On Windows 10, each drive includes a friendly label name alongside a drive letter to help you quickly determine the device. However, the default names assigned automatically are not descriptive enough to make them useful.
If you want to make each drive more identifiable, Windows 10 allows you to change the drive label to make it more descriptive and easier to find in File Explorer (other than “Local Disk” and “New Volume”). You can use up to 32 or 11 characters for drives using NTFS or FAT file systems.
In this guide, you’ll learn four different ways to change the label name of the hard drive on Windows 10.
- Change drive label from File Explorer
- Change drive label from Properties
- Change drive label from PowerShell
- Change drive label from Command Prompt
Change drive label from File Explorer
To change the drive label on Windows 10, use these steps:
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Open File Explorer on Windows 10.
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Click on This PC from the left pane.
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Under the “Devices and drives” section, right-click the drive and select the Rename option.
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Specify a new label for the drive and press Enter.
- Click the Continue button (if applicable).
Once you complete the steps, the new label will be reflected on the hard drive.
Change drive label from Properties
To rename the drive volume from the Properties setting on Windows 10, use these steps:
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Open File Explorer.
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Click on This PC from the left pane.
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Under the “Devices and drives” section, right-click the drive and select the Properties option.
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Click the General tab.
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Specify a new label for the drive.
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Click the Apply button.
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Click the OK button.
After you complete the steps, Windows 10 will apply the new name on the drive.
Change drive label from PowerShell
To set a new drive volume name with PowerShell commands, use these steps:
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Open Start.
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Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
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Type the following command to list all the volumes and press Enter:
Get-Volume
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Type the following command to change the drive label and press Enter:
Set-Volume -DriveLetter DRIVER-LETTER -NewFileSystemLabel "NEW-LABEL"
In the command, change “DRIVE-LETTER” and “NEW-LABEL” for the drive letter and label you want to use (see step 3). For example, this command renames the drive “C” to “Windows:”
Set-Volume -DriveLetter C -NewFileSystemLabel "Windows"
Once you complete the steps, the new label will be reflected on the drive volume.
Change drive label from Command Prompt
To change the name of a drive with Command Prompt on Windows 10, use these steps:
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Open Start.
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Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
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Type the following command to launch DiskPart and press Enter:
diskpart
Quick tip: If you already know the drive’s letter you want to rename, you can skip to step 6. -
Type the following command to list all the volumes and press Enter:
list volume
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Type the following command to close DiskPart and press Enter
exit
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Type the following command to change the drive label and press Enter:
label DRIVE-LETTER NEW-LABEL
In the command, change “DRIVE-LETTER” and “NEW-LABEL” for the drive letter and label you want to use (see step 4). For example, this command renames the drive “C” to “Windows:”
Label C: System
After you complete the steps, the drive will be renamed. Use the PowerShell steps if you’re having trouble using this command because the drive appears locked.