# Kontakt can't locate libraries due to SSD drive letter change. What is the best long-term fix?



## mpet (Feb 8, 2021)

Hey all,

I recently bought a Thunderbolt dock (a CalDigit TS3) and am running into a hiccup trying to load samples via Kontakt. Essentially, every sample library I own is on an SSD that I have (until now) plugged directly into my laptop, so Kontakt has exclusively used file paths beginning with "D:\Samples".

When plugging the SSD into my Thunderbolt dock, though, its drive letter is no longer "D:\" - it is now "E:\" - so Kontakt (unsurprisingly) can't locate my libraries. I see that drive letters can be changed manually, but File Explorer reveals "D:\" is taken (it is apparently assigned to a "USB Drive" - I think this is most likely the TS3 itself?), so it seems that changing my SSD's drive letter back to "D:\" is not an option.

What I am _really_ hoping to achieve is basically having a ready-to-go SSD that I can plug into any USB-C port - whether on my Thunderbolt dock or my laptop (or my other computer) - and Kontakt will know where to look for any relevant files with as little fuss as possible. If there's a superior long-term solution to updating file paths within Kontakt every time I use a different port for, I'm all ears! Any suggestions?

- max


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## PaulieDC (Feb 9, 2021)

maxapet said:


> I recently bought a Thunderbolt dock (a CalDigit TS3) and am running into a hiccup trying to load samples via Kontakt. Essentially, every sample library I own is on an SSD that I have (until now) plugged directly into my laptop, so Kontakt has exclusively used file paths beginning with "D:\Samples".
> 
> When plugging the SSD into my Thunderbolt dock, though, its drive letter is no longer "D:\" - it is now "E:\" - so Kontakt (unsurprisingly) can't locate my libraries. I see that drive letters can be changed manually, but File Explorer reveals "D:\" is taken (it is apparently assigned to a "USB Drive" - I think this is most likely the TS3 itself?), so it seems that changing my SSD's drive letter back to "D:\" is not an option.
> 
> ...


You just need to tell Winders that your SSD should be an D: drive and it may/should/hopefully will remember, lol. Do this:


Plug in your TS3
Right-click on the Windows Start Button and choose "Disk Management". Give it a minute to load.
Look for the USB doojiggy that's the D: drive
Right-Click on it but not at the very left where you see the drive letter, anywhere to the right of that.
From the popup menu, select "Change Drive Letter and Paths"
A small window will popup with D: highlighted. Click the Change button.
Select any letter you want, I usually put those USB ports up in the alphabet, like V: or W: or X:, any one of them, doesn't matter.
Save the change. It will gripe that it could cause issues, ignore the popup warning.
NOW--do all the same steps to your TS3, and change it TO the D: drive.
That should work. Hopefully maybe. 

*DISCLAIMER: Don't even THINK about changing the C: drive letter, ever, for any reason, ever.*

That's probably an obvious one but just covering bases.


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## stevenson-again (Feb 9, 2021)

Damn I just thought about it....I hope everything is alright downstairs. :(


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## mpet (Feb 9, 2021)

PaulieDC said:


> You just need to tell Winders that your SSD should be an D: drive and it may/should/hopefully will remember, lol. Do this:
> 
> 
> Plug in your TS3
> ...


Wow! Not sure why it didn't occur to me that I could change the drive letters of both the imposter "D:\" drive _and _the displaced SSD (d'oh), but your hopeful, maybe-solution is just what the doctor ordered. You have greatly helped in facilitating this human's music-making, and you have my sincerest appreciation for doing so - thank you .



stevenson-again said:


> Damn I just thought about it....I hope everything is alright downstairs. :(


If memory serves, I believe it was Freud who once said _"sometimes a D:\ drive is just a D:\ drive".

_


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## PaulieDC (Feb 9, 2021)

maxapet said:


> Wow! Not sure why it didn't occur to me that I could change the drive letters of both the imposter "D:\" drive _and _the displaced SSD (d'oh), but your hopeful, maybe-solution is just what the doctor ordered. You have greatly helped in facilitating this human's music-making, and you have my sincerest appreciation for doing so - thank you .
> 
> 
> If memory serves, I believe it was Freud who once said _"sometimes a D:\ drive is just a D:\ drive".
> ...


Excellent! Keep an eye on it, sometimes after a Windows update you lose the mapping and Windows does what it wants, so you'll have to go back and set the drive letters again.


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## mpet (Feb 11, 2021)

PaulieDC said:


> Excellent! Keep an eye on it, sometimes after a Windows update you lose the mapping and Windows does what it wants, so you'll have to go back and set the drive letters again.


Windows updates will never cease to make me nervous for one reason or another.

I'll be sure to keep an eye out around updates. Thanks again .


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