Windows 7 Drive Letter Clash

[g0dM@n]

I map a bunch of network drives to my NAS via a startup script. It works great until I hook up a hard drive on my hard drive dock, or even as SATA. For some stupid reason, Windows is dumb enough not to realize the drive letters are already used by network drives.

How do I force Windows to use AVAILABLE drive letters, rather than my network drive letters? Please don't tell me to use letters down further down the line. I know that is more likely to work, but I'm using specific drive letters for my network drives for a reason, those being G: and H:. Those are the ones I mostly have issues with. I have PLENTY of letters not in use... it's just Windows 7 isn't being intelligent (artificially, of course) about it.

 

[Snowknight26]

Change the drive letter on the external drive via the Device Manager. Next time you connect it the drive will be assigned that letter.

 

[Midvalley]

Probably has something to do with USB/HDD devices being mounted and assigned per-machine, where network drives are per-user. Since the profiles used for each are independent, the mount point information isn't really shared the way it should be for removable drives.

We use something like: http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbdlm_e.html at work, and it should do the job for you. 90% sure that's the one we use, but its for a different department so I'm not positive.

 

[gimp]

This is why best-practice is to map network drives using the latter end of the alphabet since, as Midvalley mentioned, removable media is machine-based whereas mapped network drives are user-based.
Essentially, removable media is mounted when Windows loads. Network drives are not mounted until a user logs in.

So either change the mapped network drive letters to the latter end of the alphabet, or do as Snowknight26 said and change the drive letter of the removable media (although, of course, that will need to be done with each new device.)

 

[g0dM@n]

Change the drive letter on the external drive via the Device Manager. Next time you connect it the drive will be assigned that letter.

I understand I could do that, and that's exactly what I do every time. I just wanted to know if there was a way that Windows would be smart enough not to make the mistake on INITIAL connection. I do a lot of work on the side where I'm backing up user data and/or migrating data, and I hook it up to my computer when I do it... then back things up to my NAS. Well, every time I hook up a new/foreign drive, I have to re-assign it a new drive letter. It's just annoying is all.

Probably has something to do with USB/HDD devices being mounted and assigned per-machine, where network drives are per-user. Since the profiles used for each are independent, the mount point information isn't really shared the way it should be for removable drives.

We use something like: http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbdlm_e.html at work, and it should do the job for you. 90% sure that's the one we use, but its for a different department so I'm not positive.

I'll have to try that. Thanks