USB Portable not taking next available drive letter, takes over a networked dirve

  • Thread starter Thread starter niteowl
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niteowl

Hi all,

I have an XP SP2 computer, most drive letters are used for local drives and
networked computers. I have only one available drive letter now - P: and
until recently I was using a 2G device to ferry files to and from work, I
have removed it and am using it somewhere else now, and when I tried to plug
in a 512M USB device, it will not recognize it... the 2G is still recognized
when plugged in,

How do I get the system to release that drive letter for the new smaller USB
device?

thanks,
niteowl
 
My last post may have not been posted - so I'll add this here.

The drive is most likely being recognized - but it can't find a drive letter
to assign to it.

Go to Start...Run...and type in "compmgmt.msc" (without the quotes) and
press Enter. Then go to the Removable Media section and then to the Media
section. This should show the removable drive - and right clicking will
allow you to assign a drive letter to it.

- John
 
I followed your instructions, the drive IS showing but no option to assign a
drive letter,

I "ejected" the previous media, I tried to "free" it, it warned me of losing
data... I did it anyway as there was nothing on it yet.

No joy. I even rebooted with the drive plugged in, usually I get an error
on bootup saying drive letters have changed and to hit F1 to continue as it
rereads and reassigns letters... no error message, and when it came up in
windows explorer, it had taken drive Q: instead of the empty drive P: ??
When I unplug the USB, and hit refresh the system then reads the correct
content for drive Q:... and once again when the USB drive is plugged in, I
hear the sound cue that it installed, but it does not take Drive P:

It show up in the compmgmt.msc under media and under the library but will
not display in the windows explorer.

other thoughts?

thanks,
niteowl
 
niteowl said:
I have an XP SP2 computer, most drive letters are used for local drives and
networked computers. I have only one available drive letter now - P: and
until recently I was using a 2G device to ferry files to and from work, I
have removed it and am using it somewhere else now, and when I tried to plug
in a 512M USB device, it will not recognize it... the 2G is still recognized
when plugged in,

How do I get the system to release that drive letter for the new smaller USB
device?
Click to expand...


If you have network drives below P: then XP will assing one
of these letters because network drive exist in the context
of the user only who created it and the mount manager how
assings the drive letters runs in the context 'System'. It
doesn't see the network drives. It's a known problem.

Changing the drive letter in the Windows Disk Management
(right click My Computer -> Manage -> Disk Manangement) to
P: makes the drive availlable. But XP can save exactely one
assingment per letter so you have to do it again for each
external drive.

You can let do the drive letter changes automatically by my
USB drive letter manager:
http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbdlm_e.html


Greetings from Germany

Uwe
 
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