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Windows 11 Moving Samsung t7 2TB SSD between Lenovo and Dell laptops

Rescanning disks won’t fix this one — File History has gotten “stuck” on that target and is reporting “doesn’t recognize this drive / unknown error” (your screenshot).
Do this GUI-only reset in this exact order:

1) Turn File History OFF​

Control Panel → System and Security → File History → click Turn off (bottom right).

2) Unplug the Samsung T7, wait 10 seconds, plug it back in​

(Use your C‑to‑C cable.)

3) Delete the File History folder on Q: (if it exists)​

  1. File Explorer → This PC → open Q:
  2. If you see a folder named FileHistory, delete it.
  3. If you don’t see it:
    • File Explorer → View → Show → turn on Hidden items
    • Look again for FileHistory and delete it if present.

4) Reset File History’s local configuration (this is the key step)​

  1. File Explorer
  2. Click in the address bar and paste this (then press Enter):
    C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\FileHistory
  3. Delete the folder named Configuration (or if you prefer, delete the whole FileHistory folder here).
    • This only resets File History settings on the PC. It does not touch your personal files.

5) Set File History up again​

Control Panel → File History → Select drive (or “Select another drive”) → choose your Q: volume (by label if possible) → OK → Turn on → Run now.

One important note​

While File History is ON, Windows often refuses to “Safely remove” the drive because File History keeps it in use. That’s normal. If you need to unplug the SSD, turn File History off first, then eject.
If you get stuck at any step, tell me exactly what happens at step 5 (does Q: appear in the drive list? does it error immediately after “Run now”?).
 

Hidden Items was already displayed under Show. I clicked on it but nothing happened.

Re #4: Should File Explorer be open at My PC for me to enter the command 2. in address bar?
 

Yes — File Explorer just needs to be open (it does not have to be at “This PC / My PC”).

About “Hidden items” (why nothing seemed to happen)​

In Windows 11, View → Show → Hidden items is a toggle. If it was already enabled, clicking it may not produce any obvious change on screen (especially if the folder you’re viewing doesn’t contain hidden files). The real indicator is whether there’s a check mark next to “Hidden items”.
So if it was already checked, you can just continue.

Step #4 (GUI) — how to open that folder correctly​

1) Open File Explorer (anywhere: Desktop, This PC, any folder — doesn’t matter).
2) Click once in the address bar at the top (where it shows the current folder path).
3) Paste this and press Enter:
%localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\FileHistory
That’s the same place as the long C:\Users\… path, just easier to type.
4) Inside that folder, delete:
  • Configuration folder (preferred), or
  • delete the whole FileHistory folder here (also OK; it just resets File History settings on this PC).

If it says you can’t delete because it’s in use​

Do this (still GUI-only):
1) Press Win+R, type: services.msc and press Enter
2) Find File History Service
3) Right‑click → Stop
4) Try deleting the folder again
5) Then go back to Control Panel → File History and set it up again.

Quick check before you start​

Make sure you already did Step #1: Turn File History OFF first. That prevents it from immediately re-locking things.
If you do the %localappdata%... step and you don’t see a “Configuration” folder, tell me what folders you do see there (just the names) and I’ll tell you exactly what to delete.
 

There was a Configuration folder, deleted without any issue. What next ?
 

Great — that’s the key step.
Now do this (in order):

1) Turn File History back on and re-select the drive​

  1. Open Control Panel → System and Security → File History
  2. Click Select drive (or Select another drive)
  3. Choose your external partition Q: (use the Volume Label to confirm it’s the right one)
  4. Click OK
  5. Click Turn on

2) Run it once​

  • Click Run now

3) If it still says “doesn’t recognize this drive / unknown error”​

Then we need to remove the old FileHistory folder on the target drive:
  1. File Explorer → open Q:
  2. Delete the folder named FileHistory (if present)
  3. Go back to File History and click Run now again

Tell me the result​

After you click Run now, what happens?
  • Does it start copying (you’ll see “Saving copies of your files…”), or
  • Do you still get the same “doesn’t recognize this drive” message?
 

