Guest Stephen Ford Posted September 5, 2007 Posted September 5, 2007 WinXP SP2 (up to date with Win Update) I have a problem where a third party device when plugged into a USB port becomes accessible via a drive letter it creates and the drive letter conflicts with an existing drive letter. My PC has one HDD in three partitions and there is a CD drive. So the drive letters are C:, D:, E: & F: I use the following batch file at start up echo on subst H: D:\ subst J: D:\data subst K: "D:\DATA\Acquire Home Services" subst L: D:\DATA\Paradox subst M: "D:\DATA\WP9 App data" subst N: "C:\Documents and Settings\Office\Application Data\Corel\PerfectExpert\9\Custom WP Templates" Pause exit When the device is plugged in it creates "Removable Disk (G:)" & "TomTom(H:)". the H: conflicts with the H: drive created by the batch file. Yes, it's a TomTom sat.nav. My initial discussion with TomTom support resulted in the comment "it's Windows that creates the drive and causes the conflict, not TomTom". I can believe it's feasible but I wonder if there is such a hole in the O/S such that it tramples over drives created by the SUBST command. What might be going on? -- Regards Stephen Ford
Guest vista terminal ator Posted September 5, 2007 Posted September 5, 2007 Re: How does Win allocate drive letters? you can change the letters of hdd and cdroms and external devices from control panel, administrative tools, computer managment, disk managment. right click on the one you want and give it another letter... I suggest you change the letters of the conflicting devices to somthing like m, n, o, p so you can leave letter-space for the removable device you add later "Stephen Ford" <stephen_ford_NO_@_SPAM_uwclub.net> wrote in message news:ea7xcQ57HHA.1212@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... > WinXP SP2 (up to date with Win Update) > > I have a problem where a third party device when plugged into a USB port > becomes accessible via a drive letter it creates and the drive letter > conflicts with an existing drive letter. > > My PC has one HDD in three partitions and there is a CD drive. So the > drive letters are C:, D:, E: & F: > > I use the following batch file at start up > > echo on > subst H: D:\ > subst J: D:\data > subst K: "D:\DATA\Acquire Home Services" > subst L: D:\DATA\Paradox > subst M: "D:\DATA\WP9 App data" > subst N: "C:\Documents and Settings\Office\Application > Data\Corel\PerfectExpert\9\Custom WP Templates" > Pause > exit > > When the device is plugged in it creates "Removable Disk (G:)" & > "TomTom(H:)". the H: conflicts with the H: drive created by the batch > file. Yes, it's a TomTom sat.nav. > > My initial discussion with TomTom support resulted in the comment "it's > Windows that creates the drive and causes the conflict, not TomTom". I can > believe it's feasible but I wonder if there is such a hole in the O/S such > that it tramples over drives created by the SUBST command. What might be > going on? > > -- > Regards > Stephen Ford > >
Guest Stephen Ford Posted September 5, 2007 Posted September 5, 2007 Re: How does Win allocate drive letters? Thanks for that. I've just discovered elsewhere that removeable drive letters created when a removable device is connected can conflict with non-hardware drive letters (eg as created by network systems or the SUBST command). So as you say, I need to move my non-hardware drive letters further up the alphabet to leave room for removable drive letters. It would be nice if Windows coped with this automatically. -- Regards Stephen Ford "vista terminal ator" <-> wrote in message news:46de69be$1@newsgate.x-privat.org... > you can change the letters of hdd and cdroms and external devices from > > control panel, administrative tools, computer managment, disk managment. > > right click on the one you want and give it another letter... > > I suggest you change the letters of the conflicting devices to somthing > like m, n, o, p so you can leave letter-space for the removable device you > add later > "Stephen Ford" <stephen_ford_NO_@_SPAM_uwclub.net> wrote in message > news:ea7xcQ57HHA.1212@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... >> WinXP SP2 (up to date with Win Update) >> >> I have a problem where a third party device when plugged into a USB port >> becomes accessible via a drive letter it creates and the drive letter >> conflicts with an existing drive letter. >> >> My PC has one HDD in three partitions and there is a CD drive. So the >> drive letters are C:, D:, E: & F: >> >> I use the following batch file at start up >> >> echo on >> subst H: D:\ >> subst J: D:\data >> subst K: "D:\DATA\Acquire Home Services" >> subst L: D:\DATA\Paradox >> subst M: "D:\DATA\WP9 App data" >> subst N: "C:\Documents and Settings\Office\Application >> Data\Corel\PerfectExpert\9\Custom WP Templates" >> Pause >> exit >> >> When the device is plugged in it creates "Removable Disk (G:)" & >> "TomTom(H:)". the H: conflicts with the H: drive created by the batch >> file. Yes, it's a TomTom sat.nav. >> >> My initial discussion with TomTom support resulted in the comment "it's >> Windows that creates the drive and causes the conflict, not TomTom". I >> can believe it's feasible but I wonder if there is such a hole in the O/S >> such that it tramples over drives created by the SUBST command. What >> might be going on? >> >> -- >> Regards >> Stephen Ford >> >> > >
