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| Thread ID: 109053 | 2010-04-22 04:51:00 | So how does a working thumb drive lose its drive letter? | Billy T (70) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 879083 | 2010-04-23 01:30:00 | There is one way to test if its a hardware or software problem. Boot the PC from a Linux Live CD, something like Ubuntu. Plug in the offending USB drive - if it locates it, there will be a new Icon appear on the desktop after a few seconds, usually with a drive letter. If its the XP OS deciding not to play nice this will eliminate it. |
wainuitech (129) | ||
| 879084 | 2010-04-23 01:52:00 | There is one way to test if its a hardware or software problem . Boot the PC from a Linux Live CD, something like Ubuntu . Plug in the offending USB drive - if it locates it, there will be a new Icon appear on the desktop after a few seconds, usually with a drive letter . If its the XP OS deciding not to play nice this will eliminate it . I already know it is an XP/new system matter because the thumb works fine in my W2K box, taking up the next available drive letter (until I fixed it at :Z) . I thought about reformatting the thumb but it hardly seems worth the effort . It is currently empty apart from an autorun . inf file that is the same as on the other one . I guess it will remain as one of life's unsolved mysteries . Is the autorun . inf file needed? Meanwhile, back in the jungle, I'm having issues trying to export my Outlook address book so I'll be posting on that next, I found only one similar thread on PF1 and the link from that is dead! Cheers Billy 8-{) |
Billy T (70) | ||
| 879085 | 2010-04-23 04:56:00 | It's probably being assigned a letter that is already in use by one of your far-too-many partitions, so check drive management ;) This is what I also suspect is the problem. I have seen it many times on many systems, even when the system only had a C:, D: and a card reader with F:, G:, H: & I: drive letters. Mapped network drives also cause this issue a lot. When you plugged in certain USB drives XP would, for whatever reason, try to assign a letter that is already in use. Other USB drives would just assign the next available letter. The only way to fix it was to go into Disk Management and force this particular USB drive to an unused letter. |
CYaBro (73) | ||
| 879086 | 2010-04-23 10:04:00 | This is what I also suspect is the problem. I have seen it many times on many systems, even when the system only had a C:, D: and a card reader with F:, G:, H: & I: drive letters. Mapped network drives also cause this issue a lot. When you plugged in certain USB drives XP would, for whatever reason, try to assign a letter that is already in use. Other USB drives would just assign the next available letter. The only way to fix it was to go into Disk Management and force this particular USB drive to an unused letter. Which is why I did just that and made it :Z on a permanent basis, which works fine on my old machine (which also had a lot of partitions but admittedly not as many as the new jobbie) but that made no difference at all, it is still invisible until I eject it, then it shows without a drive letter. It is a curiosity more than a problem, I don't need to fix it, but being a diagnostician by training and business activity, I really like to understand things that happen and the root reasons for them. I think it must date back to the time when I (probably) plugged it into the wrong computer when there was no spare drive letter available for it, but where is it hiding the configuration change (if any)? I just did a proper FAT format to see what would happen and the full capacity is free for use but it is still the same, drive Z on any other computers but invisible on XP. Aren't computers fun? :D Cheers Billy 8-{) |
Billy T (70) | ||
| 879087 | 2010-04-23 19:51:00 | Assigning it as a certain drive letter on one machine doesn't mean it will use that same drive letter on another machine. The letter assignment is set on the OS and not the drive itself. |
CYaBro (73) | ||
| 879088 | 2010-04-24 05:11:00 | Assigning it as a certain drive letter on one machine doesn't mean it will use that same drive letter on another machine. The letter assignment is set on the OS and not the drive itself. Ah so..........And I had just noticed that this morning when another thumb borrowed off my daughter popped up as X, but no bells rang. Lights were on but nobody home! Mind you it had no drive letter to start with. However, I called the rebel thumb Z in my new box and lo and behold, it is now visible in Explorer, and another lesson is learned. Mind you, my external drive enclosure has 3 partitions labelled X, Y, and Z, and no matter what I plug it into, those drive letters are always used. Another chapter closed, thanks to the wit and wisdom of PF1! Cheers Billy 8-:) ....... :thumbs: |
Billy T (70) | ||
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