Its running
:) " ... copying files for the first time." We may be done - for now. Back later if any fuirther issues. Tx again.
 

Excellent — that message (“copying files for the first time”) means the reset worked and File History is now happy with Q:.
A couple of quick tips while it runs:
1) Leave the Samsung plugged in until the first run finishes (first run can take a while).
2) After it completes, open Q: and you should see a FileHistory folder created there (that’s normal).
3) When you want to unplug the SSD later:
  • Go to File History and click Turn off first (prevents the “drive is in use” eject problem),
  • then use Safely Remove Hardware.
If it later slips back to “unknown error,” the same fix you just did (delete the local Configuration folder) is the fastest way back.
 

New Question: We talked earlier about problems with the laptop not recognizing the FileHistory partition.

You said to enter in the search bar: %localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\FileHistory and delete the Configuration folder. And that got it going again.

But I find, on both Lenovo and Dell, that opening FileHistory partition, I can find the Configuration file very easily. On the Dell, it was there immediately. On the Lenovo, I had to drill down just a couple of steps to find it.

So is that OK to do/delete instead of the %localappdata...\FileHistory. route ?
 

Yes, you can delete the Configuration folder you see on the FileHistory partition, but it’s not the same thing as deleting the one under:
%localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\FileHistory
They serve different purposes, and one is safer than the other.

Two different “Configuration” locations (important)​

1) Local PC cache (safe reset)​

Location: %localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\FileHistory\Configuration
Meaning: settings/cache for that specific PC (Lenovo or Dell).
What happens if you delete it: File History on that PC “forgets” its configuration and re-detects/rebuilds it.
This is the method I recommended because it usually fixes “drive not recognized / unknown error” without touching the backup data on the external drive.

2) Configuration on the backup drive (changes the backup history)​

Location (typical): Q:\FileHistory\<User>\<PCName>\Configuration (and nearby files)
Meaning: metadata that describes the backups stored on the external drive (for a specific PC name, sometimes multiple).
What happens if you delete it: you may effectively break or reset the history stored on the drive (and if the drive contains backups from both the Lenovo and Dell, you could affect the other machine’s history too).

So… is it OK to delete the one on the FileHistory partition instead?​

  • OK only if you’re fine “resetting” what’s stored on the external drive (or you’re deleting the exact PCName subfolder you intend), and you understand it can impact existing history.
  • For routine fixes, prefer deleting the LocalAppData configuration on the PC that’s complaining.

Best practice (simple rule)​

  • If File History errors on Dell → delete Dell’s local config (%localappdata%…) and re-select the drive.
  • If File History errors on Lenovo → delete Lenovo’s local config (%localappdata%…) and re-select the drive.
  • Only delete things inside Q:\FileHistory\... if you explicitly want to “start fresh” on the backup drive.

One safety note​

Before deleting either, do:
Control Panel → File History → Turn off (on that PC), then delete, then turn it back on.
If you tell me the exact folder path you’re seeing on Q: (just copy the top line from File Explorer’s address bar), I can tell you whether it’s the “drive metadata” location or just a local cache copy.
 

Zevik83 said:
Got my new Samsung t7 2TB SSD set up on my Lenovo Ideapad3 with various partition sizes J - Q. Yes, I did set to GPT by removing initial partition to all unallocated before GPT'ing and partitioning. Go to my Dell Inspiron. Clicking on the left panel asks me if I want to go Dynamic. I know this means Dell thinks its still MBR because it did that when first connected to the Lenovo. Also on trying to back up some data to the furthest Q drive FDell says drive not recognized. Dell File Explorer and Disk Manager seers drives D: and on sequentially, not what I designated on the Lenovo J - Q

Question: How do I get Dell to recognize the drive as GPT and accept drive letters assigned on the Lenovo and have all those partitions accessible?
Click to expand...
This isn’t a GPT issue and don’t convert it to Dynamic. Windows assigns drive letters per computer, not per drive, so your Dell will ignore the J–Q letters you set on the Lenovo and auto assign its own. Just open Disk Management on the Dell, right click each partition, choose Change Drive Letter and Paths, and set the letters you want if they’re available. If one shows as not recognized, check that it’s formatted NTFS and not showing as RAW.
 

