- Search the community and support articles
- Search Community member
Ask a new question
- Article Author

Manually assigning a drive letter using CMD/Diskpart
[Localization from this article: Manuelles Zuweisen eines Laufwerksbuchstaben mit CMD bzw. Diskpart - Microsoft Community ]
Technical Difficulty: Expert
Applies to: Windows 10 & 11
In some cases, Windows will not assign a drive letter automatically to an inserted drive. For example, this can happen when using a Windows installation media.
In that case, you can use diskpart to manually assign a drive letter.
NOTE: If your drive doesn't get assigned a drive letter, even though you are in a normal Windows environment, this can indicate a problem with the drive. Please back up your files in that case.
Open up a command prompt (CMD/PowerShell).
Type "diskpart" to start up diskpart. You will see the prompt change to "DISKPART>".
Type "list vol" to list all available volumes. You can identify the drive by size and file system.
Additionally, the volume doesn't currently have a drive letter.
Select the volume using "sel vol <number>".
Assign the drive letter using "assign letter=<letter>".
You can now exit diskpart by typing "exit" and switch to the drive using "<letter>:".
It should also be available from Windows Explorer now.
40 people found this helpful
- Subscribe to RSS feed
Was this article helpful? Yes No
Sorry this didn't help.
Great! Thanks for your feedback.
How satisfied are you with this article?
Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.
Thanks for your feedback.
Comments (17)
* Please try a lower page number.
* Please enter only numbers.
Thanks for the tutorial, I don't think I need to use Google for it anymore!
Congrats on Article Author too! :)
Report abuse
6 people found this comment helpful
Was this comment helpful? Yes No
How satisfied are you with this comment?
Thanks for the tutorial, I don't think I need to use Google for it anymore! Congrats on Article Author too! :)
4 people found this comment helpful
Thanks! Happy I could help! :)
1 person found this comment helpful
Very helpful Thanks.
3 people found this comment helpful
Thank for this informative article.
I ran this in PowerShell PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> GWMI -namespace root\cimv2 -class win32_volume | FL -property DriveLetter, DeviceID
The results are below. I need to know more about the DriveLetter, that does not have a letter and I cannot give it a letter, as you can see in DiskPart.
I'm sure someone personally hacking my computer. I'm wondering if this them hiding on it, and that is why I someone is typing over me and has more control at times of my computer then I do. Maybe a hidden AD Hoc.
I have searched for this on Google I'm either getting blocked or there is no information out there on this.
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> GWMI -namespace root\cimv2 -class win32_volume | FL -property DriveLetter, DeviceID
DriveLetter : B:
DeviceID : \\?\Volume{26xxxxxx--xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxxxx}\
DriveLetter : C:
DriveLetter :
DeviceID : \\?\Volume{d5xxxxxx--xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxxxx}\
DriveLetter : D:
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> DiskPart
Microsoft DiskPart version 10.0.19041.1
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.
On computer: My Computer
DISKPART> List Volume
Volume ### Ltr Label Fs Type Size Status Info
---------- --- --- -------- ----- ---------- ------- --------- --------
Volume 0 D RAW DVD-ROM 2048 B Healthy
Volume 1 B System Rese NTFS Partition 100 MB Healthy System
Volume 2 C NTFS Partition 698 GB Healthy Boot
2 people found this comment helpful
I followed the instructions to CHANGE the letters assigned for three external hard drives. (The computer had named them E, F, G but gave the names to the wrong external hard drive) I changed the letters to the correct names singly (I disconnected the two not being adjusted) Now, I have 2 E, 2 F, 2 G names in the list (when accessed through File Explorer. When I click on "This PC", it shows just the one of each. If I click on either, or both of the same letter name, the same exact files will open. This is annoying. Anyone have a clue what can be done? This is on a brand new computer running Windows 11.
Sorry about the late reply.
That sounds weird... Usually, windows doesn't allow you to assign a drive letter twice.
If you want to change the letters, you usually have to remove them first and then reassign them.
Can you send me a screenshot of disk management, and of the list of volumes?
the partition that is not shown in diskpart is most likely some sort of recovery or reserved partition.
This is not the typical way of hiding an infection with malware...
Also, do note that your ESP (Volume B) should not be mounted, since modifying it can corrupt your Bootloader.
As for the suspected hacking, what symptoms did you observe? Mouse moving on its own, high resource usage, unexpected firewall prompts? Other things?
If you have a compromised system, its almost impossible to clean it from infections without doing a clean install of windows. I would suggest you do that if you suspect an infection. It will take time though and will delete everything on your PC. (Including files, programs, settings.) Create a backup before you reinstall.
There are no viruses nor malware on this computer. I believe it is a reflection of the original name choice. The information contained on each external hard drive is identical, yet when I go into MY PC, it only shows one set of externals. I am afraid to delete one of the duplicates because it might be just mirrored and it will make everything go away. I have way too many things on these external hard drives to lose any of them.
Thanks for your input. Jan
Forum Article Info
- Devices and drivers
- Norsk Bokmål
- Ελληνικά
- Русский
- עברית
- العربية
- ไทย
- 한국어
- 中文(简体)
- 中文(繁體)
- 日本語

