WIndows 10 Why did my optical drive letter get changed from D: to E:?

[JohnJSal]

I recently installed a new SSD and removed the previous HDD. The SSD became the new C: drive, which I wanted, and the optical drive was D:, but I now notice after plugging back in an external hard drive, the external drive is D: and the optical drive is E:.

Why did this happen? The optical drive was never unplugged, so I would think it would never stop being D:. Does it have to do with how they are loaded on startup? Will it keep changing back and forth, or is it set now?

If I reconnect the HDD, what will happen with the letters then? I definitely want to make sure my SSD remains C:.

Thanks!

 

[beers]

 

[johnb35]

Because usually windows will put hdd drive letters before optical drive letters. Your boot drive will always be labeled C and won't change. But if you boot to another drive that has windows on it then that drive will be C and the SSD will be D.

As beers posted, you can always change letters of nonboot drives if you wish.

 

[JohnJSal]

Because usually windows will put hdd drive letters before optical drive letters. Your boot drive will always be labeled C and won't change. But if you boot to another drive that has windows on it then that drive will be C and the SSD will be D.

As beers posted, you can always change letters of nonboot drives if you wish.

Thanks very much!

I guess it confused me because I've always had that external drive plugged in, and it's always been E. The optical drive was always D, so I didn't understand why it changed now.

 

[beers]

The optical drive was always D, so I didn't understand why it changed now.

Unless you manually define them they're dynamic and allocate optical and other media drives like card readers after hdd lettering, at least has been my observation.

Why did this happen? The optical drive was never unplugged, so I would think it would never stop being D:

Don't forget your new Windows installation has no idea as to any settings in the previous environment, outside of the ones you may have synced with your MS account or onedrive.

 

[JohnJSal]

Thanks. I had the external hard drive plugged in previously but it didn't get labeled before the optical, but I guess that's just something that happened with the new install.

I won't worry about it too much though. I don't even know when I last used my DVD drive!