Move the Drive Letter Assignments to unused letters

  1. How to change drive letters (Just substitute the drive letter for the one that applies to you)
  2. Change the CDRW drive letter from D to M
  3. Change the DVD drive letter from E to N
  4. Change the secondary drive letter from F to O
  5. Reboot the computer

Assign them the drive letters you want to use

  1. How to change drive letters (Just substitute the drive letter for the one that applies to you)
  2. Change the CDRW drive letter from M to E
  3. Change the DVD drive letter from N to F
  4. Change the secondary drive letter from O to D
  5. Reboot the computer

 

For information on drive letter assignments, click here.  

If you are using an external hard drive for back up purposes, you should change the drive letter to X, Y, or Z. Click here for information on this.