- Free Partition Software
How to: Change Volume Label using CMD in Windows 10, 8, 7
Here comes the detailed steps about how to change volume label using CMD in Windows 10, 8 or 7, which helps you to rename a drive effortlessly.

About volume label
Volume label (volume name), is a name assigned to a drive. Usually, you can give a name to a partition to show what saved on it, thus you can find out the files and folders that you need quickly and effectively. You can set or change the volume label for a drive when, after it is created.
For example, you have two USB drives connected to your PC, one is for you to solve back up files, and the other is for you to contain music files. You can set the volume label for the drive that holds backup files as “backup” and the other as “music”.
Change volume label using CMD step by step
If you don’t have set an appropriate volume label for a drive at the very start, you can rename it from Windows Explorer, Disk Management, or CMD. here shows you how to change the volume label for a drive using CMD in Windows 10/8/7 at length.
Firstly, press Windows + R at the same time, input cmd, and hit Enter to run Command Prompt as administrator.
Then, in CMD interface, type “ label f: music ” and press Enter key on the keyboard.

Notes: ☞ “f” is the drive letter of the drive that you want to rename; it’s available to replace music with the name that you want to give to the drive. ☞ If you want to find a volume label rather than set a new volume label for a drive, you can run “vol x:” to list the volume label for x: drive.
Change volume label using third-party partition manager
Or you can use a third-party partition software , AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard, to change the name of a drive in Windows 10/8.1/8/7, XP, and Vista. It’s with concise interface and very easy to handle. Apart from renaming a drive, it can also change the drive letter for a drive, convert NTFS partition into FAT32 without formatting and etc. You can click the following button to free download it.
Now, install, run it on your PC and take a look at how it changes the volume label for a drive.
Step 1. In the home interface, right-click the drive that you want to rename and select Advanced > Change Label .

Step 2. In the pop-up window, input the new label that you want to assigned to the drive and click OK.

Step 3. You’ll return to the home interface, click Apply and Proceed to commit the operation. If you are unsatisfied with the result, you can click Discard to cancel the operation.

Note: If the drive is formatted with FAT/FAT partition, the label can be set up 11 characters; If the drive is formatted with NTFS, the label is up to 32 characters.
Free Partition Manager

- Resize and Move Partition
- System/Disk Clone
- Convert MBR/GPT Disk
- Check & Fix Disk Errors

Download.com Rating

Still Need Help?
Have your problem been solved? If not, please input query in the search box below.
How to change drive volume label on Windows 10
Windows 10 lets you rename drives to anything you want, and here's how to complete the task on four different ways.
On Windows 10, each drive includes a friendly label name alongside a drive letter to help you quickly determine the device. However, the default names assigned automatically are not descriptive enough to make them useful.
If you want to make each drive more identifiable, Windows 10 allows you to change the drive label to make it more descriptive and easier to find in File Explorer (other than “Local Disk” and “New Volume”). You can use up to 32 or 11 characters for drives using NTFS or FAT file systems.
In this guide , you’ll learn four different ways to change the label name of the hard drive on Windows 10.
Change drive label from File Explorer
Change drive label from properties, change drive label from powershell, change drive label from command prompt.
To change the drive label on Windows 10, use these steps:
Open File Explorer on Windows 10.
Click on This PC from the left pane.
Under the “Devices and drives” section, right-click the drive and select the Rename option.

Specify a new label for the drive and press Enter .

