How are drive letters assigned / how to remove memory card...

[RJK]

....without disconnecting the drive ?

Hello
I've got XP Home SP2 OEM ed....all up to date...on drive C:\ .... I've got 2
hd's - master and slave on IDE1 - drive letters C:\ D:\ E:\ F:\ on hd0 and
G:\ H:\ I:\ J:\ K:\ on hd1
DVD and CD rewriters, (master and slave) on IDE2 drives Y:\ and Z:\
(..changed'em to that ages ago).

Now, ages ago I fitted a 33in1 memory card reader into a 3 1/2" bay and
connected it onto USB0 pin header on the motherboard ...or that could have
been USB1, 'cause case front USB slots are connected to a pin header ....and
I always have to remember not to plug anything into the motherboard USB port
nearest LPT1 ,at case rear, 'cause it's shared with pin header USB0 ), and
Windows Explorer Folders Pane would show "Removable Disk's mnop...q" ...I
think. Now it only shows drives mopq

This, I suspect has something to do with a Word document that I keep on a
USB pen drive, and a Quicklaunch icon to it which contains the
drive:\pathname N:\passwrds.doc Now, when I plug in my USB pen-drive,
drive N:\ appears in Windows Explorer, my Word document loads okay - so I
suppose my question is, Is XP reserving drive N:\ for when the USB pen drive
is plugged in ? I can't remember if drive Q:\ was there before I started
keeping my Word doc. on pen-drive ...perhaps the card reader originally was
drives M:\ N:\ O:\ P:\ ?

I think that, some time ago, my DVD and CD drives became L:\ and something
else and I had to change them back to Y:\ and Z:\
....NEXT ! ....regarding camera memory cards, I seem to have discovered that
one can to "eject" a drive, which seems to sort of disconnect it and clear
the directory and file listing in Windows Explorer without losing the drive
letter, which happens if one uses System Trays' "Safely remove USB Mass
Storage Device." Is that okay ? Is it necessary ?

Any pointers galdly accepted

regards, Richard

 

[db]

....keeping it simplified;

admin tools > computer management

- there you can reassign drive letters.

...without disconnecting the drive ?

Hello
I've got XP Home SP2 OEM ed....all up to date...on drive C:\ .... I've got 2
hd's - master and slave on IDE1 - drive letters C:\ D:\ E:\ F:\ on hd0 and
G:\ H:\ I:\ J:\ K:\ on hd1
DVD and CD rewriters, (master and slave) on IDE2 drives Y:\ and Z:\
(..changed'em to that ages ago).

Now, ages ago I fitted a 33in1 memory card reader into a 3 1/2" bay and
connected it onto USB0 pin header on the motherboard ...or that could have
been USB1, 'cause case front USB slots are connected to a pin header .....and
I always have to remember not to plug anything into the motherboard USB port
nearest LPT1 ,at case rear, 'cause it's shared with pin header USB0 ), and
Windows Explorer Folders Pane would show "Removable Disk's mnop...q" ....I
think. Now it only shows drives mopq

This, I suspect has something to do with a Word document that I keep on a
USB pen drive, and a Quicklaunch icon to it which contains the
drive:\pathname N:\passwrds.doc Now, when I plug in my USB pen-drive,
drive N:\ appears in Windows Explorer, my Word document loads okay - so I
suppose my question is, Is XP reserving drive N:\ for when the USB pen drive
is plugged in ? I can't remember if drive Q:\ was there before I started
keeping my Word doc. on pen-drive ...perhaps the card reader originally was
drives M:\ N:\ O:\ P:\ ?

I think that, some time ago, my DVD and CD drives became L:\ and something
else and I had to change them back to Y:\ and Z:\
...NEXT ! ....regarding camera memory cards, I seem to have discovered that
one can to "eject" a drive, which seems to sort of disconnect it and clear
the directory and file listing in Windows Explorer without losing the drive
letter, which happens if one uses System Trays' "Safely remove USB Mass
Storage Device." Is that okay ? Is it necessary ?

Any pointers galdly accepted

regards, Richard

 

[Ron Sommer]

I have 2 flash drives.
If I insert one, it uses L.
If I remove the first drive and insert the second, it also uses L.
--
Ronald Sommer

:
: Dear Richard, sorry for my bad English: :smile:
: If I understand You, your USB pen drive automatically changes letters
: to access. I use 4 usb ports in my laptop. I always plug in my USB card
: reader in the same port, USB pen drive into another USB port. But if my
: friends bring their USB pen drives and i plug them in the same USB port
: as I usually plug in my own USB drive, the letter changes. If You are
: logged as Administrator, plug in Your pen drive. You can run command
: "diskmgmt.msc". Try right click on Your USB pen drive and try
: possibility "Change drive letter..." Assign to Your pen drive letter N,
: if it is free. If not, you have to free it by changing letter of drive,
: which is using it now to another letter.
:
: In my opinion, on Win XP SP2 You don't need to click on System tray to
: safely remove your USB drive, but if You will physically disconnect the
: drive, You must have all windows, processes and files that worked with
: the USB drive closed. You can verify that Your system has for Your pen
: drive fast disconnecting function activated. Plug in Your pen drive,
: "diskmgmt.msc", right mouse-click on letter of Your pen drive,
: Properties, than second card Policy (or similar name). Verify that
: Optimize for fast disconnecting (or similar) is checked. I am sorry if
: my answers are out of theme. Honza, Czech Rep.
:
:
: --
: Jenny Eric

 

[Bob I]

And if you plug them in at the same time?

 

[Ron Sommer]

L & M.
--
Ronald Sommer

: And if you plug them in at the same time?
:
: Ron Sommer wrote:
:
: > I have 2 flash drives.
: > If I insert one, it uses L.
: > If I remove the first drive and insert the second, it also uses L.
:

 

[Bob I]

Sounds like it is working as designed.