I am having an issue where a shared network drive cannot be accessed by a couple users. I am one of the ones that cannot access it, and I noticed when I checked the properties of my shared drive that it is showing a RAW file system. On another users pc who can access the drive with no problem, they are showing NTFS file system. I am the network administrator, however we both have admin rights to the network and our own pc. I have checked the settings for both myself who cannot access the drive and a user that can, and we are both setup the same. I have also compared two drives on the server, one I can access and the other I cannot, and do not see any difference there either. Can someone please tell me if this may have something to do with the NTFS vs RAW, and what I can do to fix this problem? Both of our O/S is xp.
This arises because Windows remembers all removable storage devices connected to it, the reason being that it tries to keep track of the file structure that it used when it accessed that device last. Windows cares nought for the drive letter or the drive name you give because you can change them at will and confuse Windows, so it associates the persistent volume name with unique volume identifiers and disk signatures..
This is the key you need: HKLM/System/Mounted Devices
Identify your device at \Dos Devices\"its drive letter": and delete it [delete that name]
It will also occur up the page as one of the \??\Volume {....} entries. To find which one you will have to rclick on each, select Modify and read the upper part of the ASCII interpretation to identify the drive [the remainder of that ASCII is the unique identifier]. Until you find the correct one... then delete that name also.
Restart your machine, the drive will/should be re-associated, perhaps correctly.
This is why if you plug in a drive to your firm's computer and do something really naughty then you had better get rid of that drive afterward. Its unique identifier is stored, plus what was on it.
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