Windows 10: External Hard Drive mixing up ports E and D

My question is similar to this one:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/external-hard-drive-mixing-up-usb-ports-e-and-f/8e1b56fa-f59f-4db6-a75f-fb0ab19e7d0b

But my laptop has 1 SSD with the extension C: no problem there, and one HDD currently E:, but it was originally D:

I suspect that this changed when I plugged in an external hard drive to transfer some files. So everything that was installed on my HDD when it was D: doesn't work properly anymore but since it changed to E: I've installed some new stuff.

The problem is, if I change the drive back to D: the newer softwares are going to not work. But right now the older stuff doesn't work. Does anyone know why this is happening? Also, if I change it back to D: then connect the external hard drive will it change to E: again? I've also tried to uninstall the apps that were installed onto D: but it doesn't let me because "Invalid Drive D:/".

:)

 

External hard drive connected by USB port

I have this external hard drive that has been designated as F and also a removable flash drive as E. Both use USB ports and have been working. Now the computer sees neither after rebooting twice. Tried to switch the ports and drives also. Any suggestions?

 

Computer freezes and Explorer doen't respond when I plug an external Hard drive

Hello jobkakule,

The issue is possibly caused by corrupted data or bad sectors on your external hard drive or could be a sign of a failing hard drive.

To better assist you with your concern, I'd like to know the following:

• Confirm which build is currently installed on your device. To check, follow the steps below:

1. Press Windows key + R, then type in winver.
2. Click OK.

• Have you tried plugging your external hard drive to a different USB port? Also, check if you can access the drive by plugging it to a different computer.
• What is the make and model of your computer?

Meanwhile, I'd suggest to repair the bad sectors on your external hard drive. Kindly refer to the steps below:

(Let's just assume that the drive letter for your external hard drive is E. If not, please do change it to the correct drive letter)

1. Plug in your external hard drive. Click on Start, search for
Command Prompt, right-click on it and select Run as administrator.

2. Type in the following command below and press Enter after each command:

Chkdsk /f E:

Chkdsk /r E:

3. Reboot your computer after the scan is completed.

Looking forward to your response.

Regards.

 

External Hard Drive

Hi John,

We suggest that you try the troubleshooting steps below:

• Open your External Hard Drive file in File Explorer.
• Type the name of the file you want to search on the search box and click Enter.

The file will show up in Search Results and you will be able to move it to the correct folder.

Let us know if you need further help.