SOLVED Win10 identifying non present disks

[Talisman]

More of a report than needing help. Windows 10.0 14393 build 14393
I run system image instead of backups. I have three formatted drives on the same physical disk. H:/ I:/ J:/
J:/ is too small for image so I can select H:/ or I:/.
System image runs fine to H:/ and finishes correctly.
Start restore system image and system says image is on K:/ . .
Not prepared to risk restore so ran system image again on disk I:/:
Tried restore again and system says image is on K;/
Now I have two current images so both are correct so I restore to K:/ even though I did not have a K:/
Restore completes correctly and system has run OK for 3 days.
Anybody with an idea of what happened.

 

[Norton]

Have you recently changed or uninstalled any programs.

What program are you using for creating system images. Windows native Back up and Restore or other. Does Computer Management > "Disk management" show partitions H: I: and J: ?

 

[Saltgrass]

When you do a System Reimage you can search for the image. Maybe the size of the partition on which it is located would give you a clue.

It also might be related to what you are booting to. If you are not booting into your normal install, some drive letters may change.

 

[Talisman]

Thanks Norton and Saltgrass.
Plot thickens.
1.Using Win 10 system image selected from backup screen. Some advise selecting from File History screen
1.disk management reports H is 97.9gb I is 139gb J is 47.8 gb So only H and I are large enough.
2.Just realised I have another portable HDD with drives K,M,N,L. with various data on each.
3. Previously tried and failed to create system image on K and M but failed on K . M completed the system image
4.So tried formatting KNML, but K will not complete format and reports so. I cannot access it at all. NML are OK.
5.So somehow a failed format on K is retained in system and shows up in next try at system image even though a different physical disk is used.
6. K reports as Healthyy/System/Active in disk management but will not format or expand or contract or change label or anything.
7. Will try rearranging KMNL on disk and accidently and hopefully fix it.

 

[Saltgrass]

If a partition shows the System designation, it is your boot partition. Do not mess with it yet.

Could you take a picture of your Disk Management window with the snipping tool and attach? We need to see the descriptions so widen the window so those can be read.

 

[Norton]

It appears to me that the letter K has somehow been applied to your Primary partition, which is normally assigned the letter C: Don't try formatting "K" it may be your healthy Boot Primary partition.
Do as Saltgrass suggested above.

 

[Talisman]

To clarify All drives in question are on portable units. No conflict with system SSD.
I gave up trying to diagnose.
I accessed through Disk Management and deleted all 4 drives to consolidate into one drive X
I formatted X and all was well even though when part of X was called K it would not format
I then split X equally into KLMN
Ran system image on both K and L to completion.
End of story. Thankyou both Norton and Saltgrass for your assistance.
Aloha