- PC & Mobile
How to Change a Drive Letter in Windows 10
Lee Stanton Read more November 19, 2022
Changing drive letters in Windows certainly has its benefits. You can hide a specific drive from all apps on your computer, thus preventing these apps from writing on a specific partition or edit the drive letter after adding a new HDD or SSD.
If you’re looking to change drive letters in Windows 10, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll provide you with detailed steps on how to change or remove various drive letters.
There are a couple of different ways to change a drive letter in Windows 10. Below, we’ll show you how to do so with Disk Management. This is the most straightforward way to apply changes to your drive letters in Windows 10.
- Right-click on the Windows Start button and choose the Disk Management option from the menu.
- Right-click on the drive you want to change a letter for and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths from the menu.
- Click Change . Windows will now ask you to assign a new name for your drive. You can choose from the remaining A-Z letters from the menu.
- Windows will let you know that apps that are stored on this partition might not work correctly, click Yes .
You have now successfully changed a drive letter in Windows 10.
How to Change Drive Letter in Windows 10 Using Command Prompt
Another way to change drive letters in Windows 10 is using Command Prompt. This process is relatively simple:
- Make sure you’re running your PC in Admin mode.
- Open Command Prompt. You can do so by typing “Command Prompt” in the search box and opening the App.
- Once you’re in, type “ diskpart ” and hit Enter .
- Type “ list volume ” to get a list of all volumes available on your PC.
- Look at the ### output. Check for the volume number of the drive you want to change the letter of.
- To select the drive, type this command: “ select volume [NUMBER ].” Then replace [NUMBER] with the volume number your drive is located under.
- To change the drive letter, run this command: “ assign letter=[X ].” Then replace [X] with the letter you want to assign to your drive.
You have now changed your drive letter in Windows 10.
How to Remove a Drive Letter in Windows 10
If you want to remove a drive letter in Windows 10, you can do so from Desk Management. Just follow these simple steps:
- Right-click on your Windows Start button and choose Disk Management from the menu.
- Right-click on the drive you want to remove a letter for and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths from the menu.
- Click Remove in the dialog box. Windows will now warn you that folders that rely on this partition might not work correctly.
- Click OK to confirm the operation.
You have now successfully removed a drive letter in Windows 10. After removing a drive letter, you won’t be able to see it in your File Explorer any longer. Also, to remove a letter, you must sign in as the administrator.
How to Change a Network Drive Letter in Windows 10
Changing a network drive letter in Windows is a pretty straightforward process. Just follow these steps, and you’ll be good to go:
- Go to the This PC section of the File Explorer.
- At the top of the ribbon menu, click on Map network drive .
- A drop-down menu will appear, choose the Map network drive option.
- A new window will open asking you to choose a drive letter for your network folder. Go ahead and choose a new letter.
- Enter the full address of your network share into the box labeled Folder . You can also browse for it.
- Click Finish .
Additional Steps if You Receive an Error Message:
- Go to Control Panel.
- Then, select Network and Internet .
- Click on Network and Sharing Center .
- Now, choose the Change advanced sharing settings option on the right-side.
- Click on Turn on network discovery .
- Save your changes.
You’ll now see your network share in the This PC screen.
How to Change a USB Drive Letter in Windows 10
You might want to change a USB drive letter in Windows 10 if Window Explorer doesn’t recognize the external hard drive. For this or any other reason, just follow the simple steps shown above for an HDD/SSD to change your USB drive letter.
How to Change DVD Drive Letter in Windows 10
Changing a DVD drive letter in Windows 10 can be done easily through Disk Management. Just follow the steps shown above to also change the DVD drive letter.
You have now successfully changed your DVD drive letter in Windows 10.
How to Change Recovery Drive Letter in Windows 10
Changing your recovery drive will only take a few seconds. Just as before, follow the directions shown previously to quickly change your recovery drive letter.
How to Change Boot Drive Letter in Windows 10
Unfortunately, changing your boot drive letter in Windows is not possible through Desk Management.
We only recommend changing your boot drive in case of an emergency. Otherwise, you shouldn’t make any changes to your boot drive. If you make a wrong step, you might not be able to run your system properly. For that reason, please follow the steps we’ve provided carefully. You should also make a system backup before proceeding any further.
Below, we’ll explain how to swap drive C and D letters. To assign your C drive with another letter, you should rename the \DosDevice\letter: value to another letter that’s not already in use.
Also, before you mess with the Register, it’s a good idea to create a copy of the Register before it’s been edited.
- Start typing “ registry editor ” into the Search bar and open it up.
- Now, navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices .
- Click on MountedDevices .
- Head over to the Security menu and click on Permissions .
- Verify you have complete control as admin.
- Close the Registry Editor, wait a few seconds, and then open it back up.
- Again, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices .
- Look for the new letter for your drive. Find \DosDevice\C: and right-click on it.
- Click Rename .
- Rename the file to a new drive letter \DosDevices\Z:. This will empty your C partition.
