Subst no longer works as it did!

[Bill Todd]

Folders mapped to drive letters using the subst command appeared to be
local drives prior to Win XP. Since I have upgraded to XP software
that requires its files to be on a local drive no longer works with a
drive letter mapped using subst. Is there any workaround for this? It
is really a problem.

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Folders mapped to drive letters using the subst command appeared to be
local drives prior to Win XP. Since I have upgraded to XP software
that requires its files to be on a local drive no longer works with a
drive letter mapped using subst. Is there any workaround for this? It
is really a problem.

A drive letter assigned using the subst command works fine as a local
drive on my XP computers, Bill.

What software are you running, and what exactly happens when you run
it?

Perhaps the problem is with the software, not with XP. Try
un-installing it and re-installing it. If you can't do that, try
running it in compatibility mode for your previous version of Windows.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[Bill Todd]

Perhaps the problem is with the software, not with XP.

No, the problem is not with the software. I found the following in
another post in this group.

"The reason this now fails is that on Windows XP, virtual drives (sym
links)
are now only visible to the user who created it. On Windows 2000,
these were
visible to users who didn't create them. For security reasons, this
was
closed. As a side effect, it prevents installs on XP using subst
drives."

This would explain my problem because the software that fails is a
service and is running under the system account. The system account
cannot see subst drives that I create.

Is there any way to create subst drives that the system account can
see?

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

No, the problem is not with the software. I found the following in
another post in this group.

"The reason this now fails is that on Windows XP, virtual drives (sym
links)
are now only visible to the user who created it. On Windows 2000,
these were
visible to users who didn't create them. For security reasons, this
was
closed. As a side effect, it prevents installs on XP using subst
drives."

This would explain my problem because the software that fails is a
service and is running under the system account. The system account
cannot see subst drives that I create.

Is there any way to create subst drives that the system account can
see?

I don't know if these will work, but here are some possibilities:

1. Put the subst command in a batch file in this folder:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

2. Map a network drive instead of using subst. In XP, you can map a
network drive to a local disk.

3. Run the software in Windows 2000 compatibility mode.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[Dave]

I also had this problem and i found the way i typed the 'subst' command was
at fault
if i did not put a slash after the drive/directory i was subbing it did not
work

subst h: c:\ works

subst h: c: doesn't, even though it does on some earlier versions of
windows

Hope this helps, although not sure if this is your problem.