Guest Uwe Sieber Posted September 5, 2007 Posted September 5, 2007 Re: How does Win allocate drive letters? It scans from C: upwards for the first availlable letter. XP doesn't care about subst and net drive letters here. Vista does but if you attach an USB drive for the first time before your subst drives are created it may assing a letter intended as subst drive, so the subst command will fail later. Either let some low letters unused for external drives or install my tool 'USB drive letter manager'. Here you can reserve you subst drive letters so they are never used for othter drives. http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbdlm_e.html You need an USBDLM.INI like this: [ExcludedLetters] Letter1=H Letter2=J Letter3=K Letter4=L Letter5=M Letter6=N Or define default letters for USB drives: [DriveLetters] Letter1=O Letter2=P Letter3=Q Letter4=R Letter5=S Letter6=T Greetings from Germany Uwe Stephen Ford wrote: > WinXP SP2 (up to date with Win Update) > > I have a problem where a third party device when plugged into a USB port > becomes accessible via a drive letter it creates and the drive letter > conflicts with an existing drive letter. > > My PC has one HDD in three partitions and there is a CD drive. So the drive > letters are C:, D:, E: & F: > > I use the following batch file at start up > > echo on > subst H: D:\ > subst J: D:\data > subst K: "D:\DATA\Acquire Home Services" > subst L: D:\DATA\Paradox > subst M: "D:\DATA\WP9 App data" > subst N: "C:\Documents and Settings\Office\Application > Data\Corel\PerfectExpert\9\Custom WP Templates" > Pause > exit > > When the device is plugged in it creates "Removable Disk (G:)" & > "TomTom(H:)". the H: conflicts with the H: drive created by the batch file. > Yes, it's a TomTom sat.nav. > > My initial discussion with TomTom support resulted in the comment "it's > Windows that creates the drive and causes the conflict, not TomTom". I can > believe it's feasible but I wonder if there is such a hole in the O/S such > that it tramples over drives created by the SUBST command. What might be > going on? >
Guest Stephen Ford Posted September 5, 2007 Posted September 5, 2007 Re: How does Win allocate drive letters? Hi Uwe A fantastic product! It might be small and simple (although I couldn't write it) but it does the job; It does what you say it does and it has enabled me to connect my TomTom without changing my list of drive letters on my PC. Phew, thank goodness! I'm amazed by the unhelpfulness of TomTom (not a small company!). They have just replied to my support request by saying they can;'t help. They have not even explained the problem with Windows and suggested a route (and do they know about finding routes*!?) for me to take in my search for a solution. My search this morning has resulted in finding your product (or did you find me :-) ) and a number of other interested people. I am going to post your details on the Expansis.com web site where I have had some help and I will give all your details to TomTom. I have purchased a licence. Good luck with your other business ideas. -- Regards Stephen Ford, Cambeley, UK
Guest Stephen Ford Posted September 5, 2007 Posted September 5, 2007 Re: How does Win allocate drive letters? I hope you don't mind me helping with some words in your reply. The word "assing" needs to be "assign" (typo I think...), and the word "let" in "Either let some low letters .." needs to be "leave" ie "Either leave some low letters .." HTH -- Regards Stephen Ford "Uwe Sieber" <mail@uwe-sieber.de> wrote in message news:5k7c56F2fav6U2@mid.individual.net... > > It scans from C: upwards for the first availlable letter. > XP doesn't care about subst and net drive letters here. > Vista does but if you attach an USB drive for the first > time before your subst drives are created it may assing > a letter intended as subst drive, so the subst command > will fail later. > > Either let some low letters unused for external drives > or install my tool 'USB drive letter manager'. Here > you can reserve you subst drive letters so they are > never used for othter