USB SEAGATE HDD -vs- My other mapped drives....?

Question

Hello,
I have a USB seagate i use for backups here at work, and i have mappings already associated with my profile here with active directory which i dont control. Anyway one mapping in particular goes to an " i:\ " which i need to have open all the time for the programs. I noticed when i plug my USB HDD in, lights are on, but nothing will show up in 'my computer' list of drives... if i disconnect the current " i:\ " then i can see my USB SEAGATE HDD. But then programs i am working in error out coz i disconnected. Now when i disconnect the USB drive.... i lose the 'i' drive and have to completely log out of win xp and back in to acquire the mappings.

Is there a setting i can get to that will tell the computer here "hey stupid, go to the next available drive letter instead of " i:\ " (or something to that effect :) )

i have a 1 GB flash that when plugged in, gives itself " f:\ " with mappings in place... frustrating i cant get the USB SEAGATE to do the same.... please help

thanks

Answer 1

I think if you tell the computer which drive letter the external USB drive should use when connected, it will "remember" that setting and use it thereafter.

To change it, click Start => Settings => Control Panel => Administrative Tools, and click twice on Computer Management.

Then, click on Storage => Disk Management. You should see a list of volumes which represent the disks available on your system.

In the list you should see your USB drive, right-click on it and choose "Change drive letter..." and pick a new drive letter for that drive.

Try disconnecting and reconnecting the drive and hopefully it'll map with the new letter you select.

Answer 2

Hello.
Maybe you should try the Computer Management utilities. Go to Control Panel --> Administrative Tools --> Computer Management.
On the Computer Management window, click on Disk Management. From there you will see the mapping of your disks.
You can change the mapping of your drives or disks.
My suggestion is, first remove your mapping for "I:". Then plug your USB seagate HDD in. From your description, I assume that it will be mapped for "i:\" drive.

Go to the Computer Management, and right-click on your "i:\" drive (hope it will be your USB HDD).
Select "Change Drive Letter and Paths".
Press the "Change" button, and give it any drive letter. (maybe you can use the last drive letter "z:\").
I hope with this setting, whenever you plug your USB seagate HDD in, it will be mapped to the drive letter you've selected.

best regards,

heihadji

Answer 3

there is a icon on the right bottom of the task bar which is for removing USB devices I don't know if you have used this, but you should always use it before unpluging any USB devise.

if you just unpluged the usb hdd without informing windows then it still thinks it's there and when you shut down the computer it wrote the device setting to the Hdd before shutting down.

now when you boot up again it reads the hdd setting for the last shut down, and because you had not informed windows you had taken out the USB HDD it restored the last setup. hence you have a i drive but can't read it

so what you can try is plug in the usb drive before you boot the computer and hope it finds it where you can read it, if it does your ok,

always use the icon to remove usb devices before removing them from the computer

hope this helps

Answer 4

If you are connected in an Active Directory environment it could be that your IT system administrator is pushing down a computer policy that prevents you from using a USB flash drive. You'll have to speak with the IT Department.