How to Change Drive Letter [Full Tutorial]? Translation: How to Change Drive Letter [Complete Guide]?

Updated by

Tracy King 

Updated on April 22, 2024

Windows usually automatically assigns the drive letters for the partitions. Letters A and B are reserved for floppy drives and tape drives. The system partition is typically assigned the letter C. Any other partitions on your hard drive, USB drive, optical drive, or card reader will also be assigned a drive letter by Windows.

Change drive letter in Windows

Assigning letters to drives in alphabetical order is an easy way to keep them organized. However, in Windows, the letters allocated to your hard disks, optical drives, and USB devices are not fixed. You may want to change drive letter for certain reasons.

You might change a drive letter to make it easier to recognize your programs or personal files. Alternatively, you might need to do this if you've connected an external drive and Windows assigns it a letter that's already in use. To learn more about altering drive letters on a PC or laptop, continue reading this article from tools.

How to Change Drive Letter in 5 Ways

For either convenience or to troubleshoot unique situations, you can learn how to operate in the following guide.

Method 1: Use Tools - Partition Master

To easily and quickly change drive letters, you can download the tool Partition Master. It is a professional and reliable third-party software that offers the necessary features. With this tool, you can alter drive letters on Windows 11/10/8/7 hassle-free.

To do it effortlessly, download the software now and follow the steps below.

Step 1. Run AOMEI Partition Assistant, right-click the target partition, and choose “Change Drive Letter”.

Step 2. In the new window, click the down arrow and select a drive letter for the partition from the drop-down list, then click "OK".

Step 3. Click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button in the upper-left corner, review the changes, and then click "Apply" to change the drive letter of the selected partition.

In addition to changing a drive letter, it also provides more advanced features such as partitioning a hard drive, cloning a disk, migrating the operating system, resetting Windows 10 password, and boot repair. Download it and experience the convenience it offers.

Share this article on your social media to help more people! Translation: Share this article on your social media platforms to assist in reaching a wider audience!

Method 2: Use Disk Management

A built-in utility called Disk Management can also change drive letters. It's a free tool provided by Microsoft that you can use to partition hard drives, expand storage space for drives, and, of course, change a drive letter. It's suitable if you're new to Windows.

Step 1. Press "Windows + R" to open the Run box.

Step 2. Type diskmgmt.msc and press "Enter" to open Disk Management.

Step 3. You will see a list of drives in the window. Select the drive you wish to change the letter for, right-click on it, and then choose "Change Drive Letter and Paths."

Step 4. Click "Change," and another window will appear.

Step 5. Select a letter for the drive from the list and click "OK".

Step 6. Confirm the message and click "Yes".

Method 3: Use PowerShell

You can also use PowerShell to change a drive letter with a few simple steps. This tool only requires two commands. It might seem a bit challenging to do it via commands, but the steps outlined below are detailed, and you should be able to complete the process smoothly.

Step 1. Open PowerShell. Press "Windows + S", and type Windows PowerShell in the search box.

Step 2. Right-click Windows PowerShell, and click on "Run as administrator".

Step 3. Type Get-Disk and press "Enter".

Step 4. Choose the drive, type in the command below, and press "Enter" to assign a drive letter to the drive:

```powershell Get-Partition -DiskNumber 1 | Set-Partition -NewDriveLetter G ```

(Replace "1" with the number of the drive you want to format. Change the letter "G" to your preferred drive letter.)

Method 4: Use Command Prompt

The Command Prompt also has the ability to change drive letters. You can open the diskpart inside the Command Prompt and use it to execute the procedure. It is suitable for someone who likes commands. You are allowed to view partitions with all the details. Learn how to do so through the guide below.

Step 2. Right-click "Command Prompt", and then click on "Run as administrator".

Step 3. Type in diskpart and press "Enter". Then type list volume and press "Enter". A list of simple volumes will appear.

Step 4. Type select volume 3 to choose the one you prefer (the number varies based on your actual situation). Press "Enter" afterwards.

Select the volume you wish to manage, then click on the "Next" button.

Assign a letter to the language

Close the Command Prompt tool and restart your computer. The new letter should now be assigned to the drive.

Method 5: Change Drive Letter in Settings In this method, we will alter the drive letter of your USB drive through the built-in settings in Windows. Follow these steps: 1. **Connect the USB drive**: Plug in your USB flash drive to your computer. 2. **Open File Explorer**: Click on the File Explorer icon in the taskbar or press the keyboard shortcut `Win + E`. 3. **Identify the USB drive**: Locate the USB drive in the left pane under "This PC" or "Computer". Note its current drive letter. 4. **Open Disk Management**: Right-click on the Start button (or press `Win + X`) and select "Disk Management". 5. **Change the drive letter**: In the Disk Management window, find your USB drive. Right-click on the partition with the label "Removable" and choose "Change Drive Letter and Paths". 6. **Assign a new letter**: In the pop-up window, click "Add", then select an available drive letter from the list (e.g., E, F, G). Avoid letters already assigned to other drives. Click "OK" to apply the change. 7. **Eject and reconnect the USB drive**: Safely eject the USB drive by right-clicking on it in File Explorer and selecting "Eject". Once done, reconnect it. 8. **Verify the new drive letter**: Check if the USB drive now appears with the new drive letter in File Explorer. That's it! Your USB drive should now have a new drive letter assigned to it.

If you don't want to download third-party software or use commands to change a drive letter, you can perform this task in settings. The drive letter changing process takes only a few steps. Try this method if you find others too complicated to manage.

Step 1. Click "Start" and open Windows settings.

Step 2. Select "System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Disk & volumes." (Windows 11 accesses the settings this way. The path might be different in Windows 10/8/7.)

Step 3. Select the drive you want to change the letter for and click "Properties".

Change drive letter in "Settings"

Step 4. Click "Change drive letter" and assign a new letter to the drive. Then, hit "OK".

Change the letter in "Settings"

While changing the drive letter, you might encounter some issues. Please refer to the two articles below to see if they address your concerns.

Is It Safe to Change Drive Letter

It is safe to change a drive letter, but there are risks. Modifying a drive letter is generally safe, but it does come with potential issues. Changing the letter assigned to a drive is essentially a method to distinguish different partitions using unique letters. However, if not done properly, it can lead to problems. Here are two main concerns associated with altering drive letters: 1. **Software and System Issues:** Some programs or the operating system itself might have references to the original drive letter hardcoded. Changing the letter could result in these applications failing to find the required files or folders, causing them to malfunction or crash. 2. **Broken Shortcuts and Links:** If there are shortcuts or symbolic links pointing to files on the drive with the changed letter, they may become invalid. This can lead to broken shortcuts, making it difficult to access the intended files. To minimize the risks, ensure you update any relevant software configurations or links before changing a drive letter, and always create a backup of important data beforehand.

Here are the translations for the provided language segments in English: 1.
• Changing the letter of a drive with installed software will cause the software to become non-functional. You may need to reinstall the software if you have performed this action.
2.
• The operating system may not be able to locate your files. If you change the letter, the Windows operating system might become unsure of where your files are stored.

Pro Tip: Do Not Change the OS Drive Letter

It's not recommended to change the drive letter where Windows is installed. Doing so can cause serious issues with your computer.

Here are the translations in American English: 1. If you change the drive letter of the OS, Windows won't boot because the associated encrypted files can't be changed. 2. If you try to change it using Disk Management, you'll see a message that says, "Some programs that depend on the drive letter might not run correctly."

Therefore, if you do need to install Windows on another drive with a different letter, you must first perform a clean install of Windows. However, it is not recommended to do so.

Conclusion

Out of all the methods mentioned in this post, using a third-party tool like Partition Master is undeniably the easiest and safest way to switch drive letters. Before you go ahead with the change, it's super important to be careful with the drives you plan to alter. Making a mistake can really mess things up, maybe even causing you to lose important data and programs.

Frequently Asked Questions about Changing Drive Letter

Here are some frequently discussed questions. Read through them to see if they address your concerns.

1. How many drive letters can Windows have? Windows can typically support up to 26 drive letters, from A to Z, excluding the letters C and D which are commonly assigned to the primary system drive and the optical drive (CD/DVD) respectively. However, not all of these drive letters may be used, as some are reserved for specific purposes or devices.

Windows only has 26 letters that can be assigned to drives installed on a computer. Letters A and B are designated for floppy disk drives.

2. Will changing the drive letter affect programs?

If you have already installed Windows or apps on that drive, changing the drive letter might cause problems with running or finding the drive. It's best not to change the drive letter of a drive that already has Windows or apps installed.

3. Can I remove a drive letter?

You can use Disk Management to remove the drive letter. However, if you do so, you won't be able to see or access the partition on the computer.

4. Can I change a drive letter without losing data?

If it's just the documents that you don't use frequently, changing the drive letter may cause minor hassles rather than severe issues. Hence, you can alter the letter of an external drive without any problems.