Drive Designations

[Arunta]

I can successfully attach a WD external drive to my USB port (becomes drive
F and use it okay. Can also remove it successfully using the 'Safe to
Remove' icon on the Taskbar. The drive can be attached, used and removed any
number of times okay.

There is, however, some residual effect that keeps the drive F: active after
removal of this USB drive and prevents the use of InstallShield to place
patch and update files in programmes on my C: hard drive. It always seeks the
F: drive, which of course should not exist after removal of the external
drive.

Operating systam is XPHESP3. Would appreciate help here
-
Arunta

 

[Leonard Grey]

There are actually two separate issues here.

Windows sometimes maintains a removable device's drive letter active,
even after the device has been disconnected. I believe people use the
term "ghost drive" to describe this phenomenon. In any case, it's
harmless and easily fixed.

Open the Disk Management snap-in:

Start > Run > type: diskmgmt.msc > OK

and delete the non-existent disk drive letter. MAKE SURE you delete the
correct letter. Restart your computer and you should be all set.

InstallShield is third-party software (i.e., not part of Windows.) When
you install software, InstallShield records the installation path. If
the installation path includes a folder that no longer exists (e.g.,
because it's located on a removable drive that is no longer connected)
that can sometimes cause a problem for InstallShield. Nothing that can't
be easily fixed, mind you, but the solution depends on what specific
program you are encountering.

 

[Arunta]

Thanks for the response Leonard.

Tried yoursuggestion but the diskmgmt.msc approach shows only the C:, CD,
and DVD drives and no 'ghost' F: drive.

I should have mentioned in my previous post that the following message

Programming Editor Installation Inf...
Error 1327 Invalid Drive:F:/

arises when attempting to run a patch to a programme called "Picaxe
Programming Editor", which is a uC programming software from RevEd in the UK.
Both this company and Western Digital, makers of the USB external drive which
seemed to cause the problem, advise the problem is related to the OS.
Previous patches have been installed without any trouble, which has only
started after the WD installation.

I have run a search for the error on the forum with no result.

Do you have a further suggestion?

 

[smlunatick]

Thanks for the response Leonard.

Tried yoursuggestion but the diskmgmt.msc approach shows only the C:, CD,
and DVD drives and no 'ghost' F: drive.

I should have mentioned in my previous post that the following message

Programming Editor Installation Inf...
Error 1327 Invalid Drive:F:/

arises when attempting to run a patch to a programme called "Picaxe
Programming Editor", which is a uC programming software from RevEd in theUK.
Both this company and Western Digital, makers of the USB external drive which
seemed to cause the problem, advise the problem is related to the OS.
Previous patches have been installed without any trouble, which has only
started after the WD installation.

I have run a search for the error on the forum with no result.

Do you have a further suggestion?

Please note that several DVD/CD burning software can install a virtual
DVD/CD drive. Some other software will refuse to run if it detects a
virtual drive.