Subscribe to Windows IT Pro
October 21, 2002 12:00 AM

The Linkd Utility

Mountvol for the masses
Windows IT Pro
InstantDoc ID #26699
Rating: (0)

You can take exactly that approach, thanks to the linkd.exe tool in the Microsoft Windows 2000 Resource Kit. Think of Linkd as a simplified Mountvol. If GUIDs are your style, you can use them with Linkd (although I can't think why you'd want to):

linkd C:\extradrive\\?\Volume{47c8cd01-1a1f-11d5-
aa7f-806d6172696f}\

What Mountvol can do that Linkd can't is list GUIDs—if you execute the Mountvol command without parameters, you get a listing of current GUIDs and the drive letters that map to them.

Linkd can also report what, if anything, is attached to a given directory. So, the command

linkd C:\extradrive

returns one of two responses, depending on how you created the mapping:

e

or

\\?\Volume{47c8cd01-1a1f-11d5-aa7f-806d6172696f}\

To disconnect the reparse point, type

linkd C:\extradrive /d

Finally, some words of caution. First, junction points give backup programs fits unless the backup programs are specifically Win2K-aware. For example, you can use NT 4.0's NTBackup program to back up a Win2K system, but NTBackup either won't back up or won't completely back up files or directories that exploit new-to-Win2K NTFS features, such as junction points or sparse files. Second, the free-space reports get a bit weird. If you run the Dir command on the C drive, you'll see C's free space. But running Dir on C:\extradrive shows E's free space.

Related Content:

ARTICLE TOOLS

Comments
  • Dustin Puryear
    9 years ago
    Jun 11, 2003

    Using mount points under Win2k is an excellent idea even before you have disk space problems. It is standard practice when administering a UNIX server to create several file systems, each of which is devoted to a specific use. One common scenario would be to create a file systems for /, /var, /tmp, /usr, and /home. The benefit of this approach is that filling up one file system will not crash the system.

    In the Windows world this would be analogous to creating the drives C:, D:, E:, and F:, which are mounted as to C:\\, D: -> C:\\Documents & Settings, E: -> C:\\Program Files, and F: -> C:\\WinNT\\Temp, respectively. Using this method you greatly reduce the chances that your Win2k Server will crash because of an errant user or process.

You must log on before posting a comment.

Are you a new visitor? Register Here

advertisement

advertisement

Windows is a trademark of the Microsoft group of companies. Windows IT Pro is used by Penton Media Inc. under license from owner.