printer shows as removable disk drive

[MNLarry]

Today, after several years of operation, my HP Officejet J6480 started showing up as removable disk drive, which makes my USB hard drive backup configuration obsolete ( the designated drive is one letter off now).  I can redo the backup setup to get aroung this, but would rather fix the problem.   It still prints and faxes.  I tried unistalling the hardware and then reinstalling, but  still have the same issue.  How do i get this back to just a printer device and not also a removable disk drive?

[banhien · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Probably the machine uses the card reader on the printer as a removal drive. You can ALWAYS reassign external HDD drive letter and keep your backup drive the same. Please use the following tutorial for Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8:

    http://www.pcworld.com/article/2042380/how-to-change-drive-letters-even-when-the-letter-you-want-isn...

Regards.

[MNLarry]

Thanks!  An easy and great work-around and acceptable resolution.  It would be nice to know how this happens and how to change it though.

[banhien]

Hi,

Windows uses A to Z to assign a letter for a drive (fixed, removal, optical ...). Some letters are "reserved" such as C: ... and Windows will autotaically assign what ever spare letter for new drive. My suggestion, you assign card reader of the printer a letter at the lower end (say P - for Printer), Windows may remember and keep it as P all the time on this machine.

Regards.

[MNLarry]

Yes, that's what I did--and so far Windows has remembered (through a few test restarts with printer turned on & printer turned off).  Thanks again