drives. > http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbdlm_e.html > > You need an USBDLM.INI like this: > > [ExcludedLetters] > Letter1=H > Letter2=J > Letter3=K > Letter4=L > Letter5=M > Letter6=N > > Or define default letters for USB drives: > > [DriveLetters] > Letter1=O > Letter2=P > Letter3=Q > Letter4=R > Letter5=S > Letter6=T > > > Greetings from Germany > > Uwe > > > > Stephen Ford wrote: >> WinXP SP2 (up to date with Win Update) >> >> I have a problem where a third party device when plugged into a USB port >> becomes accessible via a drive letter it creates and the drive letter >> conflicts with an existing drive letter. >> >> My PC has one HDD in three partitions and there is a CD drive. So the >> drive letters are C:, D:, E: & F: >> >> I use the following batch file at start up >> >> echo on >> subst H: D:\ >> subst J: D:\data >> subst K: "D:\DATA\Acquire Home Services" >> subst L: D:\DATA\Paradox >> subst M: "D:\DATA\WP9 App data" >> subst N: "C:\Documents and Settings\Office\Application >> Data\Corel\PerfectExpert\9\Custom WP Templates" >> Pause >> exit >> >> When the device is plugged in it creates "Removable Disk (G:)" & >> "TomTom(H:)". the H: conflicts with the H: drive created by the batch >> file. Yes, it's a TomTom sat.nav. >> >> My initial discussion with TomTom support resulted in the comment "it's >> Windows that creates the drive and causes the conflict, not TomTom". I >> can believe it's feasible but I wonder if there is such a hole in the O/S >> such that it tramples over drives created by the SUBST command. What >> might be going on? >>
Guest Bob I Posted September 5, 2007 Posted September 5, 2007 Re: How does Win allocate drive letters? Left to it's own, XP automatically assigns Local drive letters (non-floppy) starting with C: and working up. Network drive letters will be automaticaly assigned starting with Z: and working their way down. IF someone starts assigning letters manually, then they take the responsibility of sorting out the conflicts. Stephen Ford wrote: > WinXP SP2 (up to date with Win Update) > > I have a problem where a third party device when plugged into a USB port > becomes accessible via a drive letter it creates and the drive letter > conflicts with an existing drive letter. > > My PC has one HDD in three partitions and there is a CD drive. So the drive > letters are C:, D:, E: & F: > > I use the following batch file at start up > > echo on > subst H: D:\ > subst J: D:\data > subst K: "D:\DATA\Acquire Home Services" > subst L: D:\DATA\Paradox > subst M: "D:\DATA\WP9 App data" > subst N: "C:\Documents and Settings\Office\Application > Data\Corel\PerfectExpert\9\Custom WP Templates" > Pause > exit > > When the device is plugged in it creates "Removable Disk (G:)" & > "TomTom(H:)". the H: conflicts with the H: drive created by the batch file. > Yes, it's a TomTom sat.nav. > > My initial discussion with TomTom support resulted in the comment "it's > Windows that creates the drive and causes the conflict, not TomTom". I can > believe it's feasible but I wonder if there is such a hole in the O/S such > that it tramples over drives created by the SUBST command. What might be > going on? >
Guest Stephen Ford Posted September 5, 2007 Posted September 5, 2007 Re: How does Win allocate drive letters? I use the batch file to create a standard look and feel to my PCs. All s/w is then configured the same. I don't know if there is a better way. It cause this removable disc prob though. USBDLM seems to have solved that. -- Regards Stephen Ford
Guest Uwe Sieber Posted September 5, 2007 Posted September 5, 2007 Re: How does Win allocate drive letters? Thanks :-) Stephen Ford wrote: > I hope you don't mind me helping with some words in your reply. > > The word "assing" needs to be "assign" (typo I think...), and the word "let" > in "Either let some low letters .." needs to be "leave" ie "Either leave > some low letters .." > > HTH
Guest GO Posted September 6, 2007 Posted September 6, 2007 Re: How does Win allocate drive letters? Bob I wrote: > Left to it's own, XP automatically assigns Local drive letters > (non-floppy) starting with C: and working up. Network drive letters > will be automaticaly assigned starting with Z: and working their way > down. IF someone starts assigning letters manually, then they take the > responsibility of sorting out the conflicts. I'm curious though as to why the OS can't sort out these conflicts? I realize it's a different mechanism for assigning a drive letter to a physical hard drive than mapping a network share (or even using the subst command), but you wouldn't think it'd be that hard for the OS to check if that particular letter is in use. The OS has to know at some level that it's in use or not.
