14 DAY TRIAL // Changing the letters for the drives on your system is not a tough job. You can do it straight from Windows with no problems, but you may find that it can be done in a more comfortable manner with Nir Sofer’s DriveLetterView. It stores information on all storage devices, even if removable ones are not plugged in.
Just like all applications from this developer this one is free of charge and can be run without having to install it. As soon as you unzip the downloaded archive you can start working with it.
Judging by the interface one can clearly see that looks did not make the object of developer’s interest as it looks quite dull and simple. On the other hand, the Spartan look also makes it easy to use the application and offers a quick way to go from option to option.
The application is straightforward and lists all the drives as soon as you launch it. The list contains both the online devices as well as details on the ones that are no longer online. You can view all the drive letters they’ve been assigned as well as information about their type.
A brief description is also attached to each listed drive, which lets you tell the entries apart; system drive is marked with a Windows flag on the hard disk icon. Thus you can make the distinction between a local storage drive and an optical or network drive. However, this detail is not presented in a clear manner, so the beginner user does not benefit from a friendly description and might encounter difficulties in discerning between the items based on their description alone. Unfortunately there is no way to change the description to something you can relate to easier.
Another bit of information included in DriveLetterView’s interface is connection status. We notice a blue question mark in the case of devices that are not connected, but a more plain answer is given in the “Connected” column.
For easy reading the details of a specific device the application makes available a “properties” sheet. Here you will find the drive letter assigned, type of the device, its name, description, connection status, instance ID and device path. You will basically view the same intel presented in the main application window, but in a targeted manner.
As far as the options available in the program, these are limited to changing the drive letter or changing it to something that suits you better. Regardless of the choice you make, this is a simple operation. The best part about modifying the letter is that in the case of disconnected drives when you plug them in they’ll be assigned the new alphabetic symbol. This way you can determine the new position of the device in the drive map.
Although the chances to have a myriad of drives listed are pretty slim for an average user, the developer makes available a search function. This enables you to find devices by name. However, in lack of the possibility to modify the name of the drive to a friendlier one looking for a particular device becomes a difficult task for the average user.
Another option available in the application is creating HTML reports (vertical or horizontal) with all the entries in the set or just the selected ones (you can view the amount of the chose items in the lower part of the application window). Once you launch the action the application automatically displays the report in the default web browser on your system. Additional export formats include TXT (tabular, tab delimited or plain), CSV and XML.
Working with DriveLetterView is a simple job and the only thing you can mess up with it is the letter assignment for your drives. However, we see plenty of room for improvements as far as drive name and description are concerned. Fiving the possibility to modify these would allow you to make the distinction between the items beyond any ambiguity.
On the other hand, it lets you assign a specific letters for disconnected drives, thus making them available under a different symbol the moment you plug them in. This is especially useful if you’re looking for a particular order of the drives.
The application also supports network drives and lets you create reports either with all entries in the list or just the ones you select. Interface design was not a priority when developing the program and the result is a basic, Spartan look. It is simple enough and pretty rough on the edges, but it does the job it has been tailored for with the greatest ease.
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