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Thread ID: 44133 2004-04-08 07:05:00 WinXP Pro, Netware and USB pen drive JohnD (509) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
227997 2004-04-08 07:05:00 A classroom problem somebody might know the solution to:

We have WinXP Pro running in a classroom where all of the local drives are allocated (i.e. up to e:). As in most situations, the first network drive is f: (Novell Netware in this case). When a student inserts a USB pen drive, it is allocated f: drive. As far as the student is concerned, it appears that nothing has happened as even though the pen drive has been sensed, f: remains as the network drive (the contents of the pen drive are not accessable).

If you go into Disk Management and allocate a drive letter to the pen drive (e.g. p:), all works well for that make and model of pen drive only. Stick another pen drive in and the drive letter allocated reverts to f: drive. In other words, you need a drive letter for every possible model of pen drive!

One solution might be to change the first network drive letter to g:. However the problem is only in one room of many, so I doubt whether our computer services will see that as a viable solution.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

John
JohnD (509)
227998 2004-04-08 07:07:00 Oh dear!! My e colons and p colons have turned into smillies!! JohnD (509)
227999 2004-04-08 07:22:00 Hey JohnD,

This does seem like a problem indeed, although drive letter assignments are created by the computer and not from the network, so you can assign the network drives to Z:

However there should be an option so that additional drives don't use drives that have been assigned already or sets out what drives can be used e.g. G: to Z:, although someone maybe able to help you with setting this up as I've forgotten it off the top of my head. Quite possibly a config.nt setting (similar to config.sys except XP uses the config.nt file)


Noel Nosivad
Noel Nosivad (389)
228000 2004-04-10 02:27:00 It's probably worth having a talk to the system people. This is a problem which will only get worse. :D Digital cameras, card readers ...

So it will be worth their while to get a fix now. Is the Novell assignment done in a batch file on the clients, or in a global login on the server? If it's on the server, it would be so easy to make it ;-) . Real life being the way it is, the assignment will be on the clients. :-( Even so, it can be done.

Be quiet or everyone will want p:s and e:s like yours.
Graham L (2)
228001 2004-04-10 02:28:00 It's probably worth having a talk to the system people. This is a problem which will only get worse. :D Digital cameras, card readers ...

So it will be worth their while to get a fix now. Is the Novell assignment done in a batch file on the clients, or in a global login on the server? If it's on the server, it would be so easy to make it Z: . ;-) . Real life being the way it is, the assignment will be on the clients. :-( Even so, it can be done.

Be quiet or everyone will want p;s and e:s like yours.
Graham L (2)
228002 2004-04-11 09:11:00 Have already yarned to the "systems people" - no solution from them yet! There are a large number of network drives with the standard being first network drive at f. I don't think it will be an option to shift the first network drive since this is the only room with the problem.

Students do not have access to change local drive letters. Students log into the Netware server and get a common WinXP desktop (logs into Windows with a common user).
JohnD (509)
228003 2004-04-11 22:30:00 John
here what we do,
insert pen drive
because f:\ is novell sys by mapped by login script, the pen drive is reconised but not displayed as it is also f:\
Right click on my computer.... choose manage..... hard drives and change the drive letter of the usb pen drive then all is good
we have a novell 4.11 which sets our students up as non admins and volitle,
beama (111)
228004 2004-04-11 22:35:00 Sorry i forgot
They bring the pen drive to me,
If you are a teacher maybe you have xp admin rights on logon our teachers do
students - normall users and volitle
teachers - administrators
beama (111)
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