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mhildebr
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Joined: 01 Jan 2007
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 Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 11:47 am Post subject: USB Flash Drive and Paths |
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| How can I set the path to save my documents so it always points to the "Documents" folder on my USB Flash Drive? The drive letter changes, obviously, from computer to computer as the drive is used. The path variable by default points to the "My Documents" folder on the hard drive. I want all of my documents to be saved by default to the USB Flash Drive. Is this possible? |
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mhildebr
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Joined: 01 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 5:32 pm Post subject: So .... ??? |
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| Any help? I am surprised this is such a difficult question. |
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PromptJock
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Joined: 26 Jul 2006
Posts: 741
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| Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 8:50 pm Post subject: Re: USB Flash Drive and Paths |
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| mhildebr wrote: | | How can I set the path to save my documents so it always points to the "Documents" folder on my USB Flash Drive? The drive letter changes, obviously, from computer to computer as the drive is used. The path variable by default points to the "My Documents" folder on the hard drive. I want all of my documents to be saved by default to the USB Flash Drive. Is this possible? |
Under Win98 and WinME, you can right-click My Computer, Properties to bring up the system information Control Panel utility. Click the Hardware tab to list the installed devices. While ensuring the Flash Drive is installed, double-click the Disk Drives line to expand it. Find the Flash Drive's line then double-click it and bring up the Properties window for it. There should be a tab labeled "Details" or similar - click it. Down near the bottom there should be a section for assigning a starting and ending drive letter to the device. Set both start and stop drop-down menus to the SAME DRIVE LETTER, somewhere up in the alphabet nowhere near the assignment of the last physical drive installed in the machine (i.e. CD drive). I have my USB drive configured as drive "L:\" (my CD drive is "G:\"). When that's done, click the OK buttons on each of the screens to complete the process. Youll then have to reboot the machine so the Registry gets the new drive information. Make sure the Flash Drive IS NOT INSTALLED when you reboot the machine. Then, configure OOo as described below to (hopefully) default to the Flash Drive when OOo is opened. Again, you'll have to do this ON EACH AND EVERY WIN98/WINME MACHINE the flash drive will be used on!
Under WinXP, however, it doesn't appear to be "directly" possible like above. However, you can probably create a desktop folder on each machine you plug your flash drive in so that it points to that drive when it's "installed". Alternately, there MIGHT be a way to tweak the Registry (you need ADMINISTRATOR PRIVILIGES to do this!) to force a drive assignment to the Flash Drive, but I don't know where to look in the Registry to find the appropriate Registry key(s). Plus, unless you know what you're doing, you can totally "corrupt" your machine by mis-editing, etc. the Registry, so do this at your own risk!
As for defaulting OOo to the flash drive, you can try the following on EACH MACHINE the flash drive will ber used on:
1) Open Writer. Ensure the Flash Drive is already installed or install it at this time.
2) On the menu bar, select Tools, Options... to bring up the OpenOffice.org "configurator"
3) Double-click the OpenOffice.org line if it isn't expanded and click on the Paths line.
4) You should see all the OOo path definitions in the right pane. Click on the My Documents line to highlight it, then click the Edit... button.
5) In the Select Path window, select the drive corresponding to the Flash Drive. If necessary, select a folder on same if desired.
6) Click the OK button - the new path should appear in the My Documents line. If it is, then proceed, otherwise return to step 4) and repeat.
7) Click the OK button to save the changes FOR THAT PARTICULAR MACHINE! At this time, exit Writer.
Now, while leaving the Flash Drive installed, open Writer again - it should open fine with no error messages (i.e. "Drive/folder not found, etc."). At this time, click File, Open... on the menu bar OR simply press the Ctrl+O keystroke combination. You should see the contents of the Flash Drive in the "explorer" menu. If you don't, you'll probably see the contents of the last folder you "OOo-ed on" instead.
Now then, repeat the above operations on EACH AND EVERY MACHINE the flash drive will "come into contact with". Because the Flash Drive's assignment will, as you indicate, change for each machine (depending on its' individual hardware configuration), each machine will have a "custom OOo-ing" that, hopefully, will have the "common trait" of (hopefully!) defaulting to the Flash Drive.
Alternately, you COULD try using one of those "U3" self-booting Flash Drives instead, configuring it with your own personal OOo that'll auto-execute when the drive is installed. However, I've never tried that so I make no guarantees (has anyone in the forum tried this approach?).
That's all I can offer - I hope it's useful (if not slightly helpful?). 
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mhildebr
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| Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 12:56 pm Post subject: Thank You For Helping |
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| Thanks for the reply. Your last paragraph ... "Alternately, you COULD try using one of those "U3" self-booting Flash Drives instead," is what I am attempting to do. I have a "U3" self booting drive with the OOo installed on it. All the paths