Jump drives not assigned drive letters

[Guest]

I've tried to use two different, brand new jump drives on a new Dell laptop
our office recieved this past Fall running XP Pro, sp2 and fully updated to
the most recent Windows update. I also tried these two jump drives in the
user's desktop, also running XP Pro, sp2 and fully updated, and got the same
results.

The OS recognizes the presence of a new device plugged into the USB port and
you can remove it by stopping it with the hardware removal wizard but a drive
letter is never assigned to it so you can't save anything to it.

The week before I used one of these devices on an older workstation running
W2K Pro, sp4 and it was assigned the drive letter of a mapped drive I use
throughout the office. The drive mapping was restored when I removed the
jump drive. At least this way the user can save to the memory stick as long
as they realize what's happening. However, with the XP Pro workstations no
drive letter is ever assigned.

Has there been any issues having drive letters assigned to these mobile
memory devices that can be attributed to the Windows Updates for the past
several months or is there some setting somewhere that I don't know about -
which wouldn't be the first time?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Dave Patrick]

It's probably trying to use a drive letter that already being used. Try
reassigning the jump drive letter in Disk Management. Start|Run|diskmgmt.msc

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| I've tried to use two different, brand new jump drives on a new Dell
laptop
| our office recieved this past Fall running XP Pro, sp2 and fully updated
to
| the most recent Windows update. I also tried these two jump drives in the
| user's desktop, also running XP Pro, sp2 and fully updated, and got the
same
| results.
|
| The OS recognizes the presence of a new device plugged into the USB port
and
| you can remove it by stopping it with the hardware removal wizard but a
drive
| letter is never assigned to it so you can't save anything to it.
|
| The week before I used one of these devices on an older workstation
running
| W2K Pro, sp4 and it was assigned the drive letter of a mapped drive I use
| throughout the office. The drive mapping was restored when I removed the
| jump drive. At least this way the user can save to the memory stick as
long
| as they realize what's happening. However, with the XP Pro workstations
no
| drive letter is ever assigned.
|
| Has there been any issues having drive letters assigned to these mobile
| memory devices that can be attributed to the Windows Updates for the past
| several months or is there some setting somewhere that I don't know
about -
| which wouldn't be the first time?
|
| Thanks in advance.

 

[Guest]

Heck, Disk Management. My brain must still be addleled from the Christmas
holidays. Thanks. I'll let you know if it worked or not.

Dana

 

[Dave Patrick]

You're welcome.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| Heck, Disk Management. My brain must still be addleled from the Christmas
| holidays. Thanks. I'll let you know if it worked or not.
|
| Dana

 

[Guest]

Don't know if you'll get this or not but I had to go out and buy a jump drive
of my own as the person I was trouble shooting this with ran off to Dallas
with hers.

Indeed, when I put the jump drive in my home PC running XP Home the drive is
recognized and asssigned a drive letter with no problems. When I put the
drive, with a few files from home, in the USB socket in my office PC running
XP Pro it was assigned the drive letter of my first mapped drive. Using Disk
Mgr. I reassigned the first available drive letter not being used and it
assigns that letter to the drive each time afterward.

Is this a glitch in XP or have I set something somewhere that keeps the OS
from recognizing these type of drives. If the latter I'm assuming it's
probably throughout all the office's LAN members. I just can't figure out
what it is, though.

Thanks again.
Dana

 

[Steve N.]

Don't know if you'll get this or not but I had to go out and buy a jump drive
of my own as the person I was trouble shooting this with ran off to Dallas
with hers.

Indeed, when I put the jump drive in my home PC running XP Home the drive is
recognized and asssigned a drive letter with no problems. When I put the
drive, with a few files from home, in the USB socket in my office PC running
XP Pro it was assigned the drive letter of my first mapped drive. Using Disk
Mgr. I reassigned the first available drive letter not being used and it
assigns that letter to the drive each time afterward.

Is this a glitch in XP or have I set something somewhere that keeps the OS
from recognizing these type of drives. If the latter I'm assuming it's
probably throughout all the office's LAN members. I just can't figure out
what it is, though.

