I've got multiple sets of hard drives I use for backup with a USB3 dual dock. The sets are never used at the same time, and I would like the same drive letters to be assigned to each set. That is, Set 1's (WD2000-1, H2000-1) would be (J:, K:), Set 2's (WD2000-2, H2000-2) would also be (J:, K:), etc, where WD2000-x and H2000-x are Western Digital and Hitachi 2 TB drives, FWIW. This way, I can use the same backup profiles with the targets being (J:, K:), and It Just Works. At least it did when I was using TrueCrypt and Favorite Volumes; I could insert a given set into the dock, and the drives would be mounted and assigned the correct letters automatically. Now that I'm using Bitlocker in Windows 8.1, configuring drive letters for, say, Set 1 in Disk Management works, but configuring Set 2 blows it away, such that when I put Set 1 in the dock, its drives get default drive letters, say, (F:, G:) instead of the previously configured (J:, K:). So every time I rotate these sets, I will have to correct things in Disk Management. Fun fun fun.
All this makes perfect sense looking at HKLM/SYSTEM/MountedDevices, but is there any way to make it non-stupid and work the way it should, such that assigning a drive letter to a given drive results in that drive always getting that drive letter? These things do have unique serial numbers, after all, so one can be distinguished from another and the mapping maintained. TrueCrypt got this right. Windows by itself apparently does not. Any ideas?
Is my best bet really to use SyncBackSE's Label feature, where instead of (WD2000-1, H2000-1), (WD2000-2, H2000-2), etc, I would label the drives in each set the same, (WD2000, H2000) and use SyncBackSE's "Alternatives" feature? That'll handle SyncBackSE, I guess, but some scripts I've written won't benefit.
All this makes perfect sense looking at HKLM/SYSTEM/MountedDevices, but is there any way to make it non-stupid and work the way it should, such that assigning a drive letter to a given drive results in that drive always getting that drive letter? These things do have unique serial numbers, after all, so one can be distinguished from another and the mapping maintained. TrueCrypt got this right. Windows by itself apparently does not. Any ideas?
Is my best bet really to use SyncBackSE's Label feature, where instead of (WD2000-1, H2000-1), (WD2000-2, H2000-2), etc, I would label the drives in each set the same, (WD2000, H2000) and use SyncBackSE's "Alternatives" feature? That'll handle SyncBackSE, I guess, but some scripts I've written won't benefit.