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05driveletters01 Assign a Permanent Letter to a USB Thumb Drive

Do you run backups to, open files from, or simply use a USB thumb drive? If you do, this guide is for you.

Have you noticed that each time you put your USB thumb drive in your computer, it comes up with a different letter? If you have more than one external drive/camera/portable hard drive then this is likely the case.

This can be frustrating when trying to run backups or opening files in a piece of software to find it can’t find the recent location because the drive letter changed.

Here are the steps you will need to take to assign a permanent drive letter.

NOTE: The instructions are shown here in Vista. I have tested this in XP and the procedure is the same.

? Go to Start > Run (or press “Windows Key+R”)
? Type mmc in the box and hit enter. (Click continue if prompted)

02 Assign a Permanent Letter to a USB Thumb Drive

? Microsoft Management Console will now open. Select File > New
? Now select File > Add/Remove Snap-in… (or press “Ctrl+M”)
? Select “Disk Management” and click “Add

03 Assign a Permanent Letter to a USB Thumb Drive

? Select “OK“.
? Select “This computer” and hit “Finish

04 Assign a Permanent Letter to a USB Thumb Drive

? Now press “OK” on the “Add or Remove snap-ins” screen.
? Now select “Disk Management” from the left menu.

05 Assign a Permanent Letter to a USB Thumb Drive

? You will now see all of your drives/partitions in the right panel.
? Right click the USB drive you want to assign a permanent letter to and select “Change Drive Letter and Paths…

06 Assign a Permanent Letter to a USB Thumb Drive

? Click on “Change…

07 Assign a Permanent Letter to a USB Thumb Drive

? Select a permanent letter (preferably a letter that appears later in the alphabet)
? Click “OK
? It will warn you about making the change – there is little chance programs you use will be affected by this. If they will, you will probably already be aware of this so don’t worry.
? The final step is to select File > Save and save the file in the default directory. Close the Console and you are done.

Test this by ejecting your USB media and putting it back in. It should come up with the new letter you assigned it.



 Assign a Permanent Letter to a USB Thumb Drive

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix the problems he creates.

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Comments

  • Valeria Forex

    You don’t realize how much time this will save me, I am always changing the relative paths – stumbled for others to see

  • Valeria Forex

    You don’t realize how much time this will save me, I am always changing the relative paths – stumbled for others to see

  • Valeria Forex

    You don’t realize how much time this will save me, I am always changing the relative paths – stumbled for others to see

  • Mark

    I couldn’t get it to work – have sent you a mesage – please respond soon..

  • Mark

    I couldn’t get it to work – have sent you a mesage – please respond soon..

  • Mark

    I couldn’t get it to work – have sent you a mesage – please respond soon..

  • G.V.

    Question, this does not seem to keep other usb devices from taking up the spot I identified for my main USB drive (SATA, actually) when it is not connected, is there any way to ensure that other devices don’t take up this spot?

    Still, thanks for the tip!

  • G.V.

    Question, this does not seem to keep other usb devices from taking up the spot I identified for my main USB drive (SATA, actually) when it is not connected, is there any way to ensure that other devices don’t take up this spot?

    Still, thanks for the tip!

  • G.V.

    Question, this does not seem to keep other usb devices from taking up the spot I identified for my main USB drive (SATA, actually) when it is not connected, is there any way to ensure that other devices don’t take up this spot?

    Still, thanks for the tip!

  • Colin Stephenson

    Hi there,

    Great blog and great tips. I didnt even know I need this one until I stumbledupon this website

  • Colin Stephenson

    Hi there,

    Great blog and great tips. I didnt even know I need this one until I stumbledupon this website

  • Colin Stephenson

    Hi there,

    Great blog and great tips. I didnt even know I need this one until I stumbledupon this website

  • Kylie

    THank you for this most useful tip

  • Kylie

    THank you for this most useful tip

  • Kylie

    THank you for this most useful tip

  • flow

    I knew doing this had ot be easy but i am a total n00b at stuff like this

  • flow

    I knew doing this had ot be easy but i am a total n00b at stuff like this

  • flow

    I knew doing this had ot be easy but i am a total n00b at stuff like this

  • permanant add remove

    […] […]

  • Impubes

    Is these steps are necessary? Just rigth click the computer select manage then changing the drive letters would be enough i think..