- Locate the drive you wish to change the letter of. Find \DosDevice\D:. Right-click on it and click Rename .
- Change the name to the new drive letter \DosDevice\C:.
- Choose the appropriate value for \DosDevices\Z: and click Rename .
- Change the name to \DosDevices\D:.
- Close Regedit and open it back up.
- Change the Admin permission settings to Read Only .
- Restart your PC.
You have now successfully changed your boot drive letter in Windows 10.
Additional FAQs
Is it safe to change drive letters.
Changing drive letters is not a problem in itself. But if your computer needs to run a file that’s written in that very drive, you might have an issue. It’s not just for any reason that Windows warns you before changing a drive letter.
Generally, it’s not recommended to change drive letters unless that would help solve a specific issue. For example, if your Windows Explorer doesn’t recognize an external device under a certain driver, it’s okay to change its name.
There are some drives you can change the letters of without consequences. For example, to a partition that has files you rarely use. Also, you can change an external drive’s letter without problems.
Changing Drive Letters in Windows 10
In this article, we’ve provided you with some useful tips on how to change drive letters in Windows 10. Remember, only do this if strictly necessary, as it might cause some apps on your computer to not run properly.
Have you ever had to change your drive letters for a specific reason? Did you run into any problems? Share your experiences in the comments section below.
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Disclaimer: Some pages on this site may include an affiliate link. This does not effect our editorial in any way.
Lee Stanton February 10, 2023
William Stanton February 10, 2023
Send To Someone
Missing device.
Please enable JavaScript to submit this form.
Lee Stanton November 24, 2022
Steve Larner July 27, 2022
Lee Stanton August 23, 2022
Lee Stanton August 16, 2022
Cassandra December 3, 2022
Lee Stanton July 18, 2022
Links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
- How to change the drive letter in Windows
Partitions on a hard disk get a letter as an identifier, and if you’re making a new one, you can choose which letter you want to assign to it. But what if you want to change the drive letter later? It’s not as easy as renaming a drive partition, but it’s possible, with an exception. Here’s how to change the drive letter in Windows 10 or 11.
QUICK ANSWER
To change the drive letter, open Disk Management via search. Right-click the partition, click Change Drive Letter and Paths , select the drive letter, and click the Change button. Click the drop-down menu with the drive letters, select the letter of your choice, and click OK .
JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS
What you should know before changing the drive letter
A drive letter acts as a core identifier for a partition or a drive, letting the system map its location and, in turn, letting other programs and users access it. Changing a drive letter isn’t too complicated, but there are some things you need to keep in mind first.
First, Windows reserves this functionality only for administrator accounts, so you need to be signed in to one. Secondly, there are some restrictions on changing drive letters. Letters A and B cannot be used for usual drive partitions, as Windows keeps these only for floppy drives. You also cannot change the drive letters for system drives, like C.
We would also recommend that you do not change the drive letters for a partition if you have any apps installed in it. This can cause path conflicts and potentially render your programs unable to open. You can reinstall the apps to resolve this issue, but it’s better to refrain from changing the drive letter for such partitions.
How to change the drive letter in Windows 10 or 11
You will need to use the Disk Management tool built into Windows to change the drive letter. Open it by searching for Disk management . The search result will be labeled Create and format hard disk partitions . Click it. You can also right-click on the start menu and select Disk Management .
Right-click the partition for which you want to change the drive letter. You can right-click on the partition from the list view at the top or the grid view in the middle.
Click Change Drive Letter and Paths… A new dialog box will open up.
Select the partition for which you want to change the letter. Click the Change button.
Click the drop-down with the current drive letter next to Assign the following drive letter: . Select the letter you want to assign from the drop-down by clicking it.
Click the OK button. A dialog box will pop up.
Click the Yes button to confirm the change. The drive letter will change and reflect in the disk manager view.
And that’s how you change the drive letter in Windows 10 or 11. If you’re working with an external hard drive, you can find out how to format and partition it here .
No, you won’t lose any data. But as described above, you could get issues with apps that reference that drive location.
Yes. Just repeat the steps above and select the original drive letter.
This browser is no longer supported.
Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.
Change a drive letter
- 2 minutes to read
- 3 contributors
Applies To: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012
If you don't like the drive letter assigned to a drive, or if you've got a drive that doesn't yet have a drive letter, you can use Disk Management to change it. To instead to mount the drive in an empty folder so that it appears as just another folder, see Mount a drive in a folder .
If you change the drive letter of a drive where Windows or apps are installed, apps might have trouble running or finding that drive. For this reason we suggest that you don't change the drive letter of a drive on which Windows or apps are installed.
Here's how to change the drive letter:
Open Disk Management with administrator permissions. To do so, select and hold (or right-click) the Start button, and then select Disk Management .
In Disk Management, select and hold (or right-click) the volume for which you want to change or add a drive letter, and then select Change Drive Letter and Paths .
