---
id: external-drives.how-does-storage-studio-recognise-my-drive
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/how-does-storage-studio-recognise-my-drive
category: "External drives"
subcategory: "Setting up your drive"
question: "How does Storage Studio know which drive is mine?"
alt_questions:
  - "What is the marker on my drive?"
  - "Will Storage Studio confuse two drives with the same name?"
  - "How does Storage Studio identify the fast drive?"
  - "storage studio drive marker"
  - "Why does Storage Studio say a drive isn't prepared?"
  - "What happens if I plug in another drive with the same name?"
short_answer: "Storage Studio tags the drive when it sets it up and checks that tag every time, so it only manages your prepared drive — never a different disk with the same name. An unprepared drive is offered setup instead."
tags: ["drive tag", "identification", "setup"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-set-up-my-external-drive", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/my-drive-says-not-set-up", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/drive-says-not-set-up-but-i-set-it-up-before"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# How does Storage Studio know which drive is mine?

When you set a drive up, Storage Studio tags it as yours. It checks that tag every time, so it only ever manages the drive you prepared — never another disk that happens to share its name.

If the tag is missing (for example, a drive that was never prepared, or one that was erased), Storage Studio won't manage it; it offers to set the drive up first. Your data isn't affected either way. The **Inspect fast drive** window shows whether a connected drive is your prepared Storage Studio drive and when it was set up.