I can't assign a letter to a HDD in Windows 10

Question

_{Friday, January 5, 2018 10:30 PM}

I have installed an extra used HDD in my computer.

Disk Management tool can see the HDD (#9) but will not let me assign a drive letter to it.

A right click on all of the other drives gives a drop down starting with "Change Drive Letter and Paths..."

A right click on #9 gives a different drop down containing: 

"New Spanned Volume...

New Striped Volume...

Convert to Dynamic Disk...

Convert to GPT Disk

Properties

Help"

As I am not a fluent Microsoft speaker I don't where to go from here.

TIA

Greg

All replies (4)

_{Friday, January 5, 2018 11:51 PM}

   It appears to be a basic disk. Windows is asking you how you want to use it. If you want to create multiple partitions on this drive, select Convert to Dynamic Disk. You will then be able to create one or more partitions on the drive.

 Despite the name, you apply drive letters to partitions, not to drives. After you create a partition you will be able to give it a drive letter.

Bill

_{Sunday, January 7, 2018 5:04 AM}

Thanks Bill

I used the disk management tool to change the HDD from Basic (like all of the others) to Dynamic.  A right click now gives a slightly altered dropdown menu (New Spanned Volume..., New Striped Volume..., Import foreign Disks... (greyed out), Convert to Basic Disk, Convert to GPT Disk, Reactivate Disk (greyed out), Remove Disk (greyed out),  Properties, Help) but still no "Change Drive Letter and Paths..."

FWIW HDD #9 does not appear in the top part of the Disk Management Window, only the lower part starting with "Disk 0"

And, as you say, it is the partitions of the other HDDs that gives me the "Change Drive Letter and Paths..." option.  The removable drives and CDROM have this option though.

Greg

_{Sunday, January 7, 2018 6:18 AM}

  No New Simple Volume option? That is what you need. Where did this disk come from?

  You may have to use partition manager software to get it into a useable state. There are some things Disk Management cannot handle.

Bill

_{Monday, January 8, 2018 7:40 AM}

No.  I haven't seen that option.

The disc came from a television recording box.

Greg