IDEA: virtual drive driver

[gotrootdude]

I'd love an app that would create a virtual drive that would hold the contents of selected directories on multiple drive volumes.

Would be great for media servers..  I tried creating junction links, but it doesn't work on multiple volumes...


Example, you have a directory on C: , d: , E: , F: , and G: drives with music files, you could create a virtual drive that would somehow contain all files from those directories so you could tell your media server software (xlobby, mediaportal) just to look at the virtual drive for music files..

Is it possible?  It sounds possible..  just no idea where to start coding.. 

[mouser]

there's some programs to do this (ExtraDrivePro)..
this might be outside scope of a few hour project though.

[mouser]

see also: http://www.walkerbro...rssa.com/mountvd.htm

[nudone]

not 100% sure but i don't think the current crop of virtual drive mounting programs provide the function you are after - that being you want to include just the files found in folders on different drives to be bundled together under one single virtual drive letter (that's how i understood what you require).

sounds like a useful type app to me - i'd find a use for it but unfortunately i'm not a programmer so can't help.

acdsee (mainly an image browser) allows you to tag files to a particular label thereby allowing you to view images that all bare the same tag type as a grouped display - regardless of what folder the file is in.

extending this feature to work with any type of file or folder sounds like very useful function to me - maybe there is a file browser that already does it?

the ability to group disparate files/folders under one drive would have a similar benefit to the above so i'd be pleased to see either method implemented.

[mouser]

ah i didn't read closely enough.  that is indeed a nice sounding idea, but surely beyond the scope of a few hours of coding.

i think directory opus has a feature to allow you to make virtual "file collections" that may do what you want.

[nudone]

i had a suspicion that directory opus might do something like that mouser - as it seems to do everything else under the sun.

i think i better head over there again and check it out.

[mtp]

well .. this is something like a workaround which might do what you requested ...
lets say the musicfiles are on g:\music and h:\mp3
1. create a virtual drive using "subst.exe" which comes with windows ..
subst i: g:\music
2. create a link from h:\mp3 to g:\music\mp3.lnk
hold down the right mousebutton and drag the folder "mp3" to g:\music
release the mousebutton
select "create link here"
its not very nice ...  but it worked for me ...

[gtoal]

I'd love an app that would create a virtual drive that would hold the contents of selected directories on multiple drive volumes.

Would be great for media servers..  I tried creating junction links, but it doesn't work on multiple volumes...


Example, you have a directory on C: , d: , E: , F: , and G: drives with music files, you could create a virtual drive that would somehow contain all files from those directories so you could tell your media server software (xlobby, mediaportal) just to look at the virtual drive for music files..

Is it possible?  It sounds possible..  just no idea where to start coding.. 

-gotrootdude (April 29, 2005, 10:40 PM)

This exact program was posted today on giveawayoftheday.com (original is payware, at http://www.virtualdisk.net/ )

G

[wraith808]

I actually bought it on BDJ a while ago- it's very useful!  Sort of like file collections in a few of our more celebrated file managers (xyplorer, directory opus, etc) but visible in outside applications since its a drive letter.