jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I have SyncBackSE set to backup files to an external drive, G. If I have other external devices connected during the day, they will use the letter G and maybe H and I. Sometimes, ejecting the devices doesn't give me the G back, so I can't do a backup without restarting the computer.

I'll go to Disk Management to change the drive letter, and my choices will be A, B, K, L, etc. Is there a simple way to get back a missing letter, rather than restarting the computer?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

If you find out, please post the answer.

The OS assigns the drive designation on device mounting. It used to be the next available character in line from "A", where network drives were assigned the next character in line starting with "Z".

When a drive is dismounted, I think it might reserve the letter used in case that drive is mounted again.
Re-booting wipes all unused drive info?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

One way is to mess around with the Registry, definitely not something I plan to do.

https://www.diskpart.com/articles/drive-letter-not-available-8523.html

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Nope, nope, nope.
I don't screw with the registry unless I absolutely have to.
I had to do that ONCE years ago for something (don't remember what it was though).
I paid ATTENTION TO EVERY KEY STROKE I made!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Definitely! If the problem can be solved with a restart, there's no reason to mess with the Registry.

MrMophoto Loc: Rhode Island "The biggest little"

Aside from being a little annoying what is the problem with restating, it's a simple fix.
My Brother, the family computer guru and Microsoft graduate (he retired from the company at 38) once told me if a computer develops a glitch or freezes just turn it off, pull the plug, etc, then turn it back on. Often times the reboot process will set everything back in order. I have used his advice many times, it has a high success rate.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Just much simpler NOT to reboot. That is all. Especially if one has multiple windows open.

BTW - I had to modify my backup batch file to ask me the drive to use because the external may get a different letter upon mounting. Especially if another drive(s) have been used in the mean time.

MichaelH Loc: NorCal via Lansing, MI

What you want to do to assign a "permanent" drive letter is described in this web page. In short, you use a letter towards the end of the alphabet for drives that you want to always have the same letter. That is what I do for all of the drives I use for backups and drives that show up as empty unless an SD card is inserted. My Dell monitor has a SD card slot and always shows as a drive even if a card is not inserted.

This works because Windows assigns drive letters in alphabetical order and does not release them until a restart.

https://www.howtogeek.com/96298/assign-a-static-drive-letter-to-a-usb-drive-in-windows-7/

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Is this Permanent permanent of only valid for the current boot session, being cleared upon re-boot?

(Much simpler for me to be asked what drive designation to use.)

MichaelH Loc: NorCal via Lansing, MI

It is "permanent" unless Windows needs that drive letter or you have assigned it to multiple drives. So if you make "X" your SD card reader and "Y" your 4Tb external HD you still can still add enough drives to use up the whole alphabet and not be able to mount those as their "permanent" letters. Start towards the end of the alphabet and you should be able to think of them as "permanent".

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

Jerry,
This is not a solution to your drive letter issue, but it may be a workaround. I have 4 powered externals for my backups. Years ago, purchased two powered USB hubs. There are 7 slots on each. I leave all my USB connected devices, including the 4 externals in their slots. My drives letters never change. Of course there is a cost factor for the kdlinks hubs.

Good luck on finding a solution, providing one exists.
Mark

NCMtnMan Loc: N. Fork New River, Ashe Co., NC

You can assign a drive letter to a device and Windows will remember it. Start with something other than your backup drive. Connect the device, go to Administrative tools, Computer management and then Disk management. Right click on the device in the list and select Change drive letter and path. I usually select the first letter available starting with the end of the alphabet (Z:). I start here so that none of these devices will butt heads with any system assigned drive letter in the future. It will warn you that things might not work properly, but ignore that and say okay. Now connect the next device you want to assign and proceed with that change. You will either have to close Computer management or tell the disk management to rescan for drives for it to show up on the list. You can also use this process to permanently assign the G: drive letter to your backup external drive. Once you have done all the reassigning, remove any devices, reboot your system and test to see if the assignments took. I've done this in my IT business for years and never had a problem with it. The only exception is that sometimes if you have two identical devices such as flash drives it will automatically use the assigned drive for both unless you reassign one of them to a different letter. Then if you connect both it will give them the separate assignments. If you connect a device that hasn't been assigned a specific drive letter, the system will give it the next letter that isn't assigned to a device.

Indi Loc: L. I., NY, Palm Beach Cty when it's cold.

Jerry,
Look at the this article:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/disk-management/change-a-drive-letter

Avoid changing a drive letter that has a program or app on it unless you're trying to get back to that drive's original (or last known) assigned letter.

Nanarozzi Loc: Brentwood, TN & East TN

I assign drive letters for all my external hard drives because it makes Lightroom much easier to work with. I am currently trying to get all my pictures organized and make several copies of my pictures as I organize them. As I am doing this, several of my external hard drives are plugged into my monitor and they appear as the same drive as they were assigned every time I turn on my computer and monitor. I put a label on each external hard drive as to what I’ve named the external hard drive and what the drive letter it has been assigned. I guess if it ever appeared incorrectly, I would just go into disk management and reassign it the same letter. I also keep a spreadsheet of what letter I assigned what drive.

Maybe this link will help:
https://www.groovypost.com/howto/assign-permanent-letter-removable-usb-drive-windows/

juan_uy Loc: Uruguay

It doesn't solve the initial issue, but can help with the backup process.
I do know that you can assign a specific letter to an external drive and it will assign that one each time. Sorry, I don't remember now how to do it, but guess Google can help.

For example, I have two external drives that I only connect once in a while to backup. They automatically are assigned always the P: and Q: letters, that I use in my backup routines.