Windows 2000 stores all drive-letter assignments under
HKLM\SYSTEM\MountedDevices. If you look under that key,
you’ll see values with names such as ??\Volume{X}
(where X is a GUID) and values such as ??\C:. Every
volume has a volume name entry, but a volume need not
have an assigned drive letter. The data that the
Registry stores in values for Dynamic disk volumes
includes the volume’s DMIO internal GUID.
When the Mount Manager initializes during the boot process,
it registers with the Windows 2000 PnP subsystem so that it
receives notification whenever either FtDisk or DMIO
creates a volume. When the Mount Manager receives such a
notification, it determines the new volume’s GUID or disk
signature, then asks either FtDisk or DMIO (whichever
created the volume) for a suggested drive-letter
assignment. If no suggested drive-letter assignment exists
for the volume, the Mount Manager uses the volume GUID or
signature as a guide and looks in its internal database,
which reflects the contents of the Registry key.
Then, the Mount Manager determines whether its internal
database contains the drive-letter assignment. If not, the
Mount Manager uses the first unassigned drive letter (if one
exists), defines a new assignment, creates a symbolic link
for the assignment (e.g., ??\D), and updates the
MountedDevices Registry key. At the same time, the Mount
Manager creates a volume symbolic link (i.e., ??\Volume{X})
that defines a new volume GUID, if the volume doesn’t already
have one. This GUID is different from the volume GUIDs that
DMIO uses internally.
How Windows 2000 Assigns, Reserves, and Stores Drive Letters
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q234/0/48.ASP
Niraj
-----Original Message-----
From: Andreas Roth [mailto:xxxxx@arsoft-online.de]
Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2001 10:52 AM
To: File Systems Developers
Subject: [ntfsd] RE: Driver Letter assignment
That’s all right. But where exacly saves Windows 2000 the drive letter
assignment permanently ?
A. Roth
-----Original Message-----
From: xxxxx@lists.osr.com
[mailto:xxxxx@lists.osr.com]On Behalf Of Nate Bushman
Sent: Samstag, 7. April 2001 19:16
To: File Systems Developers
Subject: [ntfsd] RE: Driver Letter assignment
Windows 2000 stores the drive letter assignment in the Object Manager
namespace under the ??\ path and in the registry under
\HKLM\SYSTEM\MountedDevices
-----Original Message-----
From: Andreas Roth [mailto:xxxxx@arsoft-online.de]
Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2001 4:39 AM
To: File Systems Developers
Subject: [ntfsd] Driver Letter assignment
I have a short question: Where does Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 store the
drive letter assignment ?
A. Roth
You are currently subscribed to ntfsd as: $subst(‘Recip.EmailAddr’)
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-ntfsd-$subst(‘Recip.MemberIDChar’)@lists.osr.com