usb drive letter problem

[RabbieBurns]

I was hoping with SP3 they would have fixed the problem of USB drives not getting a drive letter if there are lots of mapped drives..

 

Anyone ever found a fix for this problem?

[Inbir316]

right click my computer>manage>>disk management> select the device and right click select change drive letter and give it a letter thats not in use. whenever you plug it in again it will pick up this letter always

[RabbieBurns]

thanks yeh that works fine but is a pain in the ass and students dont have permissions to change that kinda stuff on the classroom computers.

 

After I had posted this I noticed in the related links something about USBDLM so I will check that out.

[markcuk]

we run a startup script that changes the cd drive letter to z: so usb pens will always get d:

 

have a search for diskpart

[ninjabeaver]

USB drive letter manager - USBDLM

We use this USBDLM and it works great. You can tweak it to exactly how you want it to work.

[RabbieBurns]

USBDLM works great indeed

[Michael]

I was hoping with SP3 they would have fixed the problem of USB drives not getting a drive letter if there are lots of mapped drives..

 

I've never had this problem on any of the networks I support. When you say lots of mapped drives, how many are we talking about? Theoretically, working on the presumption A (floppy), B (floppy 2), C (local disk), and D (disc drive) are used up, you have another 22 letters available.

 

I normally have about 11/12 network drives as a domain administrator, leaving another 11 free drive letters. Windows normally just allocates the next available drive letter.

[RabbieBurns]

C: and D: are HDs and E is a CD/DVD

 

We've 15 mapped network drives starting with F:

 

Windows choses the next drive letter after the last physical drive

 

so in my case it chooses F: for the USB drive

 

Its been a problem with XP since day 1

 

But this usbdlm works great and ive added a wee batch file to the computers' startup to install it so they all should be running it by next week

[Michael]

Interesting point, I wasn't aware XP chose the next drive after the last physical drive. I'll have to experiment with that.

 

On all my networks, I start with H:\ upwards, because H:\ = home drive. In theory, if you re-worked your drive letters in your logon scripts, (which is easy to do), it would be a much simpler solution to the problem.

[TronXP]

We had same problem, just changed the mapped drives to start from K:\ onwards which leaves pleanty of room for USB pens

[plexer]

Indeed xp does exhibit this stupid behaviour.

 

We also use usbdlm.

 

Ben

[RabbieBurns]

remapping them isnt an option just now.. might look at that for the summer perhaps.

[elsiegee40]

We too use USBDLM with great success

[myeomans]

USB drive letter manager - USBDLM

We use this USBDLM and it works great. You can tweak it to exactly how you want it to work.

 

Same work very well

[sharkster]

we run a startup script that changes the cd drive letter to z: so usb pens will always get d:

 

have a search for diskpart

 

could you please PM that script please?

[box_l]

I also use USBDLM and still have the version i hacked to use the registry instead of an .ini file.

 

if its any use please pm me.

 

BoX

[markcuk]

could you please PM that script please?

 

will do on monday:)

[RabbieBurns]

yeh the shared folders and mapped drives are completely wild here. Its something thats needing looked at

[TheScarfedOne]

Another heads up for USBDLM. An absolute gem when we started using it in September. A tip though - which caught me out, always allow a few letters for USB, for those awkward ones who want to plug in multiple USB pens/flash cards etc...

 

I had to send out a new config file after overlooking this one...

[Oops_my_bad]

Sorry to go off topic somewhat, but does anyone know how to *completely* remove USBDLM? I've tried the bat files in the USBDLM directory that remove the service but when I insert a USB stick they are still getting the USBDLM assigned drive letters.

 

Somehow this has ended up on staff laptops and it is causing havoc with our smart boards

[RabbieBurns]

what problems are you haveing with it and the smart boards? I installed it on most staff machines that have smart boards and they seem to be working fine.

[dezt]

We use USBDLM, make the USB drive z:

 

Works great here