Disk management question?

In Disk Management..When you create a New Simple Volume on Unallocated space there is a screen where you must select a drive letter. I'm presuming that when you choose a drive letter here that it will be a fixed drive letter. Is there any way of creating a new simple volume in disk management without having to set up a fixed drive letter. It is a USB flash drive and I just want the drive letter to be dynamically assigned by Windows each time I insert the drive.

Don't enter a drive letter. That way Windows will automatically assign the next available letter each time the flash drive is plugged in. For example, If drives C,D,E are already assigned, then the flash drive will have a temporary assignment of F. If the next time it is plugged in only C and D are assigned, the flash drive will have a temporary assignment of E.

If you wish to be able to easily identify the flash drive when plugged in, you can name the drive. Under This PC, right click the flash drive. Choose rename and type the name you desire. Press Enter. This name will follow the flash drive to any computer you plug it into. The process is exactly the same as renaming a folder or file.

caffeine said:

Don't enter a drive letter. That way Windows will automatically assign the next available letter each time the flash drive is plugged in. For example, If drives C,D,E are already assigned, then the flash drive will have a temporary assignment of F. If the next time it is plugged in only C and D are assigned, the flash drive will have a temporary assignment of E.

If you wish to be able to easily identify the flash drive when plugged in, you can name the drive. Under This PC, right click the flash drive. Choose rename and type the name you desire. Press Enter. This name will follow the flash drive to any computer you plug it into. The process is exactly the same as renaming a folder or file.

Hi Caffeine. I don't see an option here for not entering a drive letter..thats the problem. Drive E is highlighted automatically. The only option seems to be to choose another letter other than Drive E. Theres something underneath about assigning NTFS or something similar which doesn't apply and a greyed out (not selectable) option underneath that is something to do with not having a drive letter. I don't know how to not select a drive letter and have it signed dynamically exactly the way you describe it in your post. I cant see a way of not entering a drive letter unless theres something I'm missing

Oh right... I was misunderstanding how it works then. I thought when it was asking for a drive letter and it was showing Drive E that it was going to make drive E a fixed(permanent) letter for the flash drive. I have C: system drive and D:dvdrw drive so E: is my next available drive letter on my laptop. So when it pre-selects drive E: as it does on my laptop it just means it will be temporary and that it will be dynamically changed by Windows if I leave the default Drive E: selected (because it is my next available drive letter on my laptop). If somebody was to decide that in their case they would prefer a fixed (permanent) drive letter for the drive they would have to change it to something other than drive E: ? Have I understood that correctly?

"If somebody was to decide that in their case they would prefer a fixed (permanent) drive letter for the drive they would have to change it to something other than drive E: ? Have I understood that correctly?"

Correct. I have external usb backup drives that I assign letters like N or P, that the OS would never reach, and they get recognized the same all the time. If you are happy with your answers, mark topic solved so others may find. Cheers.

mrgeek said:

"If somebody was to decide that in their case they would prefer a fixed (permanent) drive letter for the drive they would have to change it to something other than drive E: ? Have I understood that correctly?"

Correct. I have external usb backup drives that I assign letters like N or P, that the OS would never reach, and they get recognized the same all the time. If you are happy with your answers, mark topic solved so others may find. Cheers.

Thanks. I have marked the topic solved as you suggested. Can I ask though how does it help others to find it..can you search somehow?

"Can I ask though how does it help others to find it..can you search somehow?"

Thanks ! If someone does a Search using term, like 'disk management' +/ Solved, they will see which threads include solutions w/o having to read thru all the unresolved ones.

mrgeek said:

"Can I ask though how does it help others to find it..can you search somehow?"

Thanks ! If someone does a Search using term, like 'disk management' +/ Solved, they will see which threads include solutions w/o having to read thru all the unresolved ones.

Thanks for explaining that. That's something I didn't know

I thought you were only wanting to know how to have a drive without permanent assignment. Since you mentioned permanent assignment, there is something you need to know about that. If you assign a drive letter, that assignment works only on the local computer which was used to assign it. On all other computers , the "next available" rule applies.

If you ever desire to be able to clearly identify the device on any computer, consider naming the device. To do so: in This PC right click the device, and choose rename. Type the name you want, and press enter. It is exactly the same as renaming folders/files.
I hope you find this helpful also.