Solved Why is there a Z: drive listed after partitioning my SSD?

Keithjr · Sep 23, 2023

My file explorer shows a Z: drive after I partitioned my 1TB SSD into C: for Windows, and D: for data.

A snapshot of Disc Management shows

Since I would like to image my windows setup, I wonder if the Z: drive should form part of this. I dont really know what it is, or how to deal with it.

Would it be preferrable to rearrange the setup so that the Z: gets incorporated into C: before making the image? If so how to go about it (in simple terms please!)

Try3 · Sep 23, 2023

Your two diagrams are not consistent with each other.

Try rebooting and checking again.

Best of luck,
Denis

Keithjr · Sep 23, 2023

I'm pretty sure I used a third party disk management tool - it was a while ago.

Anyway, I imaged the drive, and then ran diskpart as you suggested.
When I got to DISKPART> REMOVE LETTER=Z, the response was "There is no volume selected"

Berton · Sep 23, 2023

Historically Windows would assign network-attached drive as Z: then work back up the alphabet for any additional such drives. Win10 or maybe Win8 changed to give more control in doing that. Other drives attached such as USB or Mapped computers could use any drive letter between the last internal drive [usually ODD] and the first/only network drive. I've kept Z: for my NAS since I became used to it over the last couple decades.

Try3 · Sep 23, 2023

Please don't try anything at all yet.
Re-post current File explorer & Disk mgmt diagrams.

Denis

zbook · Sep 23, 2023

See if the drive letter Z appears using Nirsoft drive letter view.

DriveLetterView is a simple utility that allows you to view the list of all drive letter assignments in your system,
including local drives, remote network drives, CD/DVD drives, and USB drives - even if they are not currently plugged.
It also allows you to easily change a drive letter of USB devices and remote network shares, as well as to delete a drive
letter of USB device that is not plugged.

View / Change / Remove drive letters assignment in your system

www.nirsoft.net

Ghot · Sep 23, 2023

Try3 said:
Your two diagrams are not consistent with each other.

Try rebooting and checking again.

Best of luck,
Denis

Keithjr said:
I'm pretty sure I used a third party disk management tool - it was a while ago.

Anyway, I imaged the drive, and then ran diskpart as you suggested.
When I got to DISKPART> REMOVE LETTER=Z, the response was "There is no volume selected"

Do what @Try3 is suggesting.

Reboot and get new File explorer and Disk Management screen shots, and post them please.

Keithjr · Sep 23, 2023

Try3 said:
Your two diagrams are not consistent with each other.

Try rebooting and checking again.

Best of luck,
Denis

OK, did a restart, and the diagrams are the same.

taking a break now - see you Monday....

Try3 · Sep 23, 2023

If File explorer still shows a Z:\ drive but Disk mgmt does not then you have a most unusual situation.
Please gather further data from File explorer by right-clicking on Z:\, selecting Properties and posting a screenshot of that Properties dialog.

Denis

Keithjr · Sep 23, 2023

If its any help.......

Ghot · Sep 23, 2023

Double click on the Z: drive and post a screenshot of what is ON the Z: drive.

Keithjr · Sep 23, 2023

Ghot said:
Double click on the Z: drive and post a screenshot of what is ON the Z: drive.

It tells me I dont have permission.

Bastet · Sep 23, 2023

Try3 said:
If File explorer still shows a Z:\ drive but Disk mgmt does not then you have a most unusual situation.
Please gather further data from File explorer by right-clicking on Z:\, selecting Properties and posting a screenshot of that Properties dialog.

Denis

When I used EaseUS partition master it was the same. No Z partition in disk management but showed under Computer. It was a most unusual problem. It appeared anfter extending the recovery partition at the time. I tried Minitool partition free & that works better.

Try3 · Sep 23, 2023

The DriveLetterView results imply that Z:\ is a partition of the WD disk.
Confirm this by checking the column labelled Physical drive name

I suspect that Z:\ is the EFI system partition but I do not know why it does not display a drive letter in Disk mgmt.

Denis

Ghot · Sep 23, 2023

From your specs, I'm guessing that's a Scan UK computer?
It may be something they put on there. Some kind of Boot recovery files, maybe?
31MB isn't very large.

My C:\Windows\Boot folder is 42MB. My EFI partition is 32MB (used)/100MB.
Maybe that's a recovery copy, of one of those?

[In a deep and spooky voice...]
"Who knows what evil lurks in the minds of prebuilt computer companies? Only the Shadow knows".
[Evil laugh...]

@Keithjr
You might want to call and ask Scan. It may be some standard thing they do?

Keithjr · Sep 23, 2023

Try3 said:
The DriveLetterView results imply that Z:\ is a partition of the WD disk.
Confirm this by checking the column labelled Physical drive name

I suspect that Z:\ is the EFI system partition but I do not know why it does not display a drive letter in Disk mgmt.

Denis

Sorry, cant see column named Physical Drive Name. Where should I be looking?

zbook · Sep 23, 2023

Please run: diskpar info > post a share link

https://www.tenforums.com/attachments/bsod-crashes-debugging/355861d1640707960-batch-files-use-bsod-debugging-diskparinfo.bat

Batch files for use in BSOD debugging - Windows 10 Help Forums

Information This thread is for use by the BSOD team to store batch files that can be used to collect additional data, fix settings or anything else that is useful in debugging BSOD problems in Windows 10. The way I see it working is the first

www.tenforums.com

Batch files for use in BSOD debugging - Windows 10 Help Forums

Information This thread is for use by the BSOD team to store batch files that can be used to collect additional data, fix settings or anything else that is useful in debugging BSOD problems in Windows 10. The way I see it working is the first

www.tenforums.com

Try3 · Sep 23, 2023

Keithjr said:
Sorry, cant see column named Physical Drive Name. Where should I be looking?

In DriveLetterView.
Just scroll to the right and you'll see the umpteen properties it lists in its interface.

Denis

Keithjr · Sep 23, 2023

Try3 said:
In DriveLetterView.
Just scroll to the right and you'll see the umpteen properties it lists in its interface.

Denis

Oh eck... lots of it!

Try3 · Sep 24, 2023

So that confirms that Z:\ is a partition of the main OS disk.
I think it's the EFI System partition.

Somebody else posted that they had partitioned their disk using the EaseUS Partition manager and they ended up with a Z:\ drive.
Did you also use this?

I do not know how you are going to get out of this.

Denis

Solved Why is there a Z: drive listed after partitioning my SSD?

Well-known member

Attachments

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Ret. ATC

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Similar threads