F5F Stay Refreshed Software Operating Systems Yes, it is possible to swap the drive letters of two drives.

Yes, it is possible to swap the drive letters of two drives.

Yes, it is possible to swap the drive letters of two drives.

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JoeDub23
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129
09-30-2023, 10:34 AM
#1
Hey there, I have three storage devices—two SSDs and two HDDs—and I need to update the letters on the second HDDs. Can I perform a direct letter swap or should I reassign one of the letters from the first HDD to an unused one before updating the second drive? All my files, games, and programs are on the first HDD.
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J
JoeDub23
09-30-2023, 10:34 AM #1

Hey there, I have three storage devices—two SSDs and two HDDs—and I need to update the letters on the second HDDs. Can I perform a direct letter swap or should I reassign one of the letters from the first HDD to an unused one before updating the second drive? All my files, games, and programs are on the first HDD.

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W
WreckCD
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10-01-2023, 08:51 PM
#2
You'd need to switch to a random letter (C-Z) and then change the rest. It should be easy and won't expose any information.
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WreckCD
10-01-2023, 08:51 PM #2

You'd need to switch to a random letter (C-Z) and then change the rest. It should be easy and won't expose any information.

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P
PhoIsGood
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10-02-2023, 03:27 AM
#3
I think you should adjust one of them first. Keep in mind that if you have programs or apps, you might need to manually update your shortcuts to match the new setting.
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PhoIsGood
10-02-2023, 03:27 AM #3

I think you should adjust one of them first. Keep in mind that if you have programs or apps, you might need to manually update your shortcuts to match the new setting.

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InoueAlice
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677
10-02-2023, 03:50 AM
#4
Using Disk Management, you can modify the letter of your drives or partitions by right-clicking and selecting "Change Drive letter and path." However, be cautious—if you've installed programs or games on the target drive, you might encounter issues like: inability to uninstall via installers, broken file associations, programs failing to start or crashing, and shortcuts malfunctioning. To resolve this, locate the program configuration files, update all paths from the old letter to the new one, recreate shortcuts manually, edit the registry, and refresh file associations through Windows. If your drive contains only data files or is empty, the process should proceed smoothly. "Recent files" may become unavailable, but you can fix them by opening the files via the Open dialog or double-clicking. Over time, ignoring outdated paths and using newer ones should restore functionality. Moving folders such as Documents to a different drive with a new letter will require repointing the folder.
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I
InoueAlice
10-02-2023, 03:50 AM #4

Using Disk Management, you can modify the letter of your drives or partitions by right-clicking and selecting "Change Drive letter and path." However, be cautious—if you've installed programs or games on the target drive, you might encounter issues like: inability to uninstall via installers, broken file associations, programs failing to start or crashing, and shortcuts malfunctioning. To resolve this, locate the program configuration files, update all paths from the old letter to the new one, recreate shortcuts manually, edit the registry, and refresh file associations through Windows. If your drive contains only data files or is empty, the process should proceed smoothly. "Recent files" may become unavailable, but you can fix them by opening the files via the Open dialog or double-clicking. Over time, ignoring outdated paths and using newer ones should restore functionality. Moving folders such as Documents to a different drive with a new letter will require repointing the folder.

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Krothuki
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10-02-2023, 04:48 PM
#5
That’s a good question. I’m considering cloning the first drive onto the second one. Would that resolve any of the issues you mentioned?
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Krothuki
10-02-2023, 04:48 PM #5

That’s a good question. I’m considering cloning the first drive onto the second one. Would that resolve any of the issues you mentioned?

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DiamondKirby
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10-04-2023, 05:44 AM
#6
Drive letters refers to Windows configuration. The boot partition you start with is always C:\. Therefore, in a dual-boot setup (like Windows 10 and Windows 8), both operating systems will display their own drives labeled C:\ and another D:\.
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D
DiamondKirby
10-04-2023, 05:44 AM #6

Drive letters refers to Windows configuration. The boot partition you start with is always C:\. Therefore, in a dual-boot setup (like Windows 10 and Windows 8), both operating systems will display their own drives labeled C:\ and another D:\.

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