Change the format of drive info in Explorer?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Gordon Price
  • Start date Start date
G

Gordon Price

I would like to have explorer display drives names as (C:) Local Disk rather than Local Disk (C:). This is more an issue with shares, but in general I am more concerned with the drive letter than the drive name, or share info.
Is there any way to do this? The current system is more 'friendly', but less useful.

Crossed fingers,
Gordon
 
Gordon,

"ShowDriveLettersFirst" registry value:

The computer description appears before the computer name in Windows XP:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=330193

NOTE: Tweak UI offers this function, but it is 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

Keith

</quote>

Or, do a search for "ShowDriveLettersFirst keith miller" in Google Groups.


--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org


I would like to have explorer display drives names as (C:) Local Disk rather than Local Disk (C:). This is more an issue with shares, but in general I am more concerned with the drive letter than the drive name, or share info.
Is there any way to do this? The current system is more 'friendly', but less useful.

Crossed fingers,
Gordon
 
To do that, go to start, run, type cmd and then type format c: and you should be all set.

You're funny. An a$$hole, but funny.
 
You're welcome Gordon.

Dude, where are you? It is midnight my time, and you are popping off
responses in minutes!
By the way, I assume there is no way, beyond actually changing the reg
setting in a logon script, to make this a by user setting? I suspect that
drive letter first might make more sense in many cases, but I work with
architects, and no matter what you do, someone doesn't like it. Oh, that is
people in general, huh ;)

Best,
Gordon
 
Gordon,

I'm from Chennai, India. The MS-KB 330193 states that the setting can be applied on per-user basis, but I'm unsure if that's possible.

<quote>
For a Per-User policy, click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\Explorer

</quote>

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org



You're welcome Gordon.

Dude, where are you? It is midnight my time, and you are popping off
responses in minutes!
By the way, I assume there is no way, beyond actually changing the reg
setting in a logon script, to make this a by user setting? I suspect that
drive letter first might make more sense in many cases, but I work with
architects, and no matter what you do, someone doesn't like it. Oh, that is
people in general, huh ;)

Best,
Gordon
 
Note: In order for the per-user setting ( ShowDriveLettersFirst ) to work, the ShowDriveLettersFirst value under HKLM hive need to be removed first.

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org



You're welcome Gordon.

Dude, where are you? It is midnight my time, and you are popping off
responses in minutes!
By the way, I assume there is no way, beyond actually changing the reg
setting in a logon script, to make this a by user setting? I suspect that
drive letter first might make more sense in many cases, but I work with
architects, and no matter what you do, someone doesn't like it. Oh, that is
people in general, huh ;)

Best,
Gordon
 
Looks like the KB has multiple errors.

Tweak UI alters "ShowDriveLettersFirst" value here:
[HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer]

The KB suggests this key:
[HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\Explorer]

Secondly, the per-user setting does not seem to work here.

Using Tweak UI is the correct method.

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org


Note: In order for the per-user setting ( ShowDriveLettersFirst ) to work, the ShowDriveLettersFirst value under HKLM hive need to be removed first.

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://windowsxp.mvps.org



You're welcome Gordon.

Dude, where are you? It is midnight my time, and you are popping off
responses in minutes!
By the way, I assume there is no way, beyond actually changing the reg
setting in a logon script, to make this a by user setting? I suspect that
drive letter first might make more sense in many cases, but I work with
architects, and no matter what you do, someone doesn't like it. Oh, that is
people in general, huh ;)

Best,
Gordon
 
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