I just repeated the experiment.
Hannes,
OK, thank you very much!
Do delete all lines related to disks other than those external disks you asked about.
:: This script backs up external drive letter assignments into a script file for writing them back into the Registry:: My list of assignments to skip backing up for, the lines beginning If "%ThisLine:~0,13%", account for all my internal drives because it would be inappropriate to restore their drive letters to different computers [as I intend to do].:: The output file is re-written every time this script is run.:: Written by Denis, Try3 :: This script was originally posted in www.elevenforum.com/t/import-drive-letters-for-use-after-reinstall.22267:: Alter the prompt to help see commands and their responses clearlyprompt $g:: Some people like adding an @echo off command but I don't.:: - The script does not take so long to run that I would ever feel any benefit from the time saved in execution by using @echo off.:: - I run scripts such as these minimised so I would not benefit from hiding anything:: - I would have to cancel the @echo off & run that modified version of the script if I needed to debug the script :: - As it stands, if I wanted to debug then I would re-add the leading :: from the final line of this script [which I've left in for the time being but will remove when testing is complete]:JustGetOnWithIt:: Set up output:: I will use a protected script folder because the output is an active object:: I have tested that the output path can include spaces and special characters such as ampersands.Set "OutputFolder=%~dp0":: Remove trailing \ from OutputFolder [swapping around values during testing can often lead me to mistakes in this regard]If "%OutputFolder:~-1%"=="\" Set OutputFolder=%OutputFolder:~0,-1%Set "OutputFile=%OutputFolder%\RestoreAssignedDrives.bat":: Write the preamble in the output fileecho ::This script restores the backed up drive letter assignments for external disks>"%OutputFile%"echo ::This script must be run as Admin because it writes entries to HKLM>>"%OutputFile%"echo :: Written by Denis, Try3 TenForums, ElevenForum, TwelveForums>>"%OutputFile%"echo :: The parent script was originally posted in www.elevenforum.com/t/import-drive-letters-for-use-after-reinstall.22267>>"%OutputFile%":: Read each line of the Registry KeyFor /F "tokens=*" %%A in ('Reg Query "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices" ') Do Call :ProcessEachLine "%%A"GoTo Endex:ProcessEachLine:: This subroutine reads each line of the Registry KeySet "ThisLine=%~1":: Escape if a blank line has been passed [I have not checked that that cannot happen and it's easyto assume it can]If "FF%ThisLine%FF"=="FFFF" GoTo :EOF:: Escape for all non-relevant lines in this huge Registry KeyIf Not "%ThisLine:~0,12%"=="\DosDevices\" GoTo :EOF::::: Put in escapes for internal drives C D E F M::::: My method of escaping F:\ for the sake of the one computer that has an internal disk F:\ means that I will not backup any F:\ drive letter assignments from any computer but that's fine as I never use any::::: If I backed them up I would have to insert a ComputerName-dependent escape into the restoration script anyway so I might as well keep it simpleIf "%ThisLine:~0,13%"=="\DosDevices\C" GoTo :EOFIf "%ThisLine:~0,13%"=="\DosDevices\D" GoTo :EOFIf "%ThisLine:~0,13%"=="\DosDevices\E" GoTo :EOFIf "%ThisLine:~0,13%"=="\DosDevices\F" GoTo :EOFIf "%ThisLine:~0,13%"=="\DosDevices\M" GoTo :EOF:: Write each relevant line, each drive letter assignemnt to be restored, into the output file:: Lines extracted from the Registry key are in the pattern \DosDevices\S: REG_BINARY 444D494F3A49443A6C973A17EA6A53469D66AAAC5B339B57 :: Required syntax for the Reg Add command that does the restoration Reg Add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices /v \DosDevices\S: /t REG_BINARY /d 444D494F3A49443A6C973A17EA6A53469D66AAAC5B339B57echo Reg Add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices /v %ThisLine:~0,14% /t REG_BINARY /d %ThisLine:~31%>>"%OutputFile%"GoTo :EOF:Endex:: Pause at end during testing::This script restores the backed up drive letter assignments for external disks::This script must be run as Admin because it writes entries to HKLM:: Written by Denis, Try3 TenForums, ElevenForum, TwelveForums:: The parent script was originally posted in www.elevenforum.com/t/import-drive-letters-for-use-after-reinstall.22267Reg Add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices /v \DosDevices\S: /t REG_BINARY /d 444D494F3A49443A6C973A17EA6A53469D66AAAC5B339B57
Thanks for doing the test to see if it actually does keep the drive letter assigned to the original drive or not. I do have a few USB drives I always want to be the same drive letter. The drives I use for my system images and the drives I use for my media content as an example. Knowing this reg hack may come in handy for me when I replace one or more of my computers in the future.
I solved my problem with this and can now include self-elevation in the output script RestoreAssignedDrives.bat [which needs elevation because it writes to HKLM].
1. Not sure why. If the restore script derived from the previous installation has those entries should work fine deleting current dosdevices (except os ) then restore from that script.
The user has to list the drive letters of internal fixed disks.
Nice work! This is what I use to self-elevate my batch files:
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: Check to see if this batch file is being run as Administrator. If it is not, then rerun the batch file ::
:: automatically as admin and terminate the intial instance of the batch file. ::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
(Fsutil Dirty Query %SystemDrive%>Nul)||(PowerShell start """%~f0""" -verb RunAs & Exit /B)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: End Routine to check if being run as Admin ::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: We reach this point once the batch file is run as adminSet "ThisPath=%~dp0"If Not "%ThisPath:&=%"=="%ThisPath%" ((cls) & (Title ERROR) & (Echo This procedure cannot be used with the batch file in a path containing an ampersand. Move the batch file to a different location before running it again.) & (Pause) & (GoTo Endex))reg query "HKU\S-1-5-19" >nul ||(PowerShell start """%~dpnx0""" -verb RunAs & Exit /B):Endex pause at Endex during testingPowerShell start """%~dpnx0""" -verb RunAs:GetCurrentOsLetter
set CurrentOsPath=
set CurrentOSLetter=
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" /v PathName > tmpoutfile.out
for /F "skip=2 tokens=3" %%i in (tmpoutfile.out) do set CurrentOsPath=%%i
for /F "delims=: tokens=1" %%i in ("%CurrentOsPath%") do set CurrentOsLetter=%%i
:ProcessEachLine
If "%ThisLine:~0,13%"=="\DosDevices\%CurrentOsLetter%" GoTo :EOF
