How to Change a Drive Letter in Windows 11

To change a drive letter in Windows 11, right-click Start, open Disk Management, right-click the volume, select Change Drive Letter and Paths..., select its letter, click Change..., choose an unused letter, and confirm with OK and Yes. You need administrative permissions to change eligible local data volumes, external drives, and removable media. Network drives and app-managed virtual drives use separate controls.

Choose the correct volume and an unused letter

Identify the volume before changing anything. Compare its current letter, label, size, and filesystem so you do not select a different drive with a similar name. Choose a destination letter that is not already assigned.

Keep the Windows system or boot volume out of this procedure. Microsoft recommends avoiding letter changes on volumes containing Windows or installed applications because existing paths can break. You do not need to format the drive, delete partitions, or uninstall disk drivers for a normal letter change.

Change the letter in Disk Management

Right-click Start and select Disk Management. Find the target volume, right-click it, and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths.... Select its existing letter and click Change....

Select Assign the following drive letter:, then choose an unused letter from the list. Click OK, read the warning, and select Yes to confirm. You can use this method for eligible local data volumes, including external drives and removable media.

For an accessible volume that has no letter, open the same dialog and select Add... instead of Change.... Choose Assign the following drive letter:, select an unused letter, and click OK.

You can also open Disk Management through the Run dialog. Press Windows + R, enter the following command, and select OK.

diskmgmt.msc

Use Disks and volumes in Settings

Open Settings > System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Disks & volumes. Expand the disk when necessary, then select Properties beside the target volume. Under Volume Data, select Change drive letter.

Choose an unused letter and select OK. You need administrative permissions, and the volume must appear on that page. Eligible volumes include supported virtual-disk volumes; if your local data volume is not shown, check Disk Management.

For a direct shortcut, press Windows + R and enter the following command. Select OK to open Disks & volumes, then continue through the target volume’s Properties.

ms-settings:disksandvolumes

Change a partition letter with PowerShell

You can use PowerShell for eligible partition-backed data volumes. Search for Windows PowerShell and select Run as administrator. Start by listing the partitions so you can identify the intended target.

Get-Partition

Match the partition to the drive you intend to change before running the next command. The following example replaces D: with Z:, so substitute your actual current letter and an unused destination letter.

Set-Partition -DriveLetter D -NewDriveLetter Z

Verify the new assignment with the following command, replacing Z with the letter you selected. This cmdlet manages partitions; you cannot use it to remap a network drive or as a general optical-drive management command.

Get-Partition -DriveLetter Z

You can also assign a letter to a partition without one using its disk and partition numbers from the first command. Replace N and P with the numbers for your target partition, and replace Z with your unused destination letter.

Set-Partition -DiskNumber N -PartitionNumber P -NewDriveLetter Z

Give a network drive a different letter

To change a mapped network drive’s letter, disconnect it and map it again with the new letter. Record its existing network share path, such as \\server\share, and close files using that mapping. In File Explorer, right-click the existing mapped drive and select Disconnect.

Press Windows + E, open This PC, and select More > Map network drive. Alternatively, right-click This PC and select Map network drive. In Drive, choose the new letter.

Enter the same network share path in Folder. Select Reconnect at sign-in to restore the mapping after you sign in, then select Finish. You are changing the mapping on your PC, not the remote disk’s own letter, and you can use this procedure for compatible NAS shares.

Change the Google Drive streaming letter

Google Drive for desktop has its own setting for your virtual streaming drive. Open the Drive for desktop Menu, then choose Settings > Preferences > Advanced Settings. Under Google Drive streaming location, click Change. Then, under Drive letter, click the Down arrow.

Choose an available letter and click OK. Use this app setting for Google Drive’s streaming location rather than Windows Disk Management. If an administrator has enforced the setting, you may be unable to change it yourself.

Remount a VeraCrypt volume with another letter

Close files using the mounted VeraCrypt volume before changing its letter. In VeraCrypt, select the mounted volume and choose Unmount. Select an unused destination letter in the main window.

Click Select File, choose the existing container, and select Open followed by Mount. Enter its password and applicable authentication settings, then select OK. For an existing device-hosted volume, use the corresponding device selection instead of selecting a container file.

Fix problems changing the letter

First confirm that you have administrative permissions and that the destination letter is unused. Then check the type of drive you selected: a network mapping, Google Drive streaming location, or VeraCrypt mount needs its respective procedure above. Switching tools does not remove the restrictions on the Windows system or boot volume.

Do not use a Registry Editor recipe that renames values under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices to give your Windows system drive a different letter. Microsoft’s restricted recovery procedure restores accidentally changed system or boot letters to their original assignments on Windows Server; it is not a routine Windows 11 letter-changing method.

If an older tutorial tells you to use WMIC, use PowerShell’s Set-Partition instead. Microsoft has removed WMIC from currently supported Windows 11 versions, and you can no longer install it as a Feature on Demand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does renaming a drive in File Explorer change its letter?

No, selecting Rename in File Explorer changes the volume label rather than its assigned letter. Changing the name alone will not turn D: into another letter.

How can you swap the letters of two drives?

Use a temporary unused letter and make the changes in sequence. For example, change D: to Z:, change E: to D:, then change Z: to E:, provided Z: is initially unused and both volumes are eligible.

Can you access a drive through a folder instead of a letter?

Yes, you can use a folder mount point for an eligible volume. Create an empty folder that meets Microsoft’s filesystem requirements, then open the target volume’s Change Drive Letter and Paths dialog in Disk Management. Select Add, choose Mount in the following empty NTFS folder, and select Browse... to choose the empty folder. Select OK, then OK again.

Can Windows automatically assign preferred letters to USB drives?

You can configure USB Drive Letter Manager to assign preferred USB drive letters automatically on Windows 11. It requires administrative service configuration, and its rules apply when a drive arrives, the service starts, or you sign in. Device-specific matching criteria let you target particular drives.