Multi-drive inventory

Scan Multiple and Removable Drives Without Mixed Results

Scan multiple drives as one operation, keep removable media connected and understand when the complete new set replaces existing results.

By Osenpa Published Reviewed

Short answer

Connect every drive and check its label and capacity. Choose Scan All, then keep the drives connected until every one finishes.

The old complete result stays visible during the scan. If you cancel or a drive disconnects, the unfinished set does not replace it.

When to use this method

Use this method when you want one current result for several fixed or removable drives without mixing old and unfinished data.

Before you start

Connect every drive. Write down each label and capacity. Keep portable devices powered. Scan checks one drive; Scan All checks the current set as one operation.

Multi-drive scan behavior How results are committed and what to check after a drive changes.
How Scan All works
Scan All owns one operation and stages its results until every selected drive completes. Stale callbacks cannot overwrite later work, and cancellation or failure leaves the previous complete tabs intact.
Important limit
Two USB drives can both appear as E: at different times. Capacity and volume identity must match before comparing results; a later device needs a fresh scan.

Scan each drive and check its result

Check the drive list

Record each drive letter, label, and capacity. You should see every expected drive before starting.

Choose Scan All

Choose Scan All for one combined snapshot. Choose one drive only when troubleshooting it. You should see progress for the drives in the current set.

Leave the drives connected

Do not remove, reconnect, or rename a drive while scanning. Wait until result preparation finishes.

Check the result tabs

When every drive finishes, you should see new per-drive tabs for the full set. If Scan All is canceled or fails, the previous complete tabs remain.

Refresh after a hardware change

Refresh the drive list after adding, removing, or replacing a device. Check its label and capacity, then start a new scan.

Osenpa Disk Analyzer home screen with separate cards for two drives and a Scan All button
Check each drive card before Scan All. Keep every listed drive connected until the complete set finishes.
Devices can change mid-scan

What can make a drive result incomplete

  • Swapping devices that reuse one drive letter
  • Assuming a canceled Scan All partly updated the tabs
  • Disconnecting during result preparation
  • Comparing inventories without volume labels
Match every result to a drive

Checkpoint: confirm every drive finished

  • Write down each volume label and capacity.
  • Keep devices attached through result preparation.
  • Confirm the whole new drive set replaced the previous tabs.
  • Refresh and rescan after any hardware change.
Drive scan progress in Osenpa Disk Analyzer
Step by step

Osenpa Disk Analyzer

Stage one Scan All result across fixed and removable drives without mixing old tabs with a partial new set.