Fun with Drive Letters

[Rick Altman]

For years now, I have been insistent on assigning drive letters to various
folders on my computer. I keep my programs in c:\program files, of course,
but I can't imagine not accessing that folder as Drive E. And all of my data
is in c:\files, which I access as Drive F. Drive G is my junk drive, H is
for our conference business, K is the DVD, and so on.

This adds immeasurably to my productivity as I can navigate incredibly
quickly and stay organized to a degree not possible otherwise. Therefore, it
is the height of irony that I implement this cutting-edge strategy with a
tool that has been off the radar for years.

I use the SUBST.EXE command.


I don't think you can even find that old command on the XP CD, yet it works
perfectly. Well, almost. The problem that I encounter is that while XP
recognizes the existence of these folders-cum-drive letters at the file
level (My Computer, Windows Explorer, etc.), it doesn't see them at the
plug-and-play level. So if I insert a jump drive into the USB hub (one that
the system hasn't seen before), Windows will automatically assign the "next"
drive letter to it without recognizing that I have used that letter for a
folder. I must then head to Disk Management in the Admin tools and reassign
it to a letter higher up the hill.

I'd like to know if there is a way to make Windows smarter about this or if
there is a tool better suited for this strategy than SUBST. The last time I
looked into this, my only option was an awkward gyration with using a
"local" network share that introduced more trouble than that which I sought
to resolve. Perhaps things are different today and I'd like to check that
pulse.

All input welcome -- many thanks...



Rick A.
Pleasanton CA

 

[Bob I]

Same as "network" drives. The local hardware starts at A and assignments
work toward Z. Network starts at Z and works toward A. If you start
assigning stuff in the middle, you get to sort the overwrites.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

For years now, I have been insistent on assigning drive letters to various
folders on my computer. I keep my programs in c:\program files, of course,
but I can't imagine not accessing that folder as Drive E. And all of my data
is in c:\files, which I access as Drive F. Drive G is my junk drive, H is
for our conference business, K is the DVD, and so on.

This adds immeasurably to my productivity as I can navigate incredibly
quickly and stay organized to a degree not possible otherwise. Therefore, it
is the height of irony that I implement this cutting-edge strategy with a
tool that has been off the radar for years.

I use the SUBST.EXE command.


I don't think you can even find that old command on the XP CD, yet it works
perfectly. Well, almost. The problem that I encounter is that while XP
recognizes the existence of these folders-cum-drive letters at the file
level (My Computer, Windows Explorer, etc.), it doesn't see them at the
plug-and-play level. So if I insert a jump drive into the USB hub (one that
the system hasn't seen before), Windows will automatically assign the "next"
drive letter to it without recognizing that I have used that letter for a
folder. I must then head to Disk Management in the Admin tools and reassign
it to a letter higher up the hill.

I'd like to know if there is a way to make Windows smarter about this or if
there is a tool better suited for this strategy than SUBST. The last time I
looked into this, my only option was an awkward gyration with using a
"local" network share that introduced more trouble than that which I sought
to resolve. Perhaps things are different today and I'd like to check that
pulse.

All input welcome -- many thanks...



Rick A.
Pleasanton CA

Place your subst commands into a batch file in this folder:
c:\documents and settings\all users\start menu\program files\startup

In this way the subst commands are executed at logon time
and your preferred drive letters are assigned as YOU like them.
When you then plug in a USB device then it will claim the next
free drive letter, without interfering with your subst drive letters.

 

[Rick Altman]

Pegasus, right now I have the SUBST batch file loaded even before then -- in
Current Version | Run of the Registry. Would moving it out into the Startup
folder make a difference, in your view? I figured that the earlier I perform
the substitution, the better, but that was apparently wrong...

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I would have expected the two methods to be equivalent.