Thanks again.
Dana

As far as I'm concerned it's a glitch in XP. I've seen it countless
times and even after you re-assign the drive letter it may revert back
to using a mapped drive letter again.

Steve N.

:

You're welcome.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| Heck, Disk Management. My brain must still be addleled from the Christmas
| holidays. Thanks. I'll let you know if it worked or not.
|
| Dana

 

[Guest]

Yes, it sounds as if it resides within the networking aspect of XP Pro. I
haven't tried it on a workgroup of XP Home machines.

Don't know if you'll get this or not but I had to go out and buy a jump drive
of my own as the person I was trouble shooting this with ran off to Dallas
with hers.

Indeed, when I put the jump drive in my home PC running XP Home the drive is
recognized and asssigned a drive letter with no problems. When I put the
drive, with a few files from home, in the USB socket in my office PC running
XP Pro it was assigned the drive letter of my first mapped drive. Using Disk
Mgr. I reassigned the first available drive letter not being used and it
assigns that letter to the drive each time afterward.

Is this a glitch in XP or have I set something somewhere that keeps the OS
from recognizing these type of drives. If the latter I'm assuming it's
probably throughout all the office's LAN members. I just can't figure out
what it is, though.

Thanks again.
Dana

As far as I'm concerned it's a glitch in XP. I've seen it countless
times and even after you re-assign the drive letter it may revert back
to using a mapped drive letter again.

Steve N.

:

You're welcome.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| Heck, Disk Management. My brain must still be addleled from the Christmas
| holidays. Thanks. I'll let you know if it worked or not.
|
| Dana

 

[Bob I]

The problem is people assigning "pseudo" drive letters in the "local
drive" area. Then when the "network" drive doesn't map the letter is
available again. Move the non-local letter assignment to the end of the
alphabet.

Don't know if you'll get this or not but I had to go out and buy a jump drive
of my own as the person I was trouble shooting this with ran off to Dallas
with hers.

Indeed, when I put the jump drive in my home PC running XP Home the drive is
recognized and asssigned a drive letter with no problems. When I put the
drive, with a few files from home, in the USB socket in my office PC running
XP Pro it was assigned the drive letter of my first mapped drive. Using Disk
Mgr. I reassigned the first available drive letter not being used and it
assigns that letter to the drive each time afterward.

Is this a glitch in XP or have I set something somewhere that keeps the OS
from recognizing these type of drives. If the latter I'm assuming it's
probably throughout all the office's LAN members. I just can't figure out
what it is, though.

Thanks again.
Dana

:

You're welcome.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| Heck, Disk Management. My brain must still be addleled from the Christmas
| holidays. Thanks. I'll let you know if it worked or not.
|
| Dana

 

[Guest]

By "pseudo" do you mean mapped drive letters? I usually assign the first
available letter going alphabetically and this letter is taken up when the
USB drive is plugged in. What was odd was that, even though the USB drive
was in and the OS was, apparently, trying to assign it the already used
mapped drive letter it would still display the contents of the mapped drive
in Windows Explorer. But when I looked at it in Disk Mgr. it displayed the
correct information for the USB drive but would not display the contents
until I reassigned an available drive letter.

Clear as mud?

The problem is people assigning "pseudo" drive letters in the "local
drive" area. Then when the "network" drive doesn't map the letter is
available again. Move the non-local letter assignment to the end of the
alphabet.

Don't know if you'll get this or not but I had to go out and buy a jump drive
of my own as the person I was trouble shooting this with ran off to Dallas
with hers.

Indeed, when I put the jump drive in my home PC running XP Home the drive is
recognized and asssigned a drive letter with no problems. When I put the
drive, with a few files from home, in the USB socket in my office PC running
XP Pro it was assigned the drive letter of my first mapped drive. Using Disk
Mgr. I reassigned the first available drive letter not being used and it
assigns that letter to the drive each time afterward.

Is this a glitch in XP or have I set something somewhere that keeps the OS
from recognizing these type of drives. If the latter I'm assuming it's
probably throughout all the office's LAN members. I just can't figure out
what it is, though.

