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

I've asked the same question in the other tech news group, but it sounds
like XP just got dumber than 2k, and all users using virtually assigned
drive letters are powerless about it.

so far what I've got from asking is:

1.assign higher drive letters to begin with.
2.switch back to 2k.

if I get any other reply, i'll let you know

-jake


--
jakewise
------------------------------------------------------------------------
jakewise's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/member.php?userid=12248
View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/showthread.php?t=419621
Free Computer Help - http://forums.techarena.in

Thu, 8 Dec 2005 09:02:30 -0800 from Rick Altman
<rick.a@NOSPAMaltman.com>:
> 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,

It's fully a part of the XP command line, and is documented in Help
and Support.

It works rather better in XP than in Win98. IIRC, in Win98 you had to
have SUBST in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file; otherwise DOS would recognize
the SUBST drives but Windows GUI programs would not. In XP, in you
execute SUBST in a command window it's recognized by all Windows
programs and subsequent command windows.

You imply that you're using some old version of SUBST. Why ask for
trouble? Since a working version is part of XP, why not use it?

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com/
"If there's one thing I know, it's men. I ought to: it's
been my life work." -- Marie Dressler, in /Dinner at Eight/