Drive letter display order

[Richard]

We would like to display drive letters under 'My Computer' in Windows
Explorer with the drive letter BEFORE the drive label rather than AFTER.
For example:

Current Display . . . Drive letter follows label

SYSTEM (C
RECOVERY (D
DATA (E
ARCHIVE (F
DVD RW (G
DVD R (H
COMPACT FLASH (I

Desired Display . . . Drive letter precedes label

C: SYSTEM
D: RECOVERY
E: DATA
F: ARCHIVE
G: DVD RW
H: DVD R
I: COMPACT FLASH

Does anyone know of a way to reorder how Windows Explorer displays the drive
letter? It would also be nice if we could align all the label names since
the letters might take up differing space if using proportional fonts?

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Download and install TweakUI:

Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP (TweakUI)
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

After installing, go to Start > Programs > PowerToys for Windows XP >
TweakUI. Expand 'My Computer', click on 'Drive Letters', then make your
custom selection and click Apply.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------­----------------

:

| We would like to display drive letters under 'My Computer' in Windows
| Explorer with the drive letter BEFORE the drive label rather than AFTER.
| For example:
|
| Current Display . . . Drive letter follows label
|
| SYSTEM (C
| RECOVERY (D
| DATA (E
| ARCHIVE (F
| DVD RW (G
| DVD R (H
| COMPACT FLASH (I
|
| Desired Display . . . Drive letter precedes label
|
| C: SYSTEM
| D: RECOVERY
| E: DATA
| F: ARCHIVE
| G: DVD RW
| H: DVD R
| I: COMPACT FLASH
|
| Does anyone know of a way to reorder how Windows Explorer displays the drive
| letter? It would also be nice if we could align all the label names since
| the letters might take up differing space if using proportional fonts?

 

[Jim Lewandowski]

http://groups.google.com/group/micr...++"my+computer"&rnum=3&hl=en#2c9db5f34a58cfec

A damn good question.

JL

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Note: The options in TweakUI Drive Letter options are mis-mapped.
Posted earlier by Keith Miller:

<quote>

For the TweakUI portion of your dilemma, the labels for the options are
incorrect. The associated registry value is under:

"HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer"and is a value
named "ShowDriveLettersFirst". Possible values are:

0 = Default display - drive letters after description
1 = Network drive letters first, Local drive letters after
2 = Descriptions only, no drive letters displayed
4 = Drive letters before description

In TweakUI, the four options displayed are not associated with their
correct values. The first option is a match, but for "Show all drive
letters before", tweakUI is setting the value to 2 rather than 4; for
"Network before/Local after", the value is being set to 2 rather than 1;
and for "Never show", the value is being set to 4 rather than 2. To
summarize (assuming options are numbered 1 thru 4):

If you want:

Option# Select:
1 1
2 4
3 2
4 3

 

[All Things Mopar]

Today Carey Frisch [MVP] commented courteously on the
subject at hand

Download and install TweakUI:

Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP (TweakUI)
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppow
ertoys.mspx

After installing, go to Start > Programs > PowerToys for
Windows XP > TweakUI. Expand 'My Computer', click on
'Drive Letters', then make your custom selection and click
Apply.

I've tried all the combinations in TweakUI on my SP1 and my SP2
box without being able to get the drive letter first. Perhaps
the easiest way is to just rename it something you like
C_Windows or D_Data.

 

[All Things Mopar]

Today Carey Frisch [MVP] commented courteously on the
subject at hand

Note: The options in TweakUI Drive Letter options are
mis-mapped. Posted earlier by Keith Miller:

<quote>

For the TweakUI portion of your dilemma, the labels for the
options are incorrect. The associated registry value is
under:

"HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer"and
is a value named "ShowDriveLettersFirst". Possible values
are:

0 = Default display - drive letters after description
1 = Network drive letters first, Local drive letters after
2 = Descriptions only, no drive letters displayed
4 = Drive letters before description

In TweakUI, the four options displayed are not associated
with their correct values. The first option is a match, but
for "Show all drive letters before", tweakUI is setting the
value to 2 rather than 4; for "Network before/Local after",
the value is being set to 2 rather than 1; and for "Never
show", the value is being set to 4 rather than 2. To
summarize (assuming options are numbered 1 thru 4):

If you want:

Option# Select:
1 1
2 4
3 2
4 3

This is humorous! Let me see if I have this right: M$ creates
TweakUI years ago in Win 95 or 98, but blows it and blows it
to this day (maybe that's why it's a Powertoy and not really
"supported", as if that helps the ordinary Windoze bugs that
never get fixed). You come along in one reply and recommend
TweakUI for the OP, then you follow up a 2nd time and say
TweakUI is messed up, and to use a Registry hack. Why not tell
your buds in Redmond to just fix the blinking thing?