Guest Stephen Ford Posted September 6, 2007 Posted September 6, 2007 Re: How does Win allocate drive letters? > I'm curious though as to why the OS can't sort out these conflicts? I > realize it's a different mechanism for assigning a drive letter to a > physical hard drive than mapping a network share (or even using the subst > command), but you wouldn't think it'd be that hard for the OS to check if > that particular letter is in use. The OS has to know at some level that > it's in use or not. Well exactly. I mean, MS have built and entire O/S - so they must know something about this sort of issue. You say "I realize it's a different mechanism for assigning a drive letter ..." - I don't have clue how this is done - not my field at all, but in the end the process for look for drives must be able to sense "a drive letter" whatever it's type (I mean isn't this C++'s forte?) and if it exists then (surely) don't trample over it...
Guest Lil' Dave Posted September 6, 2007 Posted September 6, 2007 Re: How does Win allocate drive letters? "Stephen Ford" <stephen_ford_NO_@_SPAM_uwclub.net> wrote in message news:ea7xcQ57HHA.1212@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... > WinXP SP2 (up to date with Win Update) > > I have a problem where a third party device when plugged into a USB port > becomes accessible via a drive letter it creates and the drive letter > conflicts with an existing drive letter. > > My PC has one HDD in three partitions and there is a CD drive. So the > drive letters are C:, D:, E: & F: > > I use the following batch file at start up > > echo on > subst H: D:\ > subst J: D:\data > subst K: "D:\DATA\Acquire Home Services" > subst L: D:\DATA\Paradox > subst M: "D:\DATA\WP9 App data" > subst N: "C:\Documents and Settings\Office\Application > Data\Corel\PerfectExpert\9\Custom WP Templates" > Pause > exit > > When the device is plugged in it creates "Removable Disk (G:)" & > "TomTom(H:)". the H: conflicts with the H: drive created by the batch > file. Yes, it's a TomTom sat.nav. > > My initial discussion with TomTom support resulted in the comment "it's > Windows that creates the drive and causes the conflict, not TomTom". I can > believe it's feasible but I wonder if there is such a hole in the O/S such > that it tramples over drives created by the SUBST command. What might be > going on? > > -- > Regards > Stephen Ford > > My experience: XP assigns "drive" letters on first come/first serve basis beginning at installation time. The former hierarchy that msdos had used is no longer valid in XP. That's why as soon as the XP install is done, I assign a letter like "S" or "T" to a CD or DVD device. Reassign any other partition lettering as well at that time in accordance with the msdos drive hierarchy as this is very familiar to me. The only thing I don't bother myself with in my USB thumb drive that takes "W". If I were to assign a folder a "drive" letter, I would do the same thing as above. Then, assign subsequent letters to each folder. Dave
Guest Paul Randall Posted September 7, 2007 Posted September 7, 2007 Re: How does Win allocate drive letters? Maybe each OS keeps doing the same wrong thing to maintain compatibility with the previous OS. By now there could be millions of people relying on this behavior. -Paul Randall "Stephen Ford" <stephen_ford_NO_@_SPAM_uwclub.net> wrote in message news:%23Jo9ZJG8HHA.1184@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... >> I'm curious though as to why the OS can't sort out these conflicts? I >> realize it's a different mechanism for assigning a drive letter to a >> physical hard drive than mapping a network share (or even using the subst >> command), but you wouldn't think it'd be that hard for the OS to check if >> that particular letter is in use. The OS has to know at some level that >> it's in use or not. > > Well exactly. I mean, MS have built and entire O/S - so they must know > something about this sort of issue. You say "I realize it's a different > mechanism for assigning a drive letter ..." - I don't have clue how this > is done - not my field at all, but in the end the process for look for > drives must be able to sense "a drive letter" whatever it's type (I mean > isn't this C++'s forte?) and if it exists then (surely) don't trample over > it... >
Guest GO Posted September 7, 2007 Posted September 7, 2007 Re: How does Win allocate drive letters? > "Stephen Ford" <stephen_ford_NO_@_SPAM_uwclub.net> wrote in message > news:%23Jo9ZJG8HHA.1184@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... >>> I'm curious though as to why the OS can't sort out these conflicts? >>> I realize it's a different mechanism for assigning a drive letter >>> to a physical hard drive than mapping a network share (or even >>> using the subst command), but you wouldn't think it'd be that hard >>> for the OS to check if that particular letter is in use. The OS >>> has to know at some level that it's in use or not. >> >> Well exactly. I mean, MS have built and entire O/S - so they must >> know something about this sort of issue. You say "I realize it's a >> different mechanism for assigning a drive letter ..." - I don't have >> clue how this is done - not my field at all, but in the end the >> process for look for drives must be able to sense "a drive letter" >> whatever it's type (I mean isn't this C++'s forte?) and if it exists >> then (surely) don't trample over it... >Paul Randall wrote: > Maybe each OS keeps doing the same wrong thing to maintain > compatibility with the previous OS. By now there could be millions > of people relying on this behavior. > > -Paul Randall I understand what you're saying and in some contexts it would make some sense. However, in this case I don't quite understand how anyone could be relying on this type of behavior? Why would anyone want Windows to take over drive letter when it's already in use by you and/or the system.