  • Impubes

    Is these steps are necessary? Just rigth click the computer select manage then changing the drive letters would be enough i think..

    • http://www.mintywhite.com/ rich2912

      You can do it that way, but I’ve had Windows forget my assignments before. Doing it as instructed above ensures the settings are saved.

      If your method works without forgetting, then yes, you are absolutely correct.

      Thanks for the tip.

  • Impubes

    Is these steps are necessary? Just rigth click the computer select manage then changing the drive letters would be enough i think..

    • http://www.mintywhite.com/ rich2912

      You can do it that way, but I’ve had Windows forget my assignments before. Doing it as instructed above ensures the settings are saved.

      If your method works without forgetting, then yes, you are absolutely correct.

      Thanks for the tip.

  • rich2912

    You can do it that way, but I’ve had Windows forget my assignments before. Doing it as instructed above ensures the settings are saved.

    If your method works without forgetting, then yes, you are absolutely correct.

    Thanks for the tip.

  • A. Carmon

    Works well. However, the drive letter assignment doesn’t stay if you move the thumb drive to another computer.

  • A. Carmon

    Works well. However, the drive letter assignment doesn’t stay if you move the thumb drive to another computer.

  • A. Carmon

    Works well. However, the drive letter assignment doesn’t stay if you move the thumb drive to another computer.

  • Mel

    Or even another port on my computer..

  • Mel

    I have found this to be a little finicky for me..

  • Mel

    Or even another port on my computer..

  • Mel

    I have found this to be a little finicky for me..

  • Mel

    If only windows was that good..

  • Mel

    If only windows was that good..

  • Mel

    This is where I thought it would be useful but between my thumb drive and XP thinks just don’t seem to click very well so I had to give up on relative paths.

  • Mel

    This is where I thought it would be useful but between my thumb drive and XP thinks just don’t seem to click very well so I had to give up on relative paths.

  • Mel

    I have found this to be a little finicky for me..

  • Mel

    Or even another port on my computer..

  • Mel

    If only windows was that good..

  • Mel

    This is where I thought it would be useful but between my thumb drive and XP thinks just don’t seem to click very well so I had to give up on relative paths.

  • HtB

    just assigned a permanent per your instructions

    best instructions i’ve ever seen and i go back to dos 3.1
    tks

    harry

  • HtB

    just assigned a permanent per your instructions

    best instructions i’ve ever seen and i go back to dos 3.1
    tks

    harry

  • HtB

    just assigned a permanent per your instructions

    best instructions i’ve ever seen and i go back to dos 3.1
    tks

    harry

  • JimK

    Excellent help, thanks. Works a treat with Win7 Home Premium, and made life with multiple drives just that little bit easier.

  • SteveR

    You saved me so many headaches. It works too. Great instructions!!!

  • Timo

    Perfect. Just what I needed! (WinXP)
    Thanks a bunch!!!!

  • Muellervet

    very good directions!

  • D-man1980

    Thnx, thnx, thnx :oD

  • Harry Snapper Organs

    Great. Thanks. No need for drive letter manager now.

  • http://richr.org/ Rich

    Thanks Robert :)

  • zoid9

    Awesome!!! Thanks alot.

  • http://forum.mintywhite.com/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=8824 UVAIS

    Hey Rich What about Win 7 ?? 

    • http://richr.org/ Rich

      The process is the same for Windows 7. I’ve added this to the list of “guides to update” as the MMC snap in is not required (although useful if you want to have a custom control center.)


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