How to Change a Drive Letter in Windows XP

Typically, when you insert an external storage device, such as an external hard drive, iPod or flash memory stick into your computer, Windows XP assigns the next available drive letter to the device automatically. You may want to reassign a different drive letter to a device. For example, for shortcuts to information on an external device, you want to ensure that the device reads the correct drive letter so that the shortcuts work.

Step1

Access the Windows XP Control Panel. Open "Administrative Tools," and then double-click on "Computer Management." Double-click to open "Disk Management." You can use whatever method makes you feel comfortable--such as double-clicking or using keyboard commands. When you select Disk Management, Windows XP may take a moment to connect to the Disk Management Tool. The devices appear in the right pane.

Step2

Right-click the device for which you want to change the drive letter. Click "Change Drive Letter and Paths," and then click "Change." Click the radio button next to "Assign the Following Drive Letter" to select it.

Step3

Select the drive letter that you want to assign from the drop-down list. Only available drive letters appear. Click "OK." A warning appears indicating that changing the drive letter might cause program problems.

Step4

Click "Yes" if you are certain that changing the drive letter will not cause any problems. If you do not receive any additional error messages, you have successfully changed the drive letter of your external device.