I knew about the registry hack from the book Windows Registry
Guide by Jerry Honeycutt but simply renamed my volumes than
play with the Registry.

 

[Jim Lewandowski]

Today Carey Frisch [MVP] commented courteously on the
subject at hand


I've tried all the combinations in TweakUI on my SP1 and my SP2
box without being able to get the drive letter first. Perhaps
the easiest way is to just rename it something you like
C_Windows or D_Data.

***
Your answer reminds me of a story (I don't know if it's true).

During the 60's when the space race was in full swing between Russia and the US, there was
a problem with a ball-point pen working in space because there was no gravity to force the
ink towards the tip. So, the US designs a pen that when you push the end upon the paper,
somehow pressure is applied internally to get the ink to flow to the paper.

The Russians simply used a pencil.

JL

 

[All Things Mopar]

Today Jim Lewandowski commented courteously on the subject at
hand

***
Your answer reminds me of a story (I don't know if it's
true).

During the 60's when the space race was in full swing
between Russia and the US, there was a problem with a
ball-point pen working in space because there was no
gravity to force the ink towards the tip. So, the US
designs a pen that when you push the end upon the paper,
somehow pressure is applied internally to get the ink to
flow to the paper.

The Russians simply used a pencil.

The story is 100% true, Jim. We didn't find out until the fall
of the USSR, along with the chilling fact that the Soviets were
going to repel an invasion of Cuba in The Missles of October
with tactical nukes. Would likely have caused WWIII.

Einstein had a saying for what's going on in this thread: "Make
everything as simple as possible, but not simpler."

 

[Talahasee]

***
Your answer reminds me of a story (I don't know if it's true).

During the 60's when the space race was in full swing between Russia and the US, there was
a problem with a ball-point pen working in space because there was no gravity to force the
ink towards the tip. So, the US designs a pen that when you push the end upon the paper,
somehow pressure is applied internally to get the ink to flow to the paper.

The Russians simply used a pencil.

The story is actually true. One of the things the astronauts
complained about early was that their ink pens didn't work
in space. MILLIONS were spent on developing the
"anti-gravity" pens whose ink would move toward the pressure
that was applied.

Likely, you can still get these 'high-tech" pens on ebay or
from collectors. Back when a "Bic" would cost you 29 cents,
one of the space pens would cost you $29.

At one point, when we became friendly with the Russians, one
of our astronauts asked one of their cosmonauts how they
solved the problem of the ink pens not working in space.

The Russian laughed good-naturedly and replied, "We learned
to use pencils!"


I'd forgotten that $500 hammer story til now.

Thanks for the memory!


Good luck!


Tallahassee

JL

 

[Bob I]

Capitalisim at work

http://www.fisherpen.com/

***
Your answer reminds me of a story (I don't know if it's true).

During the 60's when the space race was in full swing between Russia and the US, there was
a problem with a ball-point pen working in space because there was no gravity to force the
ink towards the tip. So, the US designs a pen that when you push the end upon the paper,
somehow pressure is applied internally to get the ink to flow to the paper.

The Russians simply used a pencil.

The story is actually true. One of the things the astronauts
complained about early was that their ink pens didn't work
in space. MILLIONS were spent on developing the
"anti-gravity" pens whose ink would move toward the pressure
that was applied.

Likely, you can still get these 'high-tech" pens on ebay or
from collectors. Back when a "Bic" would cost you 29 cents,
one of the space pens would cost you $29.

At one point, when we became friendly with the Russians, one
of our astronauts asked one of their cosmonauts how they
solved the problem of the ink pens not working in space.

The Russian laughed good-naturedly and replied, "We learned
to use pencils!"


I'd forgotten that $500 hammer story til now.

Thanks for the memory!


Good luck!


Tallahassee