Unable to Change Drive Letter in Windows Server

Updated by

Cici 

Written by

Linda 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

Unable to change drive letter in Windows Server

On a Windows server, each disk is assigned a letter by default. The C drive is typically used to store all of the operating system's data. On a Windows server, we might see D, E, and G drives, as well as any external drives that have been assigned H.

You might not know that disk letters are changeable. You can opt to change the letter of an existing disk. By doing it manually, you can assign the same disk letter on each device. This not only helps you allocate new letters but also enables you to assign specific ones. It contributes to better data organization and convenience.

In this article, we will explore how to change a disk letter. First, we will introduce the default methods provided on each server for making such changes. We will also discuss why the disk change options might appear grayed out and unavailable. Additionally, we will recommend a third-party tool better suited to resolve this issue. By the end of this article, you will be able to determine the best approach to changing a disk letter. So, let's delve into the details.

Related: Drive Letter Not Available

Change a Drive Letter in Disk Management

You can change the disk letter using the default feature. You can change the disk letter using Disk Management, which is an available Windows utility through which you can easily change the drive letter. Let's see how to assign a disk letter step by step in Disk Management.

Step 1: Right-click the Start menu and open Disk Management.

Go to the Start menu, right-click, and select Disk Management.

Step 2: In Disk Management, select the drive you want to change the letter for. Right-click on it and select "Change Drive Letter and Paths".

Step 3: Next, under "Change drive letter and paths," click "Change" to modify the drive letter. Here, we'll select drive F for modification.

Click “Change” to change the drive letter option:

If no drive letter has been assigned, click the Add button.

Step 4: Select a new drive letter, and then click OK. In the example below, the disk drive letter has been changed to E:.

Select the new drive and click “OK”.

In the previous example, use Disk Management to change the drive letter to the one required.

Why are the Drive Letter and Path options grayed out?

You might find that the Change option is grayed out when you try to change the drive letter. Even if the drive appears healthy, you can't change the drive letter. Here are some possible reasons why the option is grayed out:

The drive letter might be in use and can't be changed. The system partition or boot partition can't be changed. The drive letter is in use on a connected drive. The volume isn't ready to receive a drive letter. Another reason could be that the operating system isn't supported.

This could be the reason the drive letter path appears grayed out.

What do you do if you can't change the drive letter?

Now that we've discussed the possible default solutions and the reasons why you can't change the drive letter, let's move on to the next step where we recommend a third-party tool. This tool is not only fast but also safer and more user-friendly. Try using AOMEI Partition Assistant Enterprise, an alternative disk management tool that will help you with disk changing, partition creation, and drive space allocation for maximum disk space utilization. You can create partitions based on the amount of space you need. AOMEI Partition Assistant Enterprise boasts remarkable features that enable users to complete tasks promptly.

Here are some of the main features of Partition Master Enterprise:

• Flexible movement and resizing of partitions
• Quick partition formatting
• No risk of data loss
• Support for converting NTFS to FAT32
• Solving disk space issues by merging partitions
• Checking and fixing partition errors
• Safe and reliable usage, 100% secure
• Easily repair hard disks
• Enhanced partition recovery capabilities
• Proper allocation of partition sizes for optimal PC performance

If you're new to this and want to give it a try, you can download the trial version to do so. You can download the tool Partition Master Enterprise from its official website. Here's how you can change your drive letter using it:

Run AOMEI Partition Assistant, right-click the target partition, and choose "Change Drive Letter".

Step 2: In the new window, click the down arrow in the drop-down menu to select a drive letter for the partition, and then click OK.

Step 3. Click the “Perform 1 Task” button on the top left to preview the changes, and then click “Apply” to change the drive letter of the selected partition.

Conclusions

In conclusion, we have seen the causes of the disk letter assignment problem so far. We have also seen the solutions. You can choose to use the default solution from Disk Management. Although Disk Management sometimes works, it does not allow you to change the disk letter. The option may gray out sometimes. We recommend that you choose a safer, faster, and easier method. Partition Master is a feasible solution. It can solve all the disk letter issues, including the grayed-out option. This user-friendly application can help you allocate disk space more efficiently. Try using the tool Partition Master Enterprise and experience it yourself.