[Derek]

Hey all,

In my Library i have 2 external large USB drives, one was always allocated as S:\ and one was alway T:\

These are linux drives in windows and using Ext2 Volume manager i can mount them and write to them even thought they are ext3 volumes.

I've had no problems until lately where S: becomes T: and vice versa and obviously trashes my library items pointing to these locations.

I can change them back via Ext2 Volume Manager but on a second reboot they ping back to the wrong way around to my annoyance. (Funny thing is they are set in the registry to use the correct drive letters, I can only assume that drive27 and drive28 as they are known under volumes are switching due to being USB)

I have many other drives and have run out of drive letters and use directories to mount drives now but thats another story, many of which are ext3 without issue.

Is there Any way or an easy way to modify my library without re-scanning it all in as like i say these 2 drives hold a lot of media and one also has TV as well as movies.

I want everything relating to S: to be changed to T: and vice versa; I just dread the task.

Just thought i'd ask before i perform the laborious task of doing it via the standard method.

Yours Hopefully and beggingly <-new word?

Dek

[Derek]

Could i export to an .XML and modify that with a txt editor, i.e. search and replace?

Only prob is when i modify S: to T: how do i differentiate what needs changing from T: to S: hmm any help appreciated, maybe split the file all the S: media and T: media to 2 XML's then put them back together?

Also do i need to have importwatchedstate to true in the advancedsettings before exporting?

[brazen1]

I used Ext volumes with Windows at 1st and ran into problems. I don't recall what they were, just that it boiled down to Ext volumes with windows. I tend to think it was drives greater than 2TB appearing smaller than actual? Then again, maybe it was drive letter retention problems using USB like you are experiencing?

Now I use GPT volumes and several dynamic joins having run out of drive letters.

Then I symbolic link (MKlink) folders from the drives so KODI never gets confused locally and clients only deal with a couple drive letters.

I always use Windows Disc Mangement and MiniTool Partition Wizard to test 1st without actually applying changes. Changes are a breeze.

Fwiw, I never experience drive letter swapping or any other problems using all 26 letters however, avoid drive letter 'B' and always assign 'A' for virtual drives.

Not sure if you can simply covert to GPT without data loss for a test? I doubt it.

[Derek]

GPT sounds like a great idea for me but i worry i'd have to do ALOT of work to implement it, altho from now on i could as i add disk space.

I worry about drives being joined but i believe this is not the case with GPT am i correct? (i.e. loose one disk loose all the data on them all type thing, Ill do some real reading about GPT as it sounds great).

Funny enough i don't use B but i do use A for my Mac Airport drive which is purely for backup purposes for my everyday mac for work and PC root drive.

Any ideas on my current problem i've given up trying to get Ext2 Vol mgr to fix the drive letters as its not really supported under windows 10 and im just glad it works to be honest

I do plan to invest in some large drives and backup the ext3 volumes and re-format them ntfs which should solve it long term, just short term i want to fix this as every time i open Kodi and click a movie and it says its not available it makes me into an OCD freak that needs to fix it even though i could just goto files and play it within 10 seconds hehe.

[brazen1]

I know converting from MBR to GPT is a couple clicks in any disc management tool. So is changing a drive letter. I don't think EXT is going to be that easy but it's worth a look imo.

For certain, if a dynamic disc fails, you lose data on everything joined.

A lot of folks claim Windows has always had a problem retaining drive letters. I disagree. I 'think' when you label a volume, the drive has data written on it that includes the volume letter that is backed up in the registry using the HDD id info. The info for a specific drive does not leave 'Device Manager' either. If it's unplugged, it will turn into a 'ghost' drive but the info for it will retain unless you delete ghost info.

With that said, as long as your external USB drives are always plugged in, Windows should always reassign the correct letters each boot. If you happen to have them unplugged and plug in something else like a thumb drive, that thumb drive may use a letter like your 'T' or 'S'. If you plug in your 'T' or 'S' drive with the thumb in, your screwed. The fun really begins if all your drive letters are exhausted and you have a foreign little used drive (like the thumb drive) in use and then plug in or turn on your external USB HDD's. You will need to remove the thumb and reassign most, if not all, the original drive letters. Moral is.... always keep your externals plugged in. I can't possibly see how Windows would take it upon itself not to retain drive letters permanently without a serious error introduced one way or another.

[brazen1]

I should add a couple things for you.

Be aware that many external drives have firmware that only allows data be accessed via USB.
Should you write to a drive and 'ever' move it to different enclosure or SATA internally, it most likely will not read.
Before you transfer data, test, test, and then test again.