- Click the Continue button (if applicable).
Once you complete the steps, the new label will be reflected on the hard drive.
To rename the drive volume from the Properties setting on Windows 10, use these steps:
Open File Explorer .
Under the “Devices and drives” section, right-click the drive and select the Properties option.

Click the General tab.
Specify a new label for the drive.

Click the Apply button.
Click the OK button.
After you complete the steps, Windows 10 will apply the new name on the drive.
To set a new drive volume name with PowerShell commands, use these steps:
Open Start .
Search for PowerShell , right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to list all the volumes and press Enter :
Type the following command to change the drive label and press Enter :
In the command, change “DRIVE-LETTER” and “NEW-LABEL” for the drive letter and label you want to use (see step 3 ). For example, this command renames the drive “C” to “Windows:”

Once you complete the steps, the new label will be reflected on the drive volume.
To change the name of a drive with Command Prompt on Windows 10, use these steps:
Search for Command Prompt , right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to launch DiskPart and press Enter :

Type the following command to close DiskPart and press Enter
In the command, change “DRIVE-LETTER” and “NEW-LABEL” for the drive letter and label you want to use (see step 4 ). For example, this command renames the drive “C” to “Windows:”

After you complete the steps, the drive will be renamed. Use the PowerShell steps if you’re having trouble using this command because the drive appears locked.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows expert and the Editor-in-Chief who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He's also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 12 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows, software, and related technologies, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ & Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter) , YouTube , and LinkedIn .
- Windows 11 build 23506 outs in Dev Channel
- How to enable EPUB reader on Microsoft Edge
We hate spam as much as you! Unsubscribe any time Powered by follow.it ( Privacy ), our Privacy .
- Backup & Recovery
- Hard Disk Manager
- HFS+ for Windows
- ExtFS for Windows
- Disk Wiper Professional
- Drive Copy Professional
- Migrate OS to SSD
- Paragon Alignment Tool Professional
- NTFS for Mac
- Hard Disk Manager for Mac
- ExtFS for Mac

Assign, change or remove Drive Letter with Diskpart
Diskpart is very powerful Windows Utility, which allows certain number of operation with hard disk. In this article we will show you how to assign, change or remove drive letter with Diskpart using.

You bought hard drive for Backup, but it has automaticaly gained letter D . You want to change it to E . First we need to open Command Prompt with Administrator Rights.
Type cmd into the search box, and then right-click and choose Run as administrator. If you have Windows 10 use the CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER keyboard shortcut on Screen 1 , or click on Start with right click and choose Command Prompt (Admin) on Screen 2 .

When Command Prompt pops up, run the diskpart command.

Now we type list volume to list our volumes, we need to know the number of our volume.

In our case our hard drive is Volume 3 and that number is 3 .
Now we use command select volume 3 to make changes to that volume. If your volume number is different, you need to replace number 3 with the number from your volume. After we have selected our volume we use command assign letter E , to assing letter E to our volume.

Now you know how to change or assign another letter to your volume, also if you need you can remove volume letter with command remove letter E

For security reasons you cannot change or remove your current system disk letter (esp C ), it will not work.
To exit diskpart type in exit .

Enter your email and receive updates about special offers and exclusive content!
Connect with us for giveaways, exclusive promotions and last news!

- Test Automation
- Performance Testing
- Cyber Security Testing
- ETL Testing
- Multilingual NLP Assurance
- Mobile App and Web Testing
- IV&V and Regulatory Assurance
- PoS Testing
- Accessibility Testing
- Service Virtualization
- Digital Assurance
- Cloud Migration Testing
- IoT Assurance
- Drone Assurance
- Storm Readiness Testing
- Real-Time Systems
- Test Environment Management
- Testing of AI
- Other ERP Packages
- Google Cloud
- AI Data Services
- Mobile and Web Dev
- DevOps Transformation
- Serverless Cloud Native Development
- Cloud Transformation and Migration Strategy
- API Integration Services
- Business AI
- Modeling Optimization
- Data Governance Services
- Learning Platform Development
- Video Encoding, Streaming and Player Development
- Instructional Design
- Content Remediation Services
- Medical Devices
- Retail & Consumer Goods
- Banking & Financial Services
- Media & Entertainment
- Managed Testing Services
- Managed Crowd Testing
- Project-Based Testing
- Strategic Consultancy
- Global Delivery
- Risk-Based Testing
- Test.Predictor
- Test.Consolidator
- Keysight Technologies
- White Papers
- Case Studies
- Podcast: The Testing Show
- Technical Hub
- Categories & Tags
- Leadership Team
- Diversity & Inclusion
How to assign a drive a letter using Diskpart
Industries top insights, delivered to your inbox.
Introduction:
Windows volume drive letters can be altered from the command line using Diskpart.
Requirements:
Access to the Windows command line.
From your taskbar, start a search for
Enter the command:
Example output:
but replace “2” with the desired volume number. Enter the command:
but replace the “q” with any desired letter that is not already being used by another volume.
More Information:
within diskpart for more information.

Other Technical Hub
Introduction: CSV files, or comma-separated-files, are used for storing data. They are a very commonly used text file format. Requirements:…
Introduction: Most SQL tables are non-temporary. Temporary tables can be used as well for convenience, or special purposes. Requirements: An…
Introduction: Relational Databases using SQL (Structured Query Language) may have a need for certain operations to be performed, or triggered,…
Want to talk with a test automation expert?
Free to Change Volume Label of Internal Hard Drive USB External
- 6 ways to change volume label on hdd, usb drive or external hard drive
- Change volume label diskpart command prompt
- Change volume label powershell
- Change volume label without format with free tool
What Is Volume Label?
A volume label, also called volume name, refers to the name of a digital device like hard disk partition, external hard drive, USB flash drive or other storage media. You can easily know what kind of data the device contains by assign a unique volume label to the device. On Window computer, the internal hard disk partition often shows as Local Disk C, Local Disk D, Local Disk E, etc without a volume label. Sometimes, people consider the "Local Disk" as its volume label. A removable disk was usually labeled with its brand or model.
You can see the volume label of any disk by opening My Computer .
As the image showing below, the words in the red circle is volume label


6 Ways to Change Volume Label of Internal / USB Memroy Stick / External HDD?
Video: how to change drive label on Windows 11/10/8/7 (6 free ways without software)
Whether you want to change volume label of internal hard disk partition or USB drive, external hard drive, you can use any of methods below:
Method1: Change volume by opening Properties
Step1 . Right click the partition that you want to reassigned a volume label and click Properties option

Step2 . Enter the volume label you want to give to the selected drive and then click OK button

Method2: Rename the drive in My Computer
Right click the drive you want to rename and then click Rename option and then enter a new name to the selected drive

Method3: Format the partition to change its volume label
When you format any disk on your computer, you can change its drive label Step1 . Right click the device and click Format option

Step2 . Enter a new label for the device and click Start to format

Notice: Format will erase the selected device, so move all data to another device in advance!
Method4: Change name of disk by Notepad
This method is easy and does not touch any data, you just need to follow the guide below: Step1 . Click Start > Programs > Accessories > Notepad to launch Notepad

The methods to run Notepad may be different on different Windows.
Step2 . Rename the Notepad as autorun.inf and open it. Then, enter following contents without quotes to the Notepad:
"[autorun] label= New Volume Label"
(New Volume Label refers to the label you want to assign to the disk)

Step3 . Save the Notepad to the disk that you want to change volume label.
If it is a removable disk like USB stick, external HDD or memory stick, you can remove it from your computer and then reinsert it to see its volume label after changing.
Method 5: Change Label of Partition with Command Prompt
Video: how to change drive label with command
To change the label of a partition using Command Prompt in Windows, follow these steps:
- Open Command Prompt by pressing Windows key + X and selecting "Command Prompt" from the menu. Alternatively, you can press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box, type "cmd" and press Enter.

- Type "list volume" and press Enter. This will display a list of all the volumes on your computer.
- Identify the volume whose label you want to change and note its volume number.
- Type "select volume X" (where "X" is the volume number) and press Enter.
- Type " label Y " (where "Y" is the new label you want to give to the partition) and press Enter. For example: if you want to lable x drive cool usb, you may type ' lable cool usb ' and press enter.
- Type "exit" to exit the DiskPart tool.
Or you may directly use command line: " label H: cool usb " if you want to get H drive a lable 'cool usb', and press enter key to get the change.
Here is an example of rename c drive windows using command lines:

#6 Change volume label with powershell
To change the volume label of a drive using PowerShell, you can use the Set-Volume cmdlet. Here's an example:
Set-Volume -DriveLetter C -NewFileSystemLabel "NewLabel"
In this example, the -DriveLetter parameter specifies the drive letter of the volume you want to change the label for, and the -NewFileSystemLabel parameter specifies the new label you want to set for the volume.
You can replace "C" with the drive letter of the volume you want to change the label for, and replace "NewLabel" with the new label you want to set.
Note that you need to run PowerShell as an administrator to change the volume label.

