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From: proteanthread on 24 Mar 2010 18:23
is it possible to prevent windows from mapping or assigning a usb
drive to a letter that is already used by a network folder ? is it
possible to force windows from using certain drive letters when
installing a usb drive or other mappable drive (such as one that is
already assigned to a network folder or drive) ?
From: Pegasus [MVP] on 24 Mar 2010 18:45


"proteanthread" <rtdos(a)rtdos.com> wrote in message
news:de8fd929-0018-4803-bb8c-f850c51f86f6(a)z35g2000yqd.googlegroups.com...
> is it possible to prevent windows from mapping or assigning a usb
> drive to a letter that is already used by a network folder ? is it
> possible to force windows from using certain drive letters when
> installing a usb drive or other mappable drive (such as one that is
> already assigned to a network folder or drive) ?

This is a long-standing issue and the general answer is to map drive letters
from Y: down so that there is no conflict with USB letters going up from D:
or E:.

From: John Wunderlich on 24 Mar 2010 20:06
proteanthread <rtdos(a)rtdos.com> wrote in news:de8fd929-0018-4803-bb8c-
f850c51f86f6(a)z35g2000yqd.googlegroups.com:

> is it possible to prevent windows from mapping or assigning a usb
> drive to a letter that is already used by a network folder ? is it
> possible to force windows from using certain drive letters when
> installing a usb drive or other mappable drive (such as one that is
> already assigned to a network folder or drive) ?

Yes.
After inserting your USB Drive, use DiskManager to change the drive
letter for that drive to something compatible with your configuration.

Start->Run->"diskmgmt.msc"

Then right-click on USB drive and select "Change Drive Letter..."

HTH,
John
From: LVTravel on 24 Mar 2010 20:30


"John Wunderlich" <jwunderlich(a)lycos.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9D45ADF6B5326wunderpsdrscray(a)138.125.254.103...
> proteanthread <rtdos(a)rtdos.com> wrote in news:de8fd929-0018-4803-bb8c-
> f850c51f86f6(a)z35g2000yqd.googlegroups.com:
>
>> is it possible to prevent windows from mapping or assigning a usb
>> drive to a letter that is already used by a network folder ? is it
>> possible to force windows from using certain drive letters when
>> installing a usb drive or other mappable drive (such as one that is
>> already assigned to a network folder or drive) ?
>
> Yes.
> After inserting your USB Drive, use DiskManager to change the drive
> letter for that drive to something compatible with your configuration.
>
> Start->Run->"diskmgmt.msc"
>
> Then right-click on USB drive and select "Change Drive Letter..."
>
> HTH,
> John

John, you are correct that this is the way to change a drive letter but it
doesn't help the OP in that this would have to be accomplished for any new
USB device plugged in each time and even for the same device when plugged
into another port on the same computer.

The best fix is to map network drives high in the alphabet and let the USB
drives choose letters in the lower alphabet. I always map my network drives
starting at Z or Y (depending on my rebuild/restore partition's drive
letter) and work backward.

From: John Wunderlich on 24 Mar 2010 23:55
"LVTravel" <noone(a)none.com> wrote in
news:ehOiiJ7yKHA.5036(a)TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl:

>
>
> "John Wunderlich" <jwunderlich(a)lycos.com> wrote in message
> news:Xns9D45ADF6B5326wunderpsdrscray(a)138.125.254.103...
>> proteanthread <rtdos(a)rtdos.com> wrote in
>> news:de8fd929-0018-4803-bb8c-
>> f850c51f86f6(a)z35g2000yqd.googlegroups.com:
>>
>>> is it possible to prevent windows from mapping or assigning a
>>> usb drive to a letter that is already used by a network folder ?
>>> is it possible to force windows from using certain drive
>>> letters when installing a usb drive or other mappable drive
>>> (such as one that is already assigned to a network folder or
>>> drive) ?
>>
>> Yes.
>> After inserting your USB Drive, use DiskManager to change the
>> drive letter for that drive to something compatible with your
>> configuration.
>>
>> Start->Run->"diskmgmt.msc"
>>
>> Then right-click on USB drive and select "Change Drive
>> Letter..."
>>
>> HTH,
>> John
>
> John, you are correct that this is the way to change a drive
> letter but it doesn't help the OP in that this would have to be
> accomplished for any new USB device plugged in each time and even
> for the same device when plugged into another port on the same
> computer.
>
> The best fix is to map network drives high in the alphabet and let
> the USB drives choose letters in the lower alphabet. I always map
> my network drives starting at Z or Y (depending on my
> rebuild/restore partition's drive letter) and work backward.
>
>

Yes, that's the best way to make sure it doesn't happen.

I guess I should have asked whether SP3 is installed because
according to:
"List of fixes that are included in Windows XP Service Pack 3"
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946480>

XP3 includes a fix for the following:

"New drive or mapped network drive not available in Windows Explorer"
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297694/>
(which includes a Hotfix for SP2 systems and includes your solution
as a work-around)

.... although I've heard that under some scenarios the fix doesn't
work.

-- John

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