Fwiw, I use 11 internal 3.5" SATA NTFS GPT discs inside my HTPC. One of them is SSD NTFS MBR.
The other 18 drives are in 3 external enclosures.
Every drive came out of an external USB except the SSD and I can swap them around.

Food for thought.

[Derek]

There has to be an easy way to fix this, in the long run im gona revamp my system using big drives when funds allow but for now i need to fix this OCD problem has noone done this before?

I also dont relish risking search and replace, i thought maybe change T: to zzz the S: to T: then zzz to S:

Hows that sound?

[brazen1]

Changing drive letters is no big deal. You're not going to lose anything.
Of course if you need to 'swap' letters, you'll need to assign any free letter to free it up.
Using Windows disc management right click on the S drive. Change drive letter to Z.
Right click T drive. Change drive letter to S.
Right click Z drive. Change drive letter to T.
Done.

You can also select 'none' for a drive letter if you have no free letters while you swap and then come back and change 'none' to what ever you want.

[Derek]

Brazen1: yeah thanks for the help but i assure you i've been through the ringer in administritive tools and ext2 manager to change the drive letters, i've even added manual registry entries but these 2 drives switch letters for some reason, just these 2 mind you none of the others as the rest are all used.

I've allocated to directories these drives to free up S and T then try to re-allocate them but to no avail.

This is just since moving from 7 ultimate to win 10 pro.

i may just live with it after looking into it until i can splash the cash for some 5 ot 6 tb drives, they are 3tb at the moment.

[Derek]

I do REALLY appreciate the time you've taken to give me the info you have especially on GPT

[brazen1]

Try this:
Open device manager/disk drives.
Double click a drive.
Volume tab and click populate to make sure it is the drive(s) in question.
Then to the event tab.
Anything in there? It should be blank. If there is, you'll get a hint where else to probe.
One last thing to try is setting security on the drive(s) loose. Maybe that is why none of your disc management is allowing you to swap the letters if it's too tight?
As a last resort, try that MiniTool Partition manager or maybe Gparted but be careful.

[Derek]

Cool sounds like a plan, i've worked out i can clear another 3tb drive and back up one of the ext3 externals; repopulate then the other, just a bit time consuming but i'll have a look at your ideas first; its really most appreciated.

I also need to do some house keeping i have some drives from 2007/8 which im amazed still run perfectly since they've run 24/7 I'll stick in an order for one big drive a 6tb can be had for less than £200 which compared to what ive paid over the years for my storage isnt significant!! I also got an SSD recently for a boot drive but the sheer task of doing it has put me off, i used to have a great cloning tool when i worked as a network engineer before i got a real job hehe.

[brazen1]

A 6TB HDD costs you £200?
That's roughly $288 US dollars.
The last 8TB HDD I bought from Ebay (new) was $228 shipped.
I've seen 8TB (new) as low as $195 recently.
Buy a HDD like you would a tool box. Always larger than you think you will need.

Run old drives through CrystalDiskInfo http://crystalmark.info/download/index-e.html
Very reliable software and I think it will detect your USB externals.
I have drives that outdate yours still going strong.

Don't clone a new SSD imo, partition about 10% of it raw and make sure it's MBR.
Quick format your old drive(s), convert to GPT in Windows disc management, make sure it allocated 128 MB partition and run CHKDSK X: /F where x is drive letter. Then in Device manager under disk drives, enable write caching in policies for all your disks. Don't worry if greyed out in Safely Remove Hardware. Just make sure you're not writing to them before you turn them off or remove them.

[Derek]

Wow thats cheap mate, i'll have to shop around i normally just pop down to local computer store (small shop) and get my kit there; i maybe pay a little more but i get alot of extras and i like supporting the local community or we'll end up with just the internet altho if i can get 8gb for less than 6gb; no offence the shop can die hehehe For some reason i thought 6gb was the biggest 3.5" or was last time i purchased.

Seriously tho thnx you've gave me some great info and i hope to get my system the way it always should have been, i think i have at least 3 or 4 dead drives within my case (or maybe cables disconnected etc) as it holds a rediculus amount of 3.5" drives and i have more in the case + USB than are available in windows, my tower needs a good going over. Thank got for sata cards is all i can say.

I've also been offered a dell full rack from work c/w servers and drives but unsure what the specs are but its 19" i know that; i wonder if i can make some use of it i have the room in the loft and although its all floored theres no heating up there so its SUPER cold and perfect for a nice big server. i have RJ45 running down from there too its just getting time to do everything along with work and everything else, altho my wifi plays 1080 very nicely but i guess 4k is next, i only use netflix so far for that.