To ChatGPT:
Connected to the Dell, Config folder one of the folders right there on opening FileHistpry folder. This from memory since Dell is not running right now. Maybe the other folder was Data. I'll check later.
Connected to the Lenovo: File History/Admin name/Computer name/Configuration + Data folders..

datawizard - got all that covered with ChatGPT. Tx for responding.
 

Got it — what you’re describing on the Lenovo is the normal on-the-backup-drive layout:
<DriveLetter>:\FileHistory\<YourUserName>\<ComputerName>\Configuration
and usually a sibling Data folder.
That Configuration folder on the File History drive is not the same as the local PC cache at:
%localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\FileHistory\Configuration

Which one should you delete?​

Safest / recommended (fixes “drive not recognized/unknown error” without damaging saved history):
  • Delete the local one:
    • %localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\FileHistory\Configuration
  • Do this on the PC that is complaining (Dell or Lenovo).
Drive-level one (only if you want to “start fresh” for that specific PC’s backups):
  • Delete:
    • Q:\FileHistory\<UserName>\<ThatComputerName>\Configuration (and often you’d delete the whole <ThatComputerName> folder)
  • This can affect your ability to browse/restore older versions for that PC, and if the drive contains both Dell and Lenovo histories, you must be careful to delete only the correct computer’s folder.

Practical rule​

  • Error on Dell? Delete Dell’s localappdata Configuration.
  • Error on Lenovo? Delete Lenovo’s localappdata Configuration.
  • Only delete inside Q:\FileHistory\... if you’re OK losing/resetting that machine’s history on the drive.

One caution​

Before deleting either location, do:
Control Panel → File History → Turn off (on that PC), then delete the folder, then turn File History back on and re-select the drive.
If later you check on the Dell and it really shows Configuration “right there” immediately under Q:\FileHistory\ (without the user/computer subfolders), tell me the exact path from the Explorer address bar and I’ll confirm what it is—but based on your Lenovo path, you were looking at the drive’s history metadata, not the local cache.
 

Connected to the Lenovo first thing today. All my previous Drive letter assignments that were fine last time connected have reverted aas follows:

In File Explorer: Renumbered from D: with Google Drive G: added in the middle.

In Disk Manager: Also starts from D: but no Google Drive G - G taken over by one of the partitions.

My conclusion: Windows Home hallucinates alot and I just have to rely entirely on Volume Labels.

Yes, I did make sure File History was turned off and then ran %localappdata%...\FileHiostort when I saw a msg pop up when connecting the drive that there is a drive error. There was no Configuration folder shown, just Data.

Then went to Disk Manager but Action.. Rescan Disks was greyed out.

Any thoughts?











;
 

What you’re seeing makes sense, and it’s not Windows “hallucinating” so much as drive-letter conflicts + per‑PC letter assignment + a Google Drive quirk.

1) Why Explorer shows Google Drive G: but Disk Management doesn’t​

Google Drive for Desktop can “claim” a drive letter (often G:) in File Explorer, but it isn’t a real disk volume, so it usually does not appear in Disk Management.
So Disk Management may happily assign G: to one of your Samsung partitions, while Explorer shows Google Drive as G:. That makes it look like:
  • Explorer: “Google Drive is G: and my partitions got renumbered”
  • Disk Management: “one of the partitions is G: and there is no Google Drive”

Fix (best): change Google Drive’s letter​

On the Lenovo, open Google Drive for desktop → Settings (gear) → Preferences/Settings → look for Drive letter and change it to something out of the way like Z: (or just uninstall/disable Google Drive if you don’t need it).
After that, your external partitions will stop “fighting” with Google’s G:.

2) Why letters change when you reconnect​

Drive letters are assigned per PC, and Windows will reuse the “next available” letters depending on what’s already taken (including virtual/mapped drives like Google Drive). So yes: Volume Labels are the stable identifier, and your plan to rely on labels is sound.
If you ever want to stabilize letters anyway, the best trick is to assign your external partitions on each PC to high letters (like R:–Y:), so internal disks and apps don’t collide with them.

