VolID

Just like we identify ourselves by name, products of all kinds, palpable or virtual, are fitted with different, unique identification numbers or names, so that no compatibility issues occur in any situation. The same goes for your disk volume drives, and you can change its ID with the help of a little utility called VolID.

The application targets fixed or removable drives in an attempt to read their serial numbers and change them. By default, a volume has its serial changed according to the system time and date settings each time it’s formatted.

After a simple setup, you’re free to analyze how to change a volume’s serial number. A Matrix-like interface is brought up and manages to hold all features, as compact as it may be. An example of the situation is provided, as well as a description so you don’t accidentally do something wrong.

You need to pick the target drive from a drop-down menu. In case you decide to connect external ones, make sure to quit and launch the application again if you can’t see it on the list. The old ID is shown in a text field so you can copy it to a safe location. Also save the one you’re going to use, because you never know what can go wrong.

Hitting the Modify button is supposed to put the process in motion. It does, but for things to take effect, a restart is required, so that Windows can set up the new parameters. However, it’s recommended to close all running programs before you change anything, or better yet, leave values untouched.

In the unfortunate event that applications closely tied to different volumes are running, chances are they don’t work upon the next restart, or the whole computer can malfunction. Luckily, there’s a restore button to get back to normal if you go too far.

Bottom line is that there’s no real reason to change a volume’s ID, because it’s not the letter that appears in My Computer. As such, VolID’s practicality becomes highly questionable, since it wants to enhance an old security method that can put your computer to even greater risk.