Drive letter changes - XP Home

[stevenrw]

I've just rebuilt my machine. I have a couple of usb flash drives and a couple of caddies that I use periodically.
On my previous setup, each usb device used to select the same drive letter every time. Now they seem to change randomly everytime I plug one in.
Sure, I can change it manually in disc management every time, but is there a way I can change it and FIX it to link that USB device with that drive letter?

[Rik]

I've always found that once I've set the letter through the management console, it sticks, Steven.

[stevenrw]

Yeah, used to be that way for me too. But not anymore. Its really confusing.

[Rik]

Have you 'left a gap' above the fixed drive letters? Are you using different USB sockets each time?

[Ray]

Have you 'left a gap' above the fixed drive letters? Are you using different USB sockets each time?

Good point, Rik, I've found that if you plug USB drives into different USB sockets the drive letters do seem to change. 

[stevenrw]

Always the same port. In fact the caddy is always plugged in, I just switch it on when needed and bingo, different drive letter from the last time I used it!
Grrrrr.

[Rik]

Odd, I'm not sure what else to suggest.

[Simon]

Might be a silly question, but is it selecting random drive letters?  I think it should select the next available letter, and it also depends on how you have partitioned the main drive, as each partition will take a letter. 

I have a mysterious drive 'H' on my computer, which doesn't appear to be connected to anything.  When I try to open it, it tells me to insert a disc, but there's only one disc drive, and that's 'G'. 

[Rik]

Have you got a card reader, Simon?

[Simon]

Oh, of course, it's the printer!  Dohhh!!!   

[Rik]

I only thought of it because I keep trying to select mine.

[Sebby]

I've never seen this before. I'm not sure what else to suggest.

[Rik]

Re-install XP or buy a Mac? 

[Sebby]

The former is cheaper, but the latter more satisfying.

[Rik]

 

[Odos]

I've just rebuilt my machine. I have a couple of usb flash drives and a couple of caddies that I use periodically.
On my previous setup, each usb device used to select the same drive letter every time. Now they seem to change randomly everytime I plug one in.
Sure, I can change it manually in disc management every time, but is there a way I can change it and FIX it to link that USB device with that drive letter?

I've come across this before when fixing someone's machine. In that case it was the HD controllers that the caddys were connected to. And if your using a mixture of PATA and SATA hard drives then it gets more confusing.

The case I dealt with the person was using one Sata controller ( as primary onboard "C" and other partitions ) and one PATA plus one SATA for his caddys. If the caddys were not powered up when starting the machine then no problem. If however the PATA caddy was switched on during startup then it would throw all the drive letters out. If the SATA caddy was powered at start up it would just change the caddy and USB letters.

On his machine I tracked it down to the drive controller order. PATA always had priority over SATA in windows regardless of the bios settings. So the PATA drive would always get the "D" letter if it was on during startup. The SATA caddy was better behaved but because it was on a higher priority controller than the primary drive it would still change things about.

Why it did this I have no idea. All I did was swap the sata controllers over ( and in bios as well of course ). Told him to make sure the PATA drive was never switched on during startup and allocated his usb flash drive the "Z" letter.

Don't know if this helps or gives you any ideas at all 

[stevenrw]

Update:
OK, got it sussed.
I connected ALL the usb storage devices including two flash drives, my Archos (which is seen as a storage device also)and switched on the caddys, so everything I needed a drive letter allocated to had one set automatically in whatever order XP decided it wanted.
Then I manually reset all those drive letters to one that I wanted.
That seems to have done the trick. What was throwing it was only switching one on at a time and that seemed to screw up the letter selection especially if a flash drive was connected.
So far so good it now seems to maintain the letters as you'd expect.
As always thanks to all who took the time to respond.
I'm still mulling over Rik's MAC(book) suggestion however........

[Sebby]

Glad you got it sorted. Still get a Mac, though.

[Ray]

Pleased you've managed to sort it out.