3) “There is a drive error” popup when you connect​

That usually means Windows thinks the drive/volume was not closed cleanly at some point (even if you waited for the LED). For external SSDs, the safest way is still Eject/Safely remove—but you’ve had trouble with “in use”.
Do this GUI-only check on the Lenovo for the partition you care about (repeat for any that matter):
  • File Explorer → right‑click the partition → Properties → Tools → Error checking → Check
If it says it repaired something, reboot once afterward.

4) Why Action → Rescan Disks was greyed out​

That’s usually just Disk Management not having focus, or the console being “busy”.
Try:
  1. Close Disk Management.
  2. Reopen it (Win+X → Disk Management).
  3. Click once on the left tree item Disk Management (so it’s “active”).
  4. Then check Action → Rescan Disks again.
If the external SSD “lights out” / disconnects while you’re doing this, Rescan may stay unavailable until Windows sees the device again.

5) About %localappdata%\...\FileHistory showing only Data​

That’s fine. If File History is OFF (and/or you already deleted Configuration earlier), Windows may only show Data until File History is turned on and recreates Configuration.

What I’d do in your exact situation (minimal steps)​

1) Change Google Drive letter to Z: on the Lenovo.
2) Run Error checking (Tools → Check) on the partition you want to use for File History.
3) Reconnect the SSD and see if drive letters stop changing oddly. (Labels will always be reliable either way.)
If you can post one screenshot of:
  • File Explorer → This PC (showing Google Drive + your partitions), and
  • Disk Management (the lower pane showing the partitions + letters),
    I can tell you exactly which letter conflict is happening and what single change will make it stable.
 

Your last 2 lines: Surely you can figure that out without screenshots.

FE: D E F G(oogle) H I M J K L
DM: D E F G H I J K
 

Yes — from those two lines we can tell what’s going on.

What your two lists mean​

  • File Explorer (FE): shows a virtual Google Drive using the letter G:.
  • Disk Management (DM): shows a real partition using the letter G: (Google Drive usually does not appear in Disk Management).
So you have a drive‑letter collision on G::
  • FE reserves G: for Google Drive.
  • DM assigns G: to a real volume.
    Windows then “shuffles” what you see in File Explorer to avoid the collision, which is why letters look inconsistent.
Also:
  • FE showing M: and L: while DM only shows D–K means M: and/or L: are coming from something other than those Disk Management volumes (common examples: mapped network drive, card-reader slot, a mounted VHD, optical drive, etc.). FE lists all shell drives; DM lists real disk volumes.

The simplest fix (no screenshots, no commands)​

Pick one of these approaches:

Option A (recommended): Move Google Drive away from G:​

  1. Open Google Drive for desktop (system tray icon).
  2. Go to Settings/Preferences.
  3. Change Drive letter from G: to something out of the way, e.g. Z:.
  4. Reboot once.
After that, your external partitions will stop fighting with Google’s letter.

Option B: Put the Samsung partitions on “high letters” (stable)​

On each PC (Lenovo and Dell):
  1. Win+X → Disk Management
  2. For each Samsung partition: right‑click → Change Drive Letter and Paths…
  3. Assign letters like R:, S:, T:, U: etc.
This avoids collisions with internal disks and apps.

Practical note​

You’re right that Volume Labels are the only truly portable identifier. Drive letters are per‑PC and will always be “best effort.” The above steps just stop the worst collisions and make things much more predictable.
If you want one quick confirmation: in This PC, right‑click M: → Properties and tell me what it says under Type (Local Disk / Network location / CD Drive). That will identify where M: is coming from.
 

Sorry - L in my FE list was an error - not thinking straight (Me). I have 8 partitions excluding Google.

I originally chose J - Q to get away from a D: for my external DVD Drive, F for MS Drive and G for Google Drive.

I expected (silly me) that my chosen drive letters further down the alphabet would be honored.

Back to reading your last response in more detail.
 