Thanks again.
Dana

:

You're welcome.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| Heck, Disk Management. My brain must still be addleled from the Christmas
| holidays. Thanks. I'll let you know if it worked or not.
|
| Dana

 

[Bob I]

pseudo = Mapped or Subst'ed letters. Local is what's attached to the
machine. If you "map" over a local drive, then you can't see it till you
change the letter, pure and simple. Please see Start. "Help and Support"
look up "mapped drives", Click on "To assign a drive letter to a network
computer or folder" link, and read the "Notes"

By "pseudo" do you mean mapped drive letters? I usually assign the first
available letter going alphabetically and this letter is taken up when the
USB drive is plugged in. What was odd was that, even though the USB drive
was in and the OS was, apparently, trying to assign it the already used
mapped drive letter it would still display the contents of the mapped drive
in Windows Explorer. But when I looked at it in Disk Mgr. it displayed the
correct information for the USB drive but would not display the contents
until I reassigned an available drive letter.

Clear as mud?

:

The problem is people assigning "pseudo" drive letters in the "local
drive" area. Then when the "network" drive doesn't map the letter is
available again. Move the non-local letter assignment to the end of the
alphabet.

DanaK wrote:

Don't know if you'll get this or not but I had to go out and buy a jump drive
of my own as the person I was trouble shooting this with ran off to Dallas
with hers.

Indeed, when I put the jump drive in my home PC running XP Home the drive is
recognized and asssigned a drive letter with no problems. When I put the
drive, with a few files from home, in the USB socket in my office PC running
XP Pro it was assigned the drive letter of my first mapped drive. Using Disk
Mgr. I reassigned the first available drive letter not being used and it
assigns that letter to the drive each time afterward.

Is this a glitch in XP or have I set something somewhere that keeps the OS
from recognizing these type of drives. If the latter I'm assuming it's
probably throughout all the office's LAN members. I just can't figure out
what it is, though.

Thanks again.
Dana

:



You're welcome.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| Heck, Disk Management. My brain must still be addleled from the Christmas
| holidays. Thanks. I'll let you know if it worked or not.
|
| Dana

 

[Guest]

That's what I thought. Thanks for both of your input.
Dana

pseudo = Mapped or Subst'ed letters. Local is what's attached to the
machine. If you "map" over a local drive, then you can't see it till you
change the letter, pure and simple. Please see Start. "Help and Support"
look up "mapped drives", Click on "To assign a drive letter to a network
computer or folder" link, and read the "Notes"

By "pseudo" do you mean mapped drive letters? I usually assign the first
available letter going alphabetically and this letter is taken up when the
USB drive is plugged in. What was odd was that, even though the USB drive
was in and the OS was, apparently, trying to assign it the already used
mapped drive letter it would still display the contents of the mapped drive
in Windows Explorer. But when I looked at it in Disk Mgr. it displayed the
correct information for the USB drive but would not display the contents
until I reassigned an available drive letter.

Clear as mud?

:

The problem is people assigning "pseudo" drive letters in the "local
drive" area. Then when the "network" drive doesn't map the letter is
available again. Move the non-local letter assignment to the end of the
alphabet.

DanaK wrote:


Don't know if you'll get this or not but I had to go out and buy a jump drive
of my own as the person I was trouble shooting this with ran off to Dallas
with hers.

Indeed, when I put the jump drive in my home PC running XP Home the drive is
recognized and asssigned a drive letter with no problems. When I put the
drive, with a few files from home, in the USB socket in my office PC running
XP Pro it was assigned the drive letter of my first mapped drive. Using Disk
Mgr. I reassigned the first available drive letter not being used and it
assigns that letter to the drive each time afterward.

Is this a glitch in XP or have I set something somewhere that keeps the OS
from recognizing these type of drives. If the latter I'm assuming it's
probably throughout all the office's LAN members. I just can't figure out
what it is, though.

Thanks again.
Dana

:



You're welcome.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| Heck, Disk Management. My brain must still be addleled from the Christmas
| holidays. Thanks. I'll let you know if it worked or not.
|
| Dana