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Thread ID: 125943 2012-07-28 22:32:00 Vanishing Icons Blue Druid (4480) Press F1
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1291303 2012-07-28 22:32:00 I have created desktop icons for an external HDD and 2x thumb drives as well as 2x DVD drives. The purpose is to provide quick access when I plug in a drive without having to fiddle around going via 'computer.' However, Windows in its wisdom periodically deletes any that relate to a drive that is not currently connected at the time it decides to do its housecleaning. Is there any way to prevent this happening?

Another annoyance is that the drive letter is occasionally changed. I could understand if it were always reassigned to drives in the order thay are connected but once changed, they tend to remain in nonsensical order until the next time which could be weeks or months, depending on the speed with which Windows relearns the alphabet. Is there any way in which a drive letter can be permanently assigned to a particular drive?

W7 Home Premium SP1. I've had it a year now and I'm still fumbling with its different (funny?) ways!

It is a Toshiba laptop so is it possible that one or the other (or both) of these issues relate to Toshiba's proprietary software?

All help or suggestions gratefully received.
Blue Druid (4480)
1291304 2012-07-28 22:42:00 Follow this to make the letter/s stick for the external hdd. (2brightsparks.com)Even tho its for XP. l think it applies to any version of windows

Expand the item Computer Management (Local) on the left (under Console Root, if you are using the MMC console method) - Expand the item Storage then click on the Disk Management item. When the window fills on the right side of the console, locate your USB drive in the listing on the lower right scrollable box. - Right-click on the drives box and select Change Drive Letter and Paths...from the pop-up menu

Here is where you either assign it an unused drive letter or edit the currently assigned drive letter. From the Window that appears, you can choose the drive letter to use. Click OK once you've added/changed the drive letter.
Select File -> Exit from the main menu, and save the settings when prompted (or not, it doesn't matter). That may also fix the vanishing icons for it
Speedy Gonzales (78)
1291305 2012-07-28 23:26:00 Thanks Speedy. Got the drive letters all reallocated. Now only time will tell if they will stick and whether they will go join their predecessors as so many recycled electrons Blue Druid (4480)
1291306 2012-07-29 05:52:00 I have found that drive letters are less likely to be changed if you chose x, y, z. Windows goes for A, B. C, etc. mzee (3324)
1291307 2012-07-29 05:58:00 Thanks mzee. I've used D,E,F,G,H so far but if that fails after the next reboot (and I half suspect it will,) I'll use your suggestion. Blue Druid (4480)
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