Windows 10: USB flash drive not recognized unless assigned a drive letter; Win 10

My Lexar 256GB flash drive had been assigned the lowest drive letter by Win 10. I experimented by performing a low level format. Now the drive is not assigned a letter when inserted and does not show up in File Manager. If I assign a drive letter using Disk Manager, it shows up. I know this works, but is there a way I can get this back to not needing an assigned drive letter?

:)

 

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.

 

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

maybe your USB drive is trying to assign a drive letter that is already taken.

goto

start > control panel > administrative tools > computer manager > disk manager

find your USB drive and assign is a drive letter

 

USB drive letter assignments

Long-winded background:

I have a USB flash drive that I assigned to drive D: in Disk Management. Occasionally when I'm not thinking, I plug it in when another external drive is connected and already assigned D: by Windows. The flash drive then gets reassigned as E:. I know I
can switch it back to D: in Disk Management, but frankly my original reason for assigning a fixed letter is not such a big deal anymore. Is there a way to "undo" fixed letter assignments? I'd like to just let the drive float again.

TL;DR:

Once you assign a fixed drive letter in Disk Management, is there a way to "undo" and let the drive assignment float again?