Multiple Physical drives as one letter (No RAID)

[lubama]

As the title says I will like to set more than one drive listed as a single letter, so all the data inside, can be easily share on the network

Thanks

Luis

 

[SeanHellen]

I am not sure if this is possible as I am having hdd troubles myself and it seems that I have 2 hdd's the same letter which is confusing the computer. I would think that this is why raid was "invented". Like I say, not sure but Im am sure that someone with more knowledge will come along and correct me

 

[TonyTiger2004]

Hey Lubama, Would like to give my assistance at this issue your having, Im sorry your having troubles. You've come to the right place

If all you want to do it change your drive letter simply use the disk management utility allows you to format partition or change your drive letter (obviously your option)

Simply go to start and type in create and format hard disk partitions once that loads up (may take a moment) you can then right click on the drives you wish to change and simply click change drive letter then Click change you will then change the drive letter to one of your choice. Hope this helps

 

[SeanHellen]

But in the disk management window, it says change disk letter, but it then gives you options of which letters are free - and since 1 of your drives will have a letter, this letter will be taken from the list (eg you wont see your hard disk, cd rom or floppy drive letters in the list as they have been taken)

 

[joebots]

See if your HD controller supports JBOD (Just a Bunch of Discs). Should be in the manual if it does.

 

[lubama]

Hey Lubama, Would like to give my assistance at this issue your having, Im sorry your having troubles. You've come to the right place

If all you want to do it change your drive letter simply use the disk management utility allows you to format partition or change your drive letter (obviously your option)

Simply go to start and type in create and format hard disk partitions once that loads up (may take a moment) you can then right click on the drives you wish to change and simply click change drive letter then Click change you will then change the drive letter to one of your choice. Hope this helps

Thank you Tony

This is what I'll like to do:
I have multiple physical drives (5) with media (movies), I want to have all those drives showing as a large drive, I don't want to use RAID, I know JOBD is a good option, although if I loose one drive I might loose everything else, I don't really care because I have all the movies in disk but is a lot of work to do. There is an option to have a new folder in a drive and add all the drives inside that folder but I can't make it work.

Luis

 

[Golden]

Hi Lubama,

You need to be a little bit careful with how you configure these disks, or you may inadvertently lose the data on one or all of them.

Please provide more detail on these disks and your system (Fill in your system specs). Are they existing disks with data on them, that were removed from an older system, and you now want to insert them into a new system?

I'm unsure whether this can be achieved, with or without a RAID or JBOD configuration. My suggestion is to not do anything until a more experienced person can help you out here.

Regards,
Golden

 

[Kari]

Absolutely easiest way to do this is to create a new library, then add all your five disks to the library. After that, you just need to share the library. Easy and simple, you need like 30 seconds to set it up. Windows 7 really makes it easy.

Kari

 

[WindowsStar]

Absolutely easiest way to do this is to create a new library, then add all your five disks to the library. After that, you just need to share the library. Easy and simple, you need like 30 seconds to set it up. Windows 7 really makes it easy.

Kari

+1

 

[lubama]

Hi Lubama,

You need to be a little bit careful with how you configure these disks, or you may inadvertently lose the data on one or all of them.

Please provide more detail on these disks and your system (Fill in your system specs). Are they existing disks with data on them, that were removed from an older system, and you now want to insert them into a new system?

I'm unsure whether this can be achieved, with or without a RAID or JBOD configuration. My suggestion is to not do anything until a more experienced person can help you out here.

Regards,
Golden

Thank you Golden

I didn't filled the system specs due to I have more than one and in the future if I need help on one of the others it my be confusing
This particular one is my server:
Asus M2N-SLI DELUXE M/B with AMD CPU, this particular board has hardware RAID but I will not like to use it if I can find another way.
The disks are already in the system and they have data, I have a large empty HD that I can use, in case I need to move files around, to accomplish my purpose

Luis

 

[Golden]

Hi Luis - please see the post by Kari above.

 

[lubama]

Absolutely easiest way to do this is to create a new library, then add all your five disks to the library. After that, you just need to share the library. Easy and simple, you need like 30 seconds to set it up. Windows 7 really makes it easy.

Kari

Thank you Kari

I already tried that route, the problem is that I have a Patriot Box Office and though the library folder is shared, is buried very deep in the system file, therefor very hard to find in the Box Office. What I am trying to accomplish is making the movies easier to find in this little box for my wife, she is very technology challenged. Also I run My Movies in the TV room HTPC and to link this folder from the HTPC to the server is very cumbersome. The library might work very good if all the data is in the same PC.

Luis

 

[WindowsStar]

@lubama

Your Original Post states that you ONLY want to share 5 different drives as a single drive letter and share, now you are changing things by adding a Patriot Box Office and then saying you need things to be easy for other family members, as well has having a HTPC in the mix. I think that all this should have been explained in the very beginning, because now we have wasted our time helping you and we did not have all the information.

Please provide a very detailed explanation of everything you are trying to do so we will have the ability to provide you with a solution. Also include all the things you have tried so we don’t suggest them, plus list all the things you do not want to do like RAID.

It is every frustrating working on solutions to have you come back and say “no tried that, but I need this or that, or by the way I have this equipment too” -WS

 

[lubama]

@WS

Sorry, my bad I did not explained to your liking, I ONLY what to share 5 drives like my first post said, period. Perhaps my post answering Kari seems like I did the library before his suggestion, I didn't, it was after that's why I added the Box Office and the HTPC to the equation, this would not have been necessary if I didn't tried the library.

Perhaps you are a "guru" I am not, but I have some knowledge, now what time have I wasted you?, your only post was "+1" and you are the only one complaining. But you know what, I thank you any ways for "all" your valuable time.

Luis