No worries — and your expectation wasn’t silly. Windows will usually “remember” letters for a given volume on the same PC, but only if those letters are free at the moment you plug the drive in.
What’s breaking your J–Q plan is that Windows sees letter conflicts (especially with Google Drive’s G: and sometimes other devices/mappings), so it assigns the next available letters starting at D/E/F… and that can change from one plug‑in to the next.

Key point​

Drive letters are per PC, and Windows only honors your preferred letters if nothing else has taken them.

If you want J–Q to stick (best simple fix)​

1) Move Google Drive off G:
In Google Drive for Desktop settings, change its drive letter to something “out of the way” like Z:.
2) Make sure letters J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q are not used by anything on that PC
(mapped network drives, card readers, virtual drives, etc.).
3) Then on each PC (Lenovo and Dell), assign the Samsung partitions once:
  • Disk Management → right‑click each partition → Change Drive Letter and Paths… → set them to J–Q.
After that, as long as J–Q stay free when you connect the SSD, Windows should keep using them.

If you’d rather not fight letters​

Your “use Volume Labels” approach is perfectly valid and often the least stressful.
If you tell me whether you want to (A) enforce J–Q, or (B) fully commit to labels, I’ll give the shortest set of steps for that choice.
 

OK, please give me instructions on setting Google to Y and MS Drive to Z.

Also, when I plug in my external DVD drive, it takes D: My old one died and a new one is one the way in the mail, so I can"t test if one can change that drive letter also.

I think I can handle reassigning my chosen drive letters on the SSD w/o further help.
 

Here are the simple Windows 11 steps to move those drive letters out of the way.

A) Set Google Drive to letter Y:​

(Works if you have Google Drive for desktop installed.)
  1. Make sure Google Drive is running (you should see the Google Drive triangle icon in the taskbar tray).
  2. Click the ^ (Show hidden icons) if needed.
  3. Click the Google Drive icon.
  4. Click the gear icon (Settings) → Preferences.
  5. Look for Drive letter (sometimes under “Google Drive” or “Settings”).
  6. Change it to Y:.
  7. Click Save / Apply if prompted, and then restart Google Drive (or reboot Windows once).
If you don’t see a Drive Letter option in Google Drive Preferences, tell me the exact version/screenshot of that Preferences window and I’ll point to the right spot.

B) Set “MS Drive” to letter Z: (I need one detail)​

“MS Drive” can mean different things in Windows. Before you change it, please tell me what it is called in File Explorer and what letter it currently uses (e.g., “Microsoft something (F:)” or similar).
Meanwhile, here are the two most common cases:

Case 1: It’s a mapped network drive (most common)​

  1. Open File Explorer → This PC.
  2. Under Network locations, right‑click the “MS Drive” → Disconnect.
  3. Now click the … (three dots) in the toolbar → Map network drive.
  4. Choose drive letter Z:.
  5. Paste the same network path you used before → Finish.

Case 2: It’s a real disk/partition (shows in Disk Management)​

  1. Right‑click Start → Disk Management.
  2. Find the volume that matches that drive letter.
  3. Right‑click it → Change Drive Letter and Paths…
  4. Click Change… → pick Z: → OK.
Note: If your “MS Drive” is actually OneDrive, it usually does not use a drive letter at all (it appears as a special folder), so it would be something else.

C) Change your external DVD drive letter (from D: to something else)​

You can change it.
  1. Plug in the DVD drive.
  2. Right‑click Start → Disk Management.
  3. In the lower pane, find CD-ROM (it will show your DVD drive and current letter D:).
  4. Right‑click it → Change Drive Letter and Paths…
  5. Click Change… → choose a letter you don’t want Windows to use for your SSD (for example X: or W:).
  6. OK.

Quick tip before you reassign the SSD letters​

After you move Google to Y: and the MS drive to Z: and the DVD to X: (example), then you can assign your SSD partitions to J:–Q: and Windows is much more likely to “honor” them consistently on that PC.
If you reply with the exact name/letter of the “MS Drive” as shown in This PC, I’ll tell you which of the two cases above applies and the exact clicks for that one.
 

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