All very strange. . .
Windows keeps track of which volumes it uses.
When Windows changes anything within a volume, it marks that volume as "Dirty."
When Windows shuts down, it flushes data from all the volume caches, then marks the volume as "Clean."
The "Clean" and "Dirty" are stored within Windows. They are independent of the volume(s); hence, on systems with multiple operating systems, each has their own "Clean" and "Dirty" volume markers recorded.
If Windows stops unexpectedly, ALL the volumes it was using remain marked as "Dirty" and at the next startup, Windows will execute ChkDsk for each volume. ChkDsk will correct any errors it finds and mark the volume as "Clean." (But as soon as Windows starts, it will mark volumes it uses as "Dirty" again.)
Note: This work is NOT done in DOS. It's done by some very basic system code before the "Real" Windows loads and starts; hence, the window used appears like a Command Prompt.
As well, Windows checks that the volumes on the disk match the information stored within Windows. If ANY of this information doesn't match, Windows assigns that volume a default letter. Some users do not assign volume letters, so in their case, they'll see no letter alterations. Users who select custom volume lettering schemes will notice letters changing.
I ALWAYS assign volume names. This way, if the letter changes, I still know which volume I want -- and what letter to change it back to.
Hope this helps.
Cheers, PW. |
