"John Wunderlich" <jwunderlich@lycos.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9D45D4DFA8C55wunderpsdrscray@207.46.248.16...
> "LVTravel" <noone@none.com> wrote in
> news:ehOiiJ7yKHA.5036@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl:
>
>>
>>
>> "John Wunderlich" <jwunderlich@lycos.com> wrote in message
>> news:Xns9D45ADF6B5326wunderpsdrscray@138.125.254.103...
>>> proteanthread <rtdos@rtdos.com> wrote in
>>> news:de8fd929-0018-4803-bb8c-
>>> f850c51f86f6@z35g2000yqd.googlegroups.com:
>>>
>>>> is it possible to prevent windows from mapping or assigning a
>>>> usb drive to a letter that is already used by a network folder ?
>>>> is it possible to force windows from using certain drive
>>>> letters when installing a usb drive or other mappable drive
>>>> (such as one that is already assigned to a network folder or
>>>> drive) ?
>>>
>>> Yes.
>>> After inserting your USB Drive, use DiskManager to change the
>>> drive letter for that drive to something compatible with your
>>> configuration.
>>>
>>> Start->Run->"diskmgmt.msc"
>>>
>>> Then right-click on USB drive and select "Change Drive
>>> Letter..."
>>>
>>> HTH,
>>> John
>>
>> John, you are correct that this is the way to change a drive
>> letter but it doesn't help the OP in that this would have to be
>> accomplished for any new USB device plugged in each time and even
>> for the same device when plugged into another port on the same
>> computer.
>>
>> The best fix is to map network drives high in the alphabet and let
>> the USB drives choose letters in the lower alphabet. I always map
>> my network drives starting at Z or Y (depending on my
>> rebuild/restore partition's drive letter) and work backward.
>>
>>
>
> Yes, that's the best way to make sure it doesn't happen.
>
> I guess I should have asked whether SP3 is installed because
> according to:
> "List of fixes that are included in Windows XP Service Pack 3"
> <http/support.microsoft.com/kb/946480>
>
> XP3 includes a fix for the following:
>
> "New drive or mapped network drive not available in Windows Explorer"
> <http/support.microsoft.com/kb/297694/>
> (which includes a Hotfix for SP2 systems and includes your solution
> as a work-around)
>
> ... although I've heard that under some scenarios the fix doesn't
> work.
>
> -- John
>
My XP SP3 laptop has all the current "fixes" and it still won't always
"remember" the location of a USB drive when plugged in, especially when the
USB device is plugged into a slot with another device already plugged in,
whether or not the other device is taking the first device's drive letter.
In other words device 1 is usually assigned letter G:. Plug in device 2 and
it uses letter E: then plug in device 1 it may get letter D:, F, G:, or even
higher (my DVD drive is always assigned letter R: when I first set up the
computer.) Haven't seen any posts on that and it really doesn't bother me
as I know how to adjust.