Freeware to Rename Volume Label without format
In addition to all methods above, you can use a free tool IM-Magic Partition Resizer to rename volume label. This software enables you to change drive label with 3 steps:
For Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP/2000 ==> Download IM-Magic Partition Resizer Free
For Windows Server All versions ==> Download IM-Magic Partition Resizer Server
Step1 . Right click the partition and select and select "Change Label".

Step2 . Enter a new label and click "OK" button

Step3 . Click APPLY CHANGES in the software to get the above operations applied.
- Partition Resizer Free
- Partition Resizer Pro
- Partition Resizer Server
- Partition Resizer Unlimited
- Partition Resizer Technician
- How to resize server 2012 system partition
- How to shrink a partition
- Read More Tips...
More Related Articles You May Like
- windows cannot reformat ntfs drive to fat32 - free to convert hard drive partition from ntfs to fat32 when windows cannot format it to fat32...
- server 2008 partition tool - how to change ntfs to fat32 file system on windows xp for free...
- partition magic software convert ntfs to fat32 - free download partition magic for converting ntfs to fat32 partition...
- convert ntfs to fat32 windows 10 - free to convert a partition from ntfs to fat32 without reformatting or touching any file...
- can you convert ntfs to fat32 file system - how do you convert ntfs partition to fat32 file system on windows computer...
At the edge of tweaking
Advertisement
Change the drive letter in the command prompt
- Open an elevated command prompt .
- Type diskpart .

You are done.
Change the drive letter in PowerShell
- Open an elevated PowerShell instance .

For example, the command can look as follows:

Winaero greatly relies on your support. You can help the site keep bringing you interesting and useful content and software by using these options:
If you like this article, please share it using the buttons below. It won't take a lot from you, but it will help us grow. Thanks for your support!
Author: Sergey Tkachenko
Sergey Tkachenko is a software developer who started Winaero back in 2011. On this blog, Sergey is writing about everything connected to Microsoft, Windows and popular software. Follow him on Telegram , Twitter , and YouTube . View all posts by Sergey Tkachenko
One thought on “How to Change Drive Letter in Windows 10”
Really thank you this steps very helpful
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Privacy Overview
Stack Exchange Network
Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.
Super User is a question and answer site for computer enthusiasts and power users. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Q&A for work
Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.
Diskpart assign letter to partition that is not associated with a volume (windows 10)
I used to have 3 volumes on my disk before something happened to the MBR that messed up my boot.
Now i'm trying to rebuild the boot environment to save all my data but it seems it is all lost. I can see the data through the command promt (from windows 10 DVD)
I am trying to do bcdboot c:\Windows /m {guid} but it is not working
I have also run:
I can find a lot of information on how you assign a drive-letter to a volume, but not how to assign a drive letter to a partition or make a partition associated with a volume.
When selecting the partition through diskpart i 'detail' part tells me: "There is no volume associated with this partition." so i am thinking there must be a way to asscociate it with a volume. but how?
How do i proceed to recover the boot?
- partitioning

