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Laptop Muddle

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6 replies

by will

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Company Database is Access 97 based with data files server database, front end on workstations.
Server running NT4 Server, Clients Win98SE.
Clients access server database through mapped 'E' Drive.
The problem. We want to use laptops for use off site. To use the database, the data files have to be located in the 'E' drive. This is because lots of VB code point to this drive,
ie recordsets, etc. To overcome this I can partition the drive and the database works fine. Problem comes when I want to then use the laptop in the office. I can't map the laptop to the server as an 'E' drive as it exists as a partition.

Anyone know a way I can dynamically re-assign drive letters (hardware profiles would have been easy), or any other way of overcoming the problem?

6 replies

by thechas

I have 2 ideas for you.

1. Check out this link; http://www.v72735.f2s.com/LetAssig/
He has a utility to allow you to set drive letters at will.

I haven't tried it myself, so I don't know how well it works.

2. Upgrade to Windows XP. Windows XP does allow you to reasign all drive letters at will. As long as the letter is not in use, or reserved.

by will

Thanks 'TheChas' I hope to use XP in the near future and this will be an easy to do solution. Thanks also for the link, but Tims answer is a simple & swift solution.

by timthetoolman

Hi,

FYI... This post is the same answers as for your other, identical question...

You could try creating a simple .bat file and put it one the laptops that has the following line...

net use e: \\%computername%\c

(I think thats the right syntax...)

You'd need to share the C drive on each laptop too so that this bat file could map a new "network drive" back to its own c: drive or d: partition (change above refs from c to d) or wherever you put the database but call it e:

You'd name the .bat file something like Setup for Local Use.bat

That should work.

Cheers,
Tim.

by timthetoolman

Hi,

Actually a slightly better solution would be to replace the reference of the icon that currently fires up the application with a reference to the following .bat file

if not exist e:\SomeKnownFileThere net use e: \\%computername%\c
RunYourApplication.exe

Which would automatically detect you're off the network and map the required share as E: to do local stuff.

You could manually set the icon image back to the application image too - so people dont get confused.

I'd also add some more error checking into the .bat file, myself, but it works fine as it stands.

Cheers,
Tim.

by will

Hi Tim, Thanks for the great answer.
I have given you points against the question in Developer republic, so I can give Chas some points.

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