If you don't see the Change Drive Letter and Paths option or it's grayed out, it's possible the volume isn't ready to receive a drive letter, which can be the case if the drive is unallocated and needs to be initialized . Or, maybe it's not meant to be accessed, which is the case of EFI system partitions and recovery partitions. If you've confirmed that you have a formatted volume with a drive letter that you can access and you still can't change it, unfortunately this topic probably can't help you, so we suggest contacting Microsoft or the manufacturer of your PC for more help.
To change the drive letter, select Change . To add a drive letter if the drive doesn't already have one, select Add .
Select the new drive letter, select OK , and then select Yes when prompted about how programs that rely on the drive letter might not run correctly.
Submit and view feedback for
Additional resources
- Best Video Converters
- The Best Video Downloaders for Windows
“Downloading Do Not Turn OFF The Target!” Error In Samsung
- The Best Network Monitoring Tools
- The Best TVs for Xbox Series X
‘IP address conflict’ – How To Manage & Fix
- Best Laptops
Best Laptops Under $500
10 Alternatives to Trapcall
- Social Media
- Cut the Cord
TechJunkie is a BOX20 Media Company
Home PC Windows Windows 10 How To Change the Drive Letter in Windows 10
How To Change the Drive Letter in Windows 10
“I would love to keep my drives organized. Perhaps labeling my new drive as ‘M’ for music and the other ‘V’ for videos. So How do I go about doing it?”
Changing the drive letter in Windows 10 works the same as it does for Windows versions 8, 7, Vista, and XP. No drive letter (save for C:) is set in stone. Even C is technically changeable but definitely not recommended. You’d have to repartition your PC in order to do so and that’s a whole new can of worms better left unopened.
The Disk Management Tool found in Windows makes altering drive letters a breeze, even for individuals who are not familiar with drive editing. You can have everything completed in just a few minutes. Follow the guide below for instruction on how to change your drive letters.
Changing The Drive Letters in Windows 10
When first connecting a new drive to your PC, be it optical, hard drive, or USB, Windows will automatically assign it the next available drive letter following C. Which letter is assigned is determined by how many other drives you already have connected.
In order to change the letter to something you believe to be more suitable to your taste or needs, you’ll have to open up Disk Management .
- First, ensure that the letter you want to assign to the drive is not currently in use.
- You can look through the available folders to see if the correct drive has been chosen.
- You should avoid A and B as these particular letters have been historically reserved for floppy drives and could confuse older software by being altered.
- Any software that is currently installed to this drive may stop working properly once the letter has been changed. If this is the case, you’ll need to reinstall the software onto the new drive. This issue is more common in older programs and apps, especially if using Windows XP or Vista.
- To change your system drive from C: (or whatever you currently have it set as) to another letter will require a clean install of the Windows OS. As stated earlier, this is not something that I can recommend.
- Swapping drive letters can get a bit tricky. There isn’t any built-in way to do so in Windows. You would need to create a temporary drive letter for the drive letter you don’t intend on using. An example would be changing the D drive to the E drive. Begin by changing the D drive to something you don’t plan on using like ‘X’. Now you have an X drive and E drive. Next, change the E drive to ‘D’ and then finish up by changing X into ‘E’.
- It’s possible that you may need to restart your machine for the change to take effect. Once rebooted, the drive will display the newly assigned letter.
How To Turn Windows 10 into a Hotspot
One thought on “How To Change the Drive Letter in Windows 10”
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Jun 13, 2021
77 Articles Published
You May Like
The Best 2-in-1 Laptops
William Sattelberg
Jul 10, 2022
The Five Best Budget Laptops
Jessie Richardson
Jun 28, 2022
The 9 Best Laptops for College Students
Apr 13, 2022
How to Use 2 Computers Within One Monitor
Dec 18, 2021
How to Change the Extension of a File
Aug 19, 2021
The Best Video Downloaders for Mac
Sep 8, 2022
How to Connect Strava to Garmin
Sep 7, 2022
How to Change Your Name in Zoom
May 31, 2021
How To Filter By Color in Google Sheets
Robert Hayes
Jan 15, 2020
Copyright @2021 TechJunkie
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Right-click on the USB drive you want to change a letter for. Choose the “Change Drive Letter and Paths” option from the drop-down menu. Click “Change” from the pop-up window
Right-click the partition, click Change Drive Letter and Paths, select the drive letter, and click the Change button. Letters A and B cannot be used for usual drive partitions, as Windows keeps these only for floppy drives
If you change the drive letter of a drive where Windows or apps are installed, apps might have trouble running or finding that drive. For this reason we suggest that you don't change the drive letter of a drive on which Windows or apps are installed
As two drives cannot be assigned to the same letter, you many need to temporarily change one of the drives to something random. For example, after installing a new storage hard drive, my system had my main drive as C
The drive letter for your new USB or external hard drive is not set in stone and if you feel the itch to change it, it's a rather simple process. Changing the drive letter in Windows 10 works the same as it does for Windows versions 8