Question External HDDs show as Local Drive ?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
GrouchoBarx

GrouchoBarx

Distinguished
Apr 9, 2011
40
0
18,530
Most of my external HDDs suddenly show as "Local Drive". When I boot into Safe Mode, they show the labels I have assigned. But when I rebooot into standard mode, they again show as local drive.

Otherwise everything works fine.

I am considering a system reset, but would love to find a less intrusive method to fix.
 
In standard mode, what happens if you firstly -
1. Unplug the extetnal and plug on again?
2. Try plugging into a different usb port, mboard ports and also case ports ?
 
  • Like
Reactions: GrouchoBarx
Groucho, does that mean that your external drives have lost the "Safely remove hardware" option? If they haven't, then apart from the label, what problems are you encountering?

If you have lost that option then go into Device Manager, right-click an affected drive, uninstall it, unplug it, restart your computer by choosing RESTART, then reconnect it again when Windows has booted up fully.
 
KingLoki said:
In standard mode, what happens if you firstly -
1. Unplug the extetnal and plug on again?
2. Try plugging into a different usb port, mboard ports and also case ports ?
Click to expand...
I do need to try this. All of the HDDs that show as Local Disk are connected via USB hub. I will let you know when I get a chance to test.

Still, they seem fine when I boot into Safe Mode.
 
Secret-Squirrel said:
Groucho, does that mean that your external drives have lost the "Safely remove hardware" option? If they haven't, then apart from the label, what problems are you encountering?

If you have lost that option then go into Device Manager, right-click an affected drive, uninstall it, unplug it, restart your computer by choosing RESTART, then reconnect it again when Windows has booted up fully.
Click to expand...
They all appear removal when using the Safely Remove and Reject Media in the Taskbar Notification area. I haven't actually tested that yet and will let you know.

Still, I don't get why they show up normally in Safe Mode?
 
In DIsk Management all of the drives look normal. They all have the labels that I had assigned. But in File Explorer, they are all "Local Disk". I do think they are all connected to the same USB hub so connecting each drive directly to the internal usb is next.

I am beginning to suspect that there may be an issue with that hub.
 
When it says local disk in windows explorer you can right-click on it and change the volume label to display a letter or a word you want to call it.
 
GrouchoBarx said:
They all appear removal when using the Safely Remove and Reject Media in the Taskbar Notification area.
Click to expand...
OK, so that means that Windows has correctly identified them as external removable drives.

So, what's the problem exactly? Does it really matter that they're labelled wrong in the drive's properties window?

PS, Loki is talking about different labels so his advice won't help with this.
 
It would narrow down the hub problem immediately if you plugged it directly into intetnal pc usb. If no success you could try an AutoRun.inf file created in notepad (must be saved as AutoRun.inf and placed on each external drive with your own drive LABEL and ICON as below. Make sure that before saving it as an inf file, that you use the drop down file extension box and select 'all files' so it doesnt save it as a .txt file. This should solve your file explorer label problem. Cheers.

[autorun]
ICON= usb1.ico
LABEL="JohnDoe_usb"
 
Last edited:
GrouchoBarx said:
Most of my external HDDs suddenly show as "Local Drive". When I boot into Safe Mode, they show the labels I have assigned. But when I rebooot into standard mode, they again show as local drive.
Click to expand...
Any partition without a volume label will show in windows explorer as "Local Disk".
This is normal.
You want it to be called something different, then assign a volume label.

Can you show a screenshot from Disk Management and windows explorer?
(upload to imgur.com and post link)
 
First, thanks for the various suggestions and assistance!

I can use the Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media to dismount the drive. When I connect it to a USB port on the Motherboard, I get the same result. Shows "Local Disk" in File Explorer and "Audio Lib" in Disk Management.

I have created labels for all of my HDDs (e.g. C: is labeled Windows 11). The labels all reflect the content of the HDD.

Oddly, I just noticed that the C: drive (internal System (Win11) is also labeled as "Local Disc" So it's not just the USB Hub. Windows works fine (except for this issue).

Some drives (mostly internal have labels such as:

D: Documents
E: Projects
F: Multimedia

But many other drives are just labeled Local Drive in File Explorer. This is even while Disk Management shows the Labels I assigned.

This is just weird.
 
Last edited:
KingLoki said:
When it says local disk in windows explorer you can right-click on it and change the volume label to display a letter or a word you want to call it.
Click to expand...
This is exactly the issue. I have assigned Labels that are visible in Disk Management, but in File Explorer they are "Local Disc". THat's what I am trying to figure out...
 
If you don't find what's causing it and you really need to see the actual label name of each external drive, then create the AutoRun.inf file on each drive and name each as in disk management. This should work as I mentioned a couple of days ago earlier in this post.
 
Frist, thanks for all the advice. I am trying to get to these suggestions as I have time. Other than the current issue, everything else seems fine in my system. While the inconvenience is anoying, it is not catastrophic.

Will post screenshots when I have the chance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom