How to Create a Virtual Drive in Windows XP
A Step-by-Step Tutorial on Manually Making a Virtual Drive for Your PC
Virtual drives will generally save time because users do not have to locate CDs or DVDs if they have the image stored on the computer. In addition to that, virtual drives can be generally read faster than CDs and DVDs because they are already on the hard drive.
The easiest way to create a virtual drive would be to download an application that will automatically create the drive for you. Alcohol 120% is one of the most powerful retail virtual drive programs in the market. For approximately $40, you can have a very powerful virtual DVD and CD player on your computer.
If you are looking for something free, I would suggest Magic Disk. With Magic Disk, you can create multiple drives. A virtual drive application like this one is relatively easy to use as all you have to do is mount a CD or DVD image and it will load as if a CD was actually loaded.
You can also manually create a virtual drive with Windows XP. This tutorial will walk you step-by-step through the process.
Here's how:
How to Manually Create a Virtual Drive in Windows XP
*Click Start and then Run. Now type cmd on the text field. The command prompt will appear. On the command prompt, type subst x: "C:\windows".
*The letter "x" represents the drive letter of the virtual drive you wish to create. You can choose any letter as long as it doesn't already exist on your computer. However, do not use the letters A, C, E, F, or Q because they are common drive letters and your computer may already be using these letters.
*C:\windows represents the directory that you want to place your virtual drive. You choose any directory or file on your computer.
After you have input this information in the command prompt, you can view the new drive by going to My Computer.
Although you have created a new drive, it will automatically be deleted when the computer powers down. We need to make the new virtual drive permanent.
Here's how:
*First, open Notepad: Start >> Programs >> Accessories >> Notepad.
*Type subst x: "C:\Windows". Now save the Notepad document as c:\autoexec.bat.
*Hit Ctrl+R (or click Start >> Run) on your keyboard and type regedit then click OK.
*On the left pane of the Registry Editor, Click My Computer >>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE >> Software >> Microsoft >> Windows >>
CurrentVersion >> Run.
*Now on the right click on the right pane and click New.
*Select String Value. Type in "Autoexec" and press Enter.
*Right click Autoexec and click Modify.
*Type in c:\autoexec.bat.
*Close the Registry Editor and restart the computer.
Your virtual drive is now permanent. And you are done!
Published by The Armchair Geek
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17 Comments
Post a CommentOops, I mean, Teach Me Piano Deluxe does not work with anything newer than XP.
I am playing around with an old laptop, got a XP license from an older computer and put it on my laptop with a 60GB SSD, then mayhem ensued as HP does not provide drivers for anything older than Vista, so I've had to search high and low for "unlocked" drivers. In the end, I wanted to use an old program "Teach Me Piano Deluxe" which doesn't work with anything older than XP, but my cd drive works on and off, and I didn't want to have to put a USB drive every time I wanted to use the program, so I used this instructions to make a virtual drive that points out to a folder within the program folder with the contents of the CD-ROM, and I put the autoexec.bat file just outside that folder, and changed the path accordingly in the autoexec.bat and the registry entry. It works as it should, and I'll never have to bother with the CD-ROM again. In Win 7, you can do this within disk management, but XP is a bit tricky.
Thanks for this - I forgot about this command as I haven't used it since the DOS days. I was looking for a way to share a single directory over a remote desktop connection, which allows you to share drives. This did exactly that - allowed me to select the "drive."
Thank you so much.
BTW it is virtual drive(not logical).
If you want to make it permanent, just put the registry, like describes above.
DANGER! The method outlined here is not a virtual drive it is mapping your windows directory to a drive letter. If you delete any files in that new drive you are really deleting things in your windows directory.
A virtual disk can be created using wondows 7 disk manager or third party applications.
help me how to creat virus to your computer...please dude
I've already got a file labeled c:autoexec.bat
I don't want to overwrite it in fear of something being damaged... What is a good course to take?
i formatted the drive and it deleted every thing on all of my drives and had to reinstall dont use this technique BAD IDEA!!!!!!!
Create with
subst x: C:
Delete with
subst x: /D
how to delete visual drive
subst x: /d