Windows 10: How do I remove a permanently-assigned drive letter?

I assigned a permanent drive letter K: to a USB drive that I use for backups (the drive letter is hard-coded in the backup script). I bought a new larger-capacity USB drive to replace it. So I need to un-assign K: to the old drive and re-assign to the new drive. I want to be able to continue to use the old drive, but I want Windows to assign it a temporary drive letter whenever I connect it. But in Disk Management, there is no option to convert a permanent drive letter to a floating drive letter. It only gives you the option to assign another permanent letter, or to remove the drive. What's the solution?

:)

 

help. USB drive isn't assigned a drive letter.

Any usb flash drive I plug into my computer isn't assigned a drive letter. The physical drive shows in the "safely remove hardware" but it doesnt show up in disk management. I have tried to populate the volume thru the safely remove hardware properties window and it does pop up in the list but it doesn't stay there. This isn't a format or assign a letter problem. It's more complicated then that. Maybe one of the services needed for usb drive management was disabled? Suggestions needed. btw external usb harddrives work fine.

 

Remove Drive Letter Logistics

I've always used disk management to assign (CHANGE) a permanent drive letter on a couple of my USB external backup drives. That works like a charm for backup jobs that require a set drive letter destination. But I got to wondering exactly what the other
two disk management Options of ADD and REMOVE actually do.

In other words does REMOVE (as I've read elsewhere) take the Drive Letter currently assigned to the Drive and remove it from not only the drive, but also from the list (i.e. the drop down list) in disk management you see when you want to change a letter.
So that letter will no longer be available for assignment to any drive? What good does this accomplish?

Can I add this drive letter back to the list with the ADD Option? If not what does the ADD Option do?

I had previously though that REMOVE simply removed the letter assignment the disk and the letter would still be available in the disk management list. And the drive would just go back to being assigned the first available letter windows had from then on.

Appreciate any confirmations on what exactly the ADD and REMOVE do.

 

Drive letters are not available for assigning to unallocated space

Hello Sjoerd,



Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.



The reason the drive letters are not available to assign are because they might have been assigned to devices which are removed or hidden. I suggest you to check for any hidden devices and remove them to assign the missing drive letters.



Follow the steps mentioned below to check for the hidden or removed devices.

1. Press Windows key + R. This will open
   Run. Alternatively, you can go to Start and search for Run.
   
2. In Run dialog box, type
   devmgmt.msc and hit enter.
   
3. Click on the view tab at the top left hand corner.
   
4. Now select View hidden devices.
   
5. Now look for the hidden devices under storage volumes and
   portable devices.
   
6. Right click on the hidden devices and click on
   uninstall.
   
7. Restart the PC.
   

After restarting the PC, try assigning the drive letter to the unallocated drive and check if the drive letters D, E, F, G, and H appears.



Hope it helps.



Regards,

Prakhar Khare

Microsoft Community – Moderator