- 1 >UDF DVD-ROM 3894 MB healthy <- (this is where my 128MB boot part used to be) ? But this seems to be a DVD-ROM ? – Leo Chapiro Sep 25, 2015 at 13:24
- Yes, but vol 0 used to be the boot part, the dvd was probably vol 3 – fjoesne Sep 25, 2015 at 13:26
- I cannot rebuildbcd or run bcdboot so that windows 10 is functional again. The problem (i think) is that i cannot run bcdboot nor rebuildbcd because the part where the boot is supposed to be installed has no volume. – fjoesne Sep 25, 2015 at 13:29
- By deleting the first (boot) partition and recreating it I was able to create a volume and I was eventually able to make a new BCD manually with bcdedit and bootsect. However, it seems to make no difference what I do to the BCD on the partition because windows boots no matter what now. However the boot is only possible by choosing the UEFI-element as listed in the BIOS, this was not visible before I deleted and recreated the boot-partition. I am still not able to run bootrec /rebuildbcd and get the same error as before. I think the problem now is that the partion and volume type is wrong.(?) – fjoesne Sep 26, 2015 at 23:08
3 Answers 3
I ran into the same issue after using gparted and ntfsclone . diskpart> list partition shows all my partitions, but they don't listed in diskpart> list volume and not associated with an letter.
Find out which partition X you need to associate with an letter:
If your disk has GPT table, set partition type GUID as Microsoft basic data partition (corresponding gdisk partition type is 0700 ):
If your disk in MBR ( 07 = Windows NT NTFS; 17 = Hidden; 27 = OEM Recovery):
Now you can try diskpart> list partition again. bcdboot c:\Windows worked for me just fine.
- 2 This should be the accepted answer. I had the same problem as the original poster and followed these instructions. My EFI partition had also become hidden and this fixed it. I could then follow these instructions to Rebuild the Window BCD bootloader configuration – FlexMcMurphy Oct 31, 2021 at 21:25
- 1 thanks, you saved my hours! – Özgür Apr 5, 2022 at 23:49
- Following this through to set id=EBD0A0A2-B9E5-4433-87C0-68B6B72699C7 worked for me, and immediately mounted the drive in Windows. Can't figure out why this worked or was was needed... – sblair Oct 30, 2022 at 16:26
Goodness sake, be careful!
It sounds like not "all is lost", but it also sounds like you only vaguely know what you're doing, and are proceeding. That is a recipe for "all is lost".
To elaborate, it sounds like you're able to access the vast majority of your data, but you're having troubles booting, which is a much simpler fix overall. But if you're not careful, you could easily lose the vast majority of your data.
First, it will help to make sure you know some basic terminology. The MBR is the first sector on a disk. The "MBR"-style of laying out partitions can handle drives up to 2 TB, and it looks like you're dealing with a drive smaller than that, so you might indeed be using an MBR and not the newer GPT format.
The two main jobs of an MBR are to have some initial boot code (instructions that the computer follows), and having 64 bytes of information to store details for up to 4 partitions (each partition table entry is 16 bytes).
Those 64 bytes of information can be pretty important. If you get some of these details wrong, operating systems may not properly understand some details about your partitions. And since operating systems typically write to disks, such misunderstandings can result in writing incorrect details that damage your ability to access data. So, being careful here is pretty critical.
A "partition" is basically a set of boundaries. You specify the starting sector, and either the ending sector or the size. Either way, you get a starting boundary and an ending boundary.
A "volume", sometimes called a "filesystem", stores your actual data. A volume needs to exist within the boundaries of the partition.
Now what typically happens is that an operating system looks at a partition, and assumes that a volume starts right at the beginning of the partition. Also, the partition specifies a "type", which is meant to be a strong clue about which style of volume is being used.
If the operating system can't find the volume, there are multiple possible reasons. One is that the partition's starting sector is wrong, and so the start of the volume isn't being properly found. Another possibility is that an improper "type" is being used, so the operating system doesn't know how to interact with the volume it is using. Another possibility is that the volume is damaged, and so the operating system is unable to find a volume that matches some details that the operating system checks for.
On my system, which is using GPT and that might cause some slight but significant differences, the "System" drive is the small drive (under a gigabyte), and my important data is stored on the large partition which shows up as a "Primary" type. The "System" type is not assigned a drive letter (although that isn't too hard, or problematic, to change... I would recommend assigning it a high drive letter, like S:, rather than C: or slightly higher. I also recommend avoiding X: since I think the Windows boot disk likes to use that.)
Since your System volume isn't even showing up, to me that suggests that it is damaged. You might need to restore that, providing a fresh copy of the boot files. This might not be something as easy to fix as using BCDEdit, which basically just tries to make slight changes. Your best bet may be to simply re-install the operating system (even to the same drive), which should accomplish a couple of things: placing a fresh (and not-updated) copy of Windows on your hard drive (which may be able to just overwrite, possibly even in-place, your current installation) and adjusting the ability to boot.
There might be an easier/simple way, but I recommend preparing for the possibility that there isn't.
However, I strongly advise you to get a full backup first. If at all possible, I even advise you to not just back up a few files that seem important, but to get a "forensic"/"bit-for-bit" image of the entire drive (onto another drive that is at least as large). That way, you can be comfortable that you're not going to lose your important data while you try to make any changes, and that you can revert in case any attempts go awry.
Having looked over your conversation with GuitarPicker, I am not as worried about your DVD drive showing up as it does. I think that just happens as a result of your boot partition not being detected; if your boot partition were detected, the DVD would automatically be assigned a higher drive letter without a problem. Using SET ID may indeed be helpful (and to find an existing ID, also known as a type, you can SELECT a partition and then say DETAIL PARTITION). But you did say, "I tried again to delete the boot partition with diskpart and recreated it". The problem here is that when you deleted the boot partition, you effectively told the computer to stop keeping track of any data on that partition, such as the critical data used to boot. Then, even if you did create a new partition and volume that are classified as the correct "type" for a boot partition, you still lack that bit of data that is used to boot the operating system. The typical way of getting that data onto a boot drive is called "installing the operating system".
