Windows 10: Change OS Drive Letter

I've got a two hard drive laptop set up and I'd like the OS to be on my faster 256GB OCZ RD400 SSD but with a letter other than C: I don't care what letter, just not C.

My larger 1 TB drive, is what I'd like to label as C: without the operating system on it. I use DropBox with my colleagues and the CAD references look at the drive letter - so my xref files, data shortcuts, etc.c won't be found if my DropBox folder is on my D drive.

I've tried using Minipartition Toool Wizard and EasyBCD to copy the OS from one drive to another hoping it wouldn't always default to C: but it does. My laptop is set up for UEFI and GPT disks which is new to me and was quite confusing at first. I've tried using DiskPart to no luck - won't let me change the C letter. I even edited a file DOSDevices in REGEDIT - computer wouldn't boot after that...

I have not seen any way in Windows 10 to change the drive letter during set up, etc. It's always C. I even installed the OS on both drives and had a dual boot setup - but it always made the OS drive letter C and I don't want the OS on my 1 TB drive - it is noticeably slower.

Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks. In summary, I'd like the OS with letter D: on my 256GB RD400 SSD and DropBox on my 1 TB HD with the letter C:.

:)

 

change (HHD data storage) drive letter in Windows 10

How to change a (HDD) drive letter in Windows 10?

Hello,

I have just allocated and formatted a 2TB ( 2.5-inch) storage drive in a Dell Expiron 3668 running Windows 10 Pro.

There will be no OS installed - this is strictly a DATA drive. Nothing has been copied to it after the formatting was completed.

I neglected to choose a drive letter, so Win 7 set its default letter to G.

How can I change that (to "E"drive) ?

Thanks in advance

 

Windows 10 Critical Process Died

Hi,

I just noticed that My OS drive letter is changed.

Inside C drive only a folder named Recovery is present.

All my OS files and folders are present in New Drive 'G'.

When i check with DISKPART> list volume command, G drive is marked as OS.

Should i have to directly change the drive letter using DISKPART tool as suggested in this link

How to Assign and Remove Drive Letter with Diskpart?

or

Some has suggested to run bootmgr.exe fix commands

Computer changed HD letter and will not Boot Solved - Page 2 - Windows 7 Help Forums

Additional Information :

////////////////////////////////////////////////

result of bcdedit command -

Windows Boot Manager

---------------------------

device partition=C :

(skipped other results here)

Windows Boot Loader

-------------------------

device partition=G :

osdevice partition=G :

(skipped other results here)

////////////////////////////////////////////////

Please suggest a right way to solve it. I don't want to loose my data or reinstall the OS.

Thanks

Praba

 

In modern times now it's almost impossible to change the Windows OS drive letter to anything other than C: drive, and the complications arising to do so would be many. I would suggest using folder junctions instead. Let's say your CAD program uses C:\CAD_Data.

1. Move C:\CAD_Data to D:\CAD_Data. C:\CAD_Data should no longer exist.
2. Open a Command Prompt (Admin), in the Command Prompt (Admin) window run:
mklink /J C:\CAD_Data D:\CAD_Data
Exit
3. C:\CAD_Data will reappear on C: drive but the actual storage location for the data appearing there will be D:\CAD_Data

If your one drive is auto syncing, set it to auto sync with the D:\CAD_Data folder.

 

hmmm,

Just tried it with a symbolic link and used /d instead of /j and it seems to be working! I was able to open a file which had numerous x-rederenced files - which it looked for on C drive and found them! Very cool!!! Thanks so much for your help - below is what happened when I tried a /J junction....

I got the Mklink set up and it looked good - files were obviously stored on D but showing up on C - similar to a shared folder appearance in Windows Explorer. But AutoCAD wasn't happy - it simply paused and wouldn't open any file that had a x-referenced file. I used rmdir to remove the link and bam, the CAD file proceeded to open. So I appreciate your help as you answered my question... But I think AutoCAD has something going on where it's confused by the mklink... I did a quick search about using AutoCAD with junctions and there ain't much on the internet that I saw... Guess I have a unique problem!

Really appreciate your help! Thanks again... oh well...

 

Looks like this forum thread suggests that using MKLINK /D instead of MKLINK /J will work:
Solved: AutoCAD 2017 - Stuck in loop saving files with X-Refs - Autodesk Community

Code: C:\WINDOWS\system32>mklink /? Creates a symbolic link. MKLINK [[/D] | [/H] | [/J]] Link Target /D Creates a directory symbolic link. Default is a file symbolic link. /H Creates a hard link instead of a symbolic link. /J Creates a Directory Junction. Link Specifies the new symbolic link name. Target Specifies the path (relative or absolute) that the new link refers to. C:\WINDOWS\system32>[/quote]