Guest Paul Randall Posted September 7, 2007 Posted September 7, 2007 Re: How does Win allocate drive letters? "GO" <aa533@remove.this.chebucto.ns.ca> wrote in message news:%23epDW%23O8HHA.3400@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... > >> "Stephen Ford" <stephen_ford_NO_@_SPAM_uwclub.net> wrote in message >> news:%23Jo9ZJG8HHA.1184@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... >>>> I'm curious though as to why the OS can't sort out these conflicts? >>>> I realize it's a different mechanism for assigning a drive letter >>>> to a physical hard drive than mapping a network share (or even >>>> using the subst command), but you wouldn't think it'd be that hard >>>> for the OS to check if that particular letter is in use. The OS >>>> has to know at some level that it's in use or not. >>> >>> Well exactly. I mean, MS have built and entire O/S - so they must >>> know something about this sort of issue. You say "I realize it's a >>> different mechanism for assigning a drive letter ..." - I don't have >>> clue how this is done - not my field at all, but in the end the >>> process for look for drives must be able to sense "a drive letter" >>> whatever it's type (I mean isn't this C++'s forte?) and if it exists >>> then (surely) don't trample over it... > >>Paul Randall wrote: >> Maybe each OS keeps doing the same wrong thing to maintain >> compatibility with the previous OS. By now there could be millions >> of people relying on this behavior. >> >> -Paul Randall > > I understand what you're saying and in some contexts it would make some > sense. However, in this case I don't quite understand how anyone could be > relying on this type of behavior? Why would anyone want Windows to take > over drive letter when it's already in use by you and/or the system. Your last sentence indicates you got the point of my backhanded statement. How do nasty little things like this not get fixed generation after generation? By accident? By not knowing the problem exists? By wanting it not to get fixed? -Paul Randall
Guest GO Posted September 7, 2007 Posted September 7, 2007 Re: How does Win allocate drive letters? Paul Randall wrote: > "GO" <aa533@remove.this.chebucto.ns.ca> wrote in message > news:%23epDW%23O8HHA.3400@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... >> >>> "Stephen Ford" <stephen_ford_NO_@_SPAM_uwclub.net> wrote in message >>> news:%23Jo9ZJG8HHA.1184@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... >>>>> I'm curious though as to why the OS can't sort out these >>>>> conflicts? I realize it's a different mechanism for assigning a >>>>> drive letter to a physical hard drive than mapping a network >>>>> share (or even using the subst command), but you wouldn't think >>>>> it'd be that hard for the OS to check if that particular letter >>>>> is in use. The OS has to know at some level that it's in use or >>>>> not. >>>> >>>> Well exactly. I mean, MS have built and entire O/S - so they must >>>> know something about this sort of issue. You say "I realize it's a >>>> different mechanism for assigning a drive letter ..." - I don't >>>> have clue how this is done - not my field at all, but in the end >>>> the process for look for drives must be able to sense "a drive >>>> letter" whatever it's type (I mean isn't this C++'s forte?) and if >>>> it exists then (surely) don't trample over it... >> >>> Paul Randall wrote: >>> Maybe each OS keeps doing the same wrong thing to maintain >>> compatibility with the previous OS. By now there could be millions >>> of people relying on this behavior. >>> >>> -Paul Randall >> >> I understand what you're saying and in some contexts it would make >> some sense. However, in this case I don't quite understand how >> anyone could be relying on this type of behavior? Why would anyone >> want Windows to take over drive letter when it's already in use by >> you and/or the system. > > Your last sentence indicates you got the point of my backhanded > statement. How do nasty little things like this not get fixed > generation after generation? By accident? By not knowing the > problem exists? By wanting it not to get fixed? > > -Paul Randall Aaaah....sarcasm eh? Gotcha. My apologies. I thought you were being serious....I'm getting too used to the flamewars going on over in the Vista group. :)
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