While there might be some way to just transplant such boot data from another computer, some of the data may need to be placed in specific sectors on the volume (a picky detail which is not usually a concern except when dealing with boot files), and so this might or might not be quite as easy as just trying to do a basic copy. In other words, such a transplant has potential for troubles that make this approach not recommended for novices.
Note: I did read your comment about going from Win7 to Win10. You might be okay to just install Win10 over your existing drive, and if you're lucky then maybe your existing licensing might even get preserved, in which case you might not even need to fuss with going through the Windows 7 installation. But, for goodness sake, to make sure you don't introduce yourself to any worlds of new hurt, don't even think of trying that before making your backup. I know that such a task may be an annoyance (especially of money needs to be spent), but I'm re-stressing that issue because sometimes backups are even more worthwhile to make than average, and this is one of those times. So, I strongly advise you to do the wise thing, which is to make that investment in time/energy/supplies before any further mucking.
- 1 Oh, my. And just now, after posting, I see that the answer was from over three years ago, so my information is probably being supplied way too late for the original poster. – TOOGAM Jan 5, 2019 at 11:11
- 1 Which is fine . Remember, answers are for everyone with this same issue, not just the OP. BTW, I think where you said, "operating systems may not properly understand some details about your permissions" you meant permissions . – I say Reinstate Monica Jan 5, 2019 at 12:25
- @TwistyImpersonator : Thanks. But I meant partitions :) [that said, I do appreciate the feedback, and have now fixed the sentence you pointed out.] – TOOGAM Jan 5, 2019 at 12:34
- 1 Arrg, yes, I did the same thing you did and wrote permissions when I meant partitions ! – I say Reinstate Monica Jan 5, 2019 at 12:57
- You may be late to the show, but you already scored more upvotes. Congrats! I like coming back to old answers to see what I used to know. – GuitarPicker Jan 7, 2019 at 13:57
The partition types seem to be out of whack. Before proceeding, get a good backup with a bit-for-bit backup program like the CloneZilla boot disk, and then try editing the MBR. You didn't specify what type of partition your 128 MB was supposed to be, but you can try setting it manually. If you know what the partition type is supposed to be, you can use DISKPART 's SET ID command to set the hexadecimal partition type manually. Wikipedia has a list of partition types . Common ones are 07 for NTFS, 0C for most FAT32, 06 for FAT.
You may be better off starting with TestDisk , which is made for recovering partition tables. It can automatically detect many types of MBR problems. You still may have to follow through with bcdboot and bootrec, but it should get you to a workable starting point.
- Thanks for the tip, I have started a backup to an usb with clonezilla, and i will try to run testdisk either from the win-10 install dvd or my hackintosh install (the install that most likely messed up my window-install in the first-place.) – fjoesne Sep 25, 2015 at 15:01
- TestDisk was to no help for me, I guess its "over my paygrade" so to speak because it requires me to do calculations and estimates on what partitions existed before this happened etc. I tried again to delete the boot partition with diskpart and recreated it, but i still can not make it bootable nor can i rebuild the BCD on it. I guess i can save the data with testdisk, but I cannot save the partition table. Since I got the windows 10 upgrade from a windows 7 install i guess i have to install win7 again and go through that nighmare all over :( Ah well thanks for the help anyways.. :) – fjoesne Sep 25, 2015 at 22:16
- The MBR is only 512 bytes long (1 block), so it doesn't take much to ruin it. If the other partitions are truly intact, TestDisk should find them. There are sites which run you through the whole process . It bothers me that your DVD drive is drive 0 rather than your hard drive. That could be a contributing factor. Were any cables swapped on the board, or did you update motherboard settings or firmware? – GuitarPicker Sep 27, 2015 at 2:25
- 1 Are you confusing drive and vol perhaps? – fjoesne Sep 27, 2015 at 9:44
- Yes, I believe I am. – GuitarPicker Sep 28, 2015 at 1:36
You must log in to answer this question.
Not the answer you're looking for browse other questions tagged hard-drive boot partitioning windows-10 diskpart ..
- Featured on Meta
- Update: New Colors Launched
- Incident update and uptime reporting
Hot Network Questions
- Necessity of army and navy in a space warfare setting
- Is creating the possibility for an illegal outcome already illegal?
- How would you say "to see things from up above" in Latin?
- Most elementary proof showing that exponential growth wins against polynomial growth
- Is side 0 on the top or bottom of a floppy disk?
- What is the origin of the default 256-color VGA palette?
- What determines maximum speed of a propeller aircraft - Thrust or Power?
- Did Newton say: "If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been due more to patient attention, than to any other talent"?
- Is the term "Hobbit Village" ever used canonically by Tolkien?
- The counterpart of "facial" for head
- Why did Magnus Carlsen not play the World Chess Championship in 2023?
- Does the atmospheric pressure of Mars fluctuate because of the seasonal evaporation of the polar ice caps?
- Is the reverse of “Everything which has a beginning must have an end.” also true?
- Modeling the interior and exterior of a polygonal region on the Riemann sphere using Schwarz-Christoffel mappings
- Why are the Martian poles not covered by dust?
- I put a 700 x 35c inner tube in my 700 x 38c tyre. Is my tyre in risk for a flat?
- Can monsters enter the area controlled by a character who is playing dead?
- How concerning is this water in my bathroom?
- How do I fix a broken connector inside the transaxle?
- Was Tolkien familiar with Lovecraft's work?
- General rule to spacing towers on a medieval city wall
- How would you notate the chord G# F B E as a substitute for a G7 chord leading to C?
- Is this footage of pro-Palestinian protesters in Algeria recent?
- For any given parameters, does there always exist a quantum code which saturates the Quantum Hamming Bound?
Your privacy
By clicking “Accept all cookies”, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy .

IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
A DHCP host name is an abbreviation for dynamic host configuration protocol, which is a standardized networking protocol used primarily for assigning dynamic IP addresses. Computers use the DHCP to request Internet Protocol parameters, incl...
A particle within physics is defined as an extremely small unit of matter. Despite the small size, a particle can still be assigned properties including volume and density. Some elementary particles are widely known. These include protons, ...
A male hawk is called a tercel, which comes from the German word “terzel,” meaning “one-third.” The name was assigned to the hawk because the male is that much smaller than a female hawk.
Manually assigning a drive letter using CMD/Diskpart · Type "list vol" to list all available volumes. · Select the volume using "sel vol <number>
Actually, you may assign a drive letter when you create a new one. For that, you need to create partition first. After creating a partition, type “assign letter
Notes: ☞ “f” is the drive letter of the drive that you want to rename; it's available to replace music with the name that you want to give to the drive. ☞ If
Specify a new label for the drive and press Enter. Change drive volume label name. Click the Continue button (if applicable). Once you
Assign, change or remove Drive Letter with Diskpart · Windows-10-x64-Original-2016-09-05-14-. You bought hard drive for Backup, but it has automaticaly gained
Full Name*. Email*. share. Introduction: Windows volume drive letters can be altered from the command line using Diskpart. Requirements: Access to the Windows
Check the status of the system volume. DISKPART> detail partition. Note: Use active command only for the system partition. (Optional) Assign the volume a drive
Full Guide on Diskpart Assign Drive Letter - Complex · list volume · select volume 4 (Replace 4 with the correct number) · assign letter=H. cmd
Type "diskpart" and press Enter. This will open the DiskPart tool
Change the drive letter in the command prompt · Open an elevated command prompt. · Type diskpart . · Type list volume to see all drives and their
I ran into the same issue after using gparted and ntfsclone. diskpart> list partition shows all my partitions, but they don't listed in