Microsoft KB Archive/282530

= How to Prevent Drive Letters from Changing After You Add a Hard Disk or a CD-ROM =

Article ID: 282530

Article Last Modified on 1/29/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
 * Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
 * Microsoft Windows 98 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Windows 95

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This article was previously published under Q282530



SUMMARY
This article describes how to configure your computer so that drive letters are less likely to change after you add a new hard disk or CD-ROM. When you add a new hard disk or CD-ROM to your computer, the drive letters that are assigned to your drives may be changed. For example, if you are using one hard disk with one partition and one CD-ROM, typically, your hard disk is drive C, and your CD-ROM is drive D. However, if you add a new hard disk, your CD-ROM drive letter may change to E. After a drive letter on your computer changes, programs that are configured to locate information on a specific drive may not work properly, and may need to be reinstalled. Because drive letter changes may create problems, it may be useful to configure your computer so that drive letters are less likely to change after you add a new hard disk or CD-ROM. The following topics are included in this article:
 * Computer Has One Hard Disk and a CD-ROM
 * Computer Has Two or More Hard Disks and a CD-ROM
 * Notes



MORE INFORMATION
IMPORTANT: You should read this article completely before you begin so that you do not miss one or more important steps that must be done in a specific order.

To configure your computer so that drive letters are less likely to change after you add a new hard disk or CD-ROM, use the appropriate method:

Computer Has One Hard Disk and a CD-ROM
If your computer has one hard disk and a CD-ROM:  Install one of the versions of Windows that is listed earlier in this article. For information about how to install an operating system, view the documentation that is included with your operating system.

IMPORTANT: After you install your operating system, do not install any other programs. Instead, continue to the next step. Start your computer normally, and then change the CD-ROM drive letter to T:  Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click System. Click the Device Manager tab, and then double-click the CD-ROM branch to expand it. Click your CD-ROM, click Properties, and then click the Settings tab. Click T in the Start drive letter box, and then click T in the End drive letter box. Click OK, click Close, and then click Yes when you are prompted to restart your computer.</li></ol> </li></ol>

IMPORTANT: If you add a new hard disk that is set to use an extended partition instead of a primary partition after you use the preceding steps, your drive letters should not change. It is important to note that only the first hard disk in your computer should be set to use a primary partition, and all other hard disks should be set to use an extended partition. For additional information about how to set a hard disk to use a primary partition or an extended partition, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

255867 How to Use Fdisk and Format to Partition/Repartition a Hard Disk

If you want to add a removable media drive such as a CD-ROM, DVD, or CD-RW drive and prevent drive letters from changing, read the &quot;Notes&quot; section of this article before you install any programs.

Computer Has Two or More Hard Disks and a CD-ROM
If your computer has two or more hard disks and a CD-ROM: <ol> Before you install an operating system or any programs, set your first hard disk to use a primary position, and all other hard disks should be set to use an extended partition. After you create partitions on your hard disks, format them.For additional information about how to partition and format a hard disk, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

255867 How to Use Fdisk and Format to Partition/Repartition a Hard Disk

</li> Install one of the versions of Windows that is listed earlier in this article. For information about how to install an operating system, view the documentation that is included with your operating system.

IMPORTANT: After you install your operating system, do not install any other programs. Instead, continue to the next step.</li> Start your computer normally, and then change the CD-ROM drive letter to T: <ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;"> Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click System.</li> Click the Device Manager tab, and then double-click the CD-ROM branch to expand it.</li> Click your CD-ROM, click Properties, and then click the Settings tab.</li> Click T in the Start drive letter box, and then click T in the End drive letter box.</li> Click OK, click Close, and then click Yes when you are prompted to restart your computer.</li></ol> </li></ol>

IMPORTANT: If you add a new hard disk that is set to use an extended partition instead of a primary partition after you use the preceding steps, your drive letters should not change. It is important to note that only the first hard disk in your computer should be set to use a primary partition, and all other hard disks should be set to use an extended partition. For additional information about how to set a hard disk to use a primary partition or an extended partition, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

255867 How to Use Fdisk and Format to Partition/Repartition a Hard Disk

If you want to add a removable media drive such as a CD-ROM, DVD, or CD-RW drive and prevent drive letters from changing, read the &quot;Notes&quot; section of this article before you install any programs.