External Hard Drive Letter Keeps Changing

[Guest]

I have a USB 2.0 external hard drive attached to my laptop. The problem is
that the drive letter (Drive K in my case) would change on its own every so
often. I know how to use the disk management feature on Win XP to change the
letter back, but I don't like to keep doing this. I have files pointed to
the drive letter location whenever I open certain applications (MS Money for
example) and when the drive letter changes on its own, the application can't
find the file to open.

I do have a USB 4-in-1 media card reader attached to my laptop and each of
the 4 card slots on the reader is assigned its own drive letter by Windows
XP. Sometimes when I turn on my PC, my USB hard drive (K) would swap drive
letters with one of the drive letters from the media card reader slot (Drive
L for example).

I use Win XP SP1. Thanks.

 

[Jerry]

Do not have the external drive plugged in until the system finishes booting
and you won't have Windows seeming to be confused over assigning drive
letters between the media card reader and the USB external drive.

 

[Richard Urban]

It is best to get the USB drive "out of the way" of other drives. Give it a
designation such as "R" (for removable drive). This way, it will not compete
with other devices for a drive letter designation.


--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!