Forcing a USB floppy drive to be assigned A:

gwendes · 25-09-2008, 02:53 PM

Really struggling with this (constant interruptions)

Have a USB floppy drive that's used for OFFLINE OCR exams - this software needs the drive to be assigned A: to work - even turning off the FDC in the BIOS still makes the drive B: (or worse)

I've hunted around for a script to force the reassignment of the drive to A: but nothing seems to work.

Can anyone help?

sharkster · 25-09-2008, 02:55 PM

try a look on google and looke for "usbdlm"
we use it and assign drive letters to removeovalbe usb drives.
but dont know if it will work with A:

powdarrmonkey · 25-09-2008, 02:59 PM

USB drive letter manager - USBDLM, and yes you can use A: (provided it's not already assigned to anything).

Michael · 25-09-2008, 03:00 PM

That's unusual. Usually disabling the floppy drive in the BIOS should allow you to use A:\

What about physically disconnecting the 34pin floppy cable or remove power to the floppy drive completely?

The only reason (as far as I can see) the USB drive is using B:\, is because A:\ is still in use.

Michael · 25-09-2008, 03:03 PM

An alternative you could try is a virtual floppy drive. If you google that, you should find what you're looking for.

gwendes · 25-09-2008, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael

An alternative you could try is a virtual floppy drive. If you google that, you should find what you're looking for.

There actually isn't a FDD connected - the motherboard seems to be telling Windows there is even with it disabled :crying:

I would love to make it virtual but it's often an actual disc that this outside group bring in... don't know why I go out of my way to do things like this...

I will investigate the suggestion above - thanks

powdarrmonkey · 25-09-2008, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwendes

There actually isn't a FDD connected - the motherboard seems to be telling Windows there is even with it disabled :crying:

I would love to make it virtual but it's often an actual disc that this outside group bring in... don't know why I go out of my way to do things like this...

I will investigate the suggestion above - thanks

I'll bet Windows has assigned it to B at some point and is remembering. You can change its letter in Computer Management -> Disk Management.

OutToLunch · 25-09-2008, 03:19 PM

I've only had 1 type of pen drive work with the offline exams - currently AWOL on my desk somewhere, but it was a particular type where it had a separate partition which automatically detected as a floppy drive at the same time you plugged the stick in. Even that proved unreliable - at one point for the smaller groups tests we bought a batch of USB floppy drives instead. After 1 nightmare session I gave up and set up the local server version instead. If you're desperate let me know and I'll tidy my desk to find the usb stick.

gwendes · 25-09-2008, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by powdarrmonkey

I'll bet Windows has assigned it to B at some point and is remembering. You can change its letter in Computer Management -> Disk Management.

Can't be - clean install! I've just tried with USBDLM and it can't force A: - the drive is still assigned B:

Any other suggestions?

gwendes · 25-09-2008, 03:30 PM

Can I remove A: on boot and then it should assign the correct letter?

OutToLunch · 25-09-2008, 03:47 PM

There were 2 separate points in the BIOS that I had to change - it may depend on your PC, but I had to disable the floppy disk controller (FDC) on the onboard devices screen and also set both A: and B: to None on the disk setup screen. Obviously that will vary from BIOS to BIOS but if you're struggling to follow my clear as mud explanation I can take some shots.

Is there a reason you can't use the LAN server version? That saved me a huge amount of grief in the end!

K.C.Leblanc · 25-09-2008, 04:10 PM

Is there a swap floppy drive letters option in the BIOS? Some BIOSes can big configured to assign B before A.

gwendes · 26-09-2008, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OutToLunch

Is there a reason you can't use the LAN server version? That saved me a huge amount of grief in the end!

Yes. This is a course that runs after school and they bring in the floppy discs - I have both the online and offline installed and they need both - also, this guy will not be reasoned with.

Quote:

Originally Posted by K.C.Leblanc

Is there a swap floppy drive letters option in the BIOS? Some BIOSes can big configured to assign B before A.

