One portable HDD, two computers- how to coordinate drive names?

[Benny]

I have a large amount of mapping data on a portable USB hard disk. I use the
data with a desktop mapping program that is installed on two separate
computers. Can I get each computer to recognise the portable drive by the
same letter each time I plug it in? That way, I can permanently set the
mapping program preferences to look for data in that particular drive.
At present, the computers just seem to allocate any free drive letter to the
portable drive when it is connected.

 

[Richard Urban]

Sure can. Give it a drive letter at the end of the alphabet. My Seagate
drives are designated as drive X on any computer I attach them to.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

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

 

[Benny]

Richard (and other experts in this group)
At the risk of asking a silly question, how do I actually do this so the
computer recognises the portable drive each time it is attached? If I call
it X on one computer, then plug it via USB into another computer, is there
something in the directory of the portable drive that tells the second
computer- "aha, drive X is knocking at the door"? Or do I need to go through
some (as yet unknown to me) process on each computer?

--
Benny
*******

Sure can. Give it a drive letter at the end of the alphabet. My Seagate
drives are designated as drive X on any computer I attach them to.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

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

 

[Richard Urban]

1. Go to Administrative tools | Disk Management. Right click on the drive
(after it has been initialized, of course). You will see an entry for change
drive letter. Change the drive letter to an unused letter near the end of
the alphabet. Reboot!


--
Regards,

Richard Urban

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

Richard (and other experts in this group)
At the risk of asking a silly question, how do I actually do this so the
computer recognises the portable drive each time it is attached? If I call
it X on one computer, then plug it via USB into another computer, is there
something in the directory of the portable drive that tells the second
computer- "aha, drive X is knocking at the door"? Or do I need to go
through some (as yet unknown to me) process on each computer?

 

[Sharon F]

Richard (and other experts in this group)
At the risk of asking a silly question, how do I actually do this so the
computer recognises the portable drive each time it is attached? If I call
it X on one computer, then plug it via USB into another computer, is there
something in the directory of the portable drive that tells the second
computer- "aha, drive X is knocking at the door"? Or do I need to go through
some (as yet unknown to me) process on each computer?

Benny, Richard has given you the steps for assigning the drive letter. Just
wanted to add: repeat the steps on the second machine. The drive's
designation will be remembered and used by the operating system of the PC
it is attached to - not by a notation made to the USB hard drive.

 

[Hy]

!

1. Go to Administrative tools | Disk Management. Right click on the drive
(after it has been initialized, of course). You will see an entry for
change drive letter. Change the drive letter to an unused letter near the
end of the alphabet. Reboot!


--
Regards,

Richard Urban

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