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We have a backup system that involves copying backups onto a USB drive. When the USB drive gets full we store it off-site and swap it for a new one. At the moment every time we have a new USB drive I have to remember to go into computer management > disk management and manually change the drive letter. This can sometimes be forgotten and then the backups won't work.

Is there a way to tell Windows that 'every time I plug ANY USB device into this port give it the driver letter X?'.

This is on a Windows XP system.

user1578653
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    Possible duplicate of [Any way to ensure that a USB key always has the same drive letter?](http://superuser.com/questions/16197/any-way-to-ensure-that-a-usb-key-always-has-the-same-drive-letter) – DavidPostill Oct 26 '15 at 09:28
  • @DavidPostill I don't think so, because that question (and all others I've found by searching) are looking for ways to ensure that a specific USB drive has the same letter each time it is connected - my question is asking to assign a default letter to *any* USB drive connected. – user1578653 Oct 26 '15 at 09:31
  • I don't think there is a general solution for this problem. Assuming there **was** a solution think about this scenario. You plug in a USB and it is set to X:. Now you plug in anoter USB and it is set to X: What do you think Windows will do if you have **two** drive X:s? – DavidPostill Oct 26 '15 at 09:34
  • As the duplicate link points out the assignment of drive letters by Windows is based on the USB device's serial number **not** what USB port it is plugged into. – DavidPostill Oct 26 '15 at 09:37
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    If you were *really* desperate you could make sure every other drive letter is used so there is only one letter available when you plug in the USB drive. – qasdfdsaq Oct 26 '15 at 12:43
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    You may want to look at backup software that allows directing backups to a device with a specific *volume label* rather than a specific *drive*. You'd set labels on all your USB drives to be the same and once you plug any of them, the program will recognize and use it. This is commonly referred to as **device tracking**, just give it a google. – Angstrom Oct 29 '15 at 08:35
  • @Angstrom thanks for the suggestion. That sounds like the best way of doing it - I'll look into it! – user1578653 Oct 29 '15 at 13:28

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No there isn't, Windows will do it with an individual USB device, but not all USB devices.

Kilisi
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  • This is correct. Unfortunately, when Windows detects a new drive, it assigns a hardware ID for it, then ask the Explorer process to assign a drive letter. If the hardware ID has been seen before, it attempts to assign the drive letter last assigned to the device (if possible, based on registry settings). If the ID is new, then the next available drive letter is assigned. You can manually assign a new drive letter by right-clicking My Computer > Manage, then Disk Management, then right-click device and change letter. In your situation, just assign it manually after backing up. – AlainD Oct 30 '15 at 16:29