Not on these - I'll have another look today.

gadgetoholic · 16-11-2008, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwendes

Can't be - clean install! I've just tried with USBDLM and it can't force A: - the drive is still assigned B:

Any other suggestions?

to disable floppy disk right click my computer-property-hardware-device manager-and floppy disk right clik it disable
and now u can assign any letter to ur key wheather a b or z.

jsnetman · 17-11-2008, 05:28 AM

If you are using OCR I-Assess offline testing we use USB memory sticks for the tests. There are 2 config files you can download from OCR that will cofigure the software to use E: as the drive letter for the tests. This will work on any standard machine that has a C drive and Cdrom drive (D) as it then assigns USB memory as E.

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25-09-2008, 02:53 PM	#1
gwendes Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Portsmouth Posts: 1,037 Thanks: 5 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Rep Power: 7	Forcing a USB floppy drive to be assigned A: Really struggling with this (constant interruptions) Have a USB floppy drive that's used for OFFLINE OCR exams - this software needs the drive to be assigned A: to work - even turning off the FDC in the BIOS still makes the drive B: (or worse) I've hunted around for a script to force the reassignment of the drive to A: but nothing seems to work. Can anyone help?

17-11-2008, 05:28 AM	#15
jsnetman Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 194 Thanks: 2 Thanked 29 Times in 26 Posts Rep Power: 9	If you are using OCR I-Assess offline testing we use USB memory sticks for the tests. There are 2 config files you can download from OCR that will cofigure the software to use E: as the drive letter for the tests. This will work on any standard machine that has a C drive and Cdrom drive (D) as it then assigns USB memory as E. Last edited by jsnetman; 17-11-2008 at 05:35 AM..

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Forcing a USB floppy drive to be assigned A:

25-09-2008, 02:55 PM	#2
sharkster Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Middlesbrough Posts: 103 Thanks: 8 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts Rep Power: 4	try a look on google and looke for "usbdlm" we use it and assign drive letters to removeovalbe usb drives. but dont know if it will work with A:

25-09-2008, 02:59 PM	#3
powdarrmonkey Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Alcester, Warwickshire Posts: 1,211 Thanks: 60 Thanked 121 Times in 99 Posts Rep Power: 26	USB drive letter manager - USBDLM, and yes you can use A: (provided it's not already assigned to anything).

25-09-2008, 03:00 PM	#4
Michael Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Birmingham Posts: 2,360 Thanks: 37 Thanked 188 Times in 148 Posts Rep Power: 44	That's unusual. Usually disabling the floppy drive in the BIOS should allow you to use A:\ What about physically disconnecting the 34pin floppy cable or remove power to the floppy drive completely? The only reason (as far as I can see) the USB drive is using B:\, is because A:\ is still in use.

25-09-2008, 03:03 PM	#5
Michael Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Birmingham Posts: 2,360 Thanks: 37 Thanked 188 Times in 148 Posts Rep Power: 44	An alternative you could try is a virtual floppy drive. If you google that, you should find what you're looking for.

25-09-2008, 03:19 PM	#8
OutToLunch Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 769 Thanks: 28 Thanked 66 Times in 59 Posts Rep Power: 23	I've only had 1 type of pen drive work with the offline exams - currently AWOL on my desk somewhere, but it was a particular type where it had a separate partition which automatically detected as a floppy drive at the same time you plugged the stick in. Even that proved unreliable - at one point for the smaller groups tests we bought a batch of USB floppy drives instead. After 1 nightmare session I gave up and set up the local server version instead. If you're desperate let me know and I'll tidy my desk to find the usb stick.

25-09-2008, 03:30 PM	#10
gwendes Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Portsmouth Posts: 1,037 Thanks: 5 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Rep Power: 7	Can I remove A: on boot and then it should assign the correct letter?

25-09-2008, 03:47 PM	#11
OutToLunch Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 769 Thanks: 28 Thanked 66 Times in 59 Posts Rep Power: 23	There were 2 separate points in the BIOS that I had to change - it may depend on your PC, but I had to disable the floppy disk controller (FDC) on the onboard devices screen and also set both A: and B: to None on the disk setup screen. Obviously that will vary from BIOS to BIOS but if you're struggling to follow my clear as mud explanation I can take some shots. Is there a reason you can't use the LAN server version? That saved me a huge amount of grief in the end!

25-09-2008, 04:10 PM	#12
K.C.Leblanc Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Rural heck Posts: 499 Thanks: 11 Thanked 20 Times in 17 Posts Rep Power: 7	Is there a swap floppy drive letters option in the BIOS? Some BIOSes can big configured to assign B before A.

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