Suggestions are invited on the simplest and most reliable way
(in a BAT file command script) to check whether a command-line
parameter (e.g. %1 or %2) designates a valid drive letter (with
its colon, e.g. C: or D: )?

- Rich

Rich Pasco wrote:

> Suggestions are invited on the simplest and most reliable way
> (in a BAT file command script) to check whether a command-line
> parameter (e.g. %1 or %2) designates a valid drive letter (with
> its colon, e.g. C: or D: )?

This should work with Windows 2000 and newer.

Below is what I have now. I can't seem to fool it into making an
mistake, but the checking feels awkward. Does anyone have a more
elegant solution?

============================
set drive=%~d1
if /I not %~1==%drive% (
echo Parameter "%~1" does not name a drive.
goto end
)
if not exist "%drive%" (
echo Drive %drive% is not available.
goto end
)
echo drive is %drive%
.... useful part of script goes here...
:end
============================

- Rich

"Rich Pasco" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Suggestions are invited on the simplest and most reliable way
> (in a BAT file command script) to check whether a command-line
> parameter (e.g. %1 or %2) designates a valid drive letter (with
> its colon, e.g. C: or D: )?
>
> - Rich

Rich,

Take a look at the post entitled 'Batch file to show Network drives', I
believe you'll find relevant info. in there.

--
Dean Wells [MVP / Directory Services]
MSEtechnology
[[ Please respond to the Newsgroup only regarding posts ]]
R e m o v e t h e m a s k t o s e n d e m a i l

"Dean Wells (MVP)" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:egGL$(E-Mail Removed)...
> "Rich Pasco" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Suggestions are invited on the simplest and most reliable way
>> (in a BAT file command script) to check whether a command-line
>> parameter (e.g. %1 or %2) designates a valid drive letter (with
>> its colon, e.g. C: or D: )?
>>
>> - Rich
>
> Rich,
>
> Take a look at the post entitled 'Batch file to show Network drives',
> I believe you'll find relevant info. in there.
>
> --
> Dean Wells [MVP / Directory Services]
> MSEtechnology
> [[ Please respond to the Newsgroup only regarding posts ]]
> R e m o v e t h e m a s k t o s e n d e m a i l
>
>
>

Perhaps something like this depending on support for the binary of
course -

fsutil fsinfo drives | findstr /i "F:" && echo Valid. || echo Invalid.

--
Dean Wells [MVP / Directory Services]
MSEtechnology
[[ Please respond to the Newsgroup only regarding posts ]]
R e m o v e t h e m a s k t o s e n d e m a i l

Dean Wells (MVP) wrote:

>> Take a look at the post entitled 'Batch file to show Network drives',
>> I believe you'll find relevant info. in there.
>
> Perhaps something like this depending on support for the binary of
> course -
>
> fsutil fsinfo drives | findstr /i "F:" && echo Valid. || echo Invalid.

Thanks, Dean. Many of the solutions in that thread, including yours,
require fsutil, which doesn't seem to be present on my Windows 2000
system. Can I download it as an add-on, or is it limited to XP and
newer?

Learn about fsutil here
http://technet2.microsoft.com/window...d059f1033.mspx

Considering that I need to support Windows 2000, I may just stick with
my original solution, which does work under Windows 2000.

- Rich

"Rich Pasco" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Dean Wells (MVP) wrote:
>
>>> Take a look at the post entitled 'Batch file to show Network
>>> drives',
>>> I believe you'll find relevant info. in there.
>>
>> Perhaps something like this depending on support for the binary of
>> course -
>>
>> fsutil fsinfo drives | findstr /i "F:" && echo Valid. || echo
>> Invalid.
>
> Thanks, Dean. Many of the solutions in that thread, including yours,
> require fsutil, which doesn't seem to be present on my Windows 2000
> system. Can I download it as an add-on, or is it limited to XP and
> newer?
>
> Learn about fsutil here
> http://technet2.microsoft.com/window...d059f1033.mspx
>
> Considering that I need to support Windows 2000, I may just stick with
> my original solution, which does work under Windows 2000.
>
> - Rich

Nod, fair comment, I confess my efforts regarding legacy-supportability
typically end at XP and 2K3.

Here's another hip-shot -

@echo off
set arg=%~1
set driveLETTER=%arg:~0,1%
if exist %driveLETTER::=%:\nul (
echo %driveLETTER::=%: is valid)
else (
echo %driveLETTER::=%: is invalid.
)

--
Dean Wells [MVP / Directory Services]
MSEtechnology
[[ Please respond to the Newsgroup only regarding posts ]]
R e m o v e t h e m a s k t o s e n d e m a i l

"Dean Wells (MVP)" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> "Rich Pasco" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Dean Wells (MVP) wrote:
>>
>>>> Take a look at the post entitled 'Batch file to show Network drives',
>>>> I believe you'll find relevant info. in there.
>>>
>>> Perhaps something like this depending on support for the binary of
>>> course -
>>>
>>> fsutil fsinfo drives | findstr /i "F:" && echo Valid. || echo Invalid.
>>
>> Thanks, Dean. Many of the solutions in that thread, including yours,
>> require fsutil, which doesn't seem to be present on my Windows 2000
>> system. Can I download it as an add-on, or is it limited to XP and
>> newer?
>>
>> Learn about fsutil here
>> http://technet2.microsoft.com/window...d059f1033.mspx
>>
>> Considering that I need to support Windows 2000, I may just stick with
>> my original solution, which does work under Windows 2000.
>>
>> - Rich
>
> Nod, fair comment, I confess my efforts regarding legacy-supportability
> typically end at XP and 2K3.
>
> Here's another hip-shot -
>
> @echo off
> set arg=%~1
> set driveLETTER=%arg:~0,1%
> if exist %driveLETTER::=%:\nul (
> echo %driveLETTER::=%: is valid)
> else (
> echo %driveLETTER::=%: is invalid.
> )
>
> --
> Dean Wells [MVP / Directory Services]
> MSEtechnology
> [[ Please respond to the Newsgroup only regarding posts ]]
> R e m o v e t h e m a s k t o s e n d e m a i l

See if this works at all for you:

@echo off

call:test C:
call:test c:
call:test c:d:fvfv\\wwwww
call:test "C:"
call:test "c:\"
call:test R:\dummy\asd.zxc
pause
goto:eof

:test
if /i "%~1" EQU "%~d1" (
echo/parameter IS a drive letter: "%~1"
) else (
echo/parameter is NOT a drive letter: "%~1"
)
goto:EOF

/Al

Al Dunbar wrote:

> See if this works at all for you:
>
> @echo off
>
> call:test C:
> call:test c:
> call:test c:d:fvfv\\wwwww
> call:test "C:"
> call:test "c:\"
> call:test R:\dummy\asd.zxc
> pause
> goto:eof
>
> :test
> if /i "%~1" EQU "%~d1" (
> echo/parameter IS a drive letter: "%~1"
> ) else (
> echo/parameter is NOT a drive letter: "%~1"
> )
> goto:EOF
>
> /Al

Hi Al, I like it. It is the same method as I used in my own example,
my second post in this thread.

- Rich

If running on an intel box, with debug in the path (or it could be
converted to ascii asm), this would do it:

@echo off
rem qdrvl.bat

echo E100 A0 5C 00 B4 4C CD 21> %temp%\qdrvl.dis
echo Rcx>> %temp%\qdrvl.dis
echo 7 >> %temp%\qdrvl.dis
echo w >> %temp%\qdrvl.dis
echo q >> %temp%\qdrvl.dis
echo create>%temp%\qdrvl.com
debug %temp%\qdrvl.com<%temp%\qdrvl.dis >nul
%temp%\qdrvl.com %1
if errorlevel 243 goto isnumbercolon
if errorlevel 1 echo valid drive
if not errorlevel 1 echo Not a valid drive
goto exit
:isnumbercolon
echo number followed by colon detected!
:exit
::del %temp%\qdrvl.com
del %temp%\qdrvl.dis


though it seems the com parser is a bit crude and allows $: and £:

(X-posted to amb)

"Rich Pasco" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Al Dunbar wrote:
>
>> See if this works at all for you:
>>
>> @echo off
>>
>> call:test C:
>> call:test c:
>> call:test c:d:fvfv\\wwwww
>> call:test "C:"
>> call:test "c:\"
>> call:test R:\dummy\asd.zxc
>> pause
>> goto:eof
>>
>> :test
>> if /i "%~1" EQU "%~d1" (
>> echo/parameter IS a drive letter: "%~1"
>> ) else (
>> echo/parameter is NOT a drive letter: "%~1"
>> )
>> goto:EOF
>>
>> /Al
>
> Hi Al, I like it. It is the same method as I used in my own example,
> my second post in this thread.

Sorry, I didn't recognize its similarity because you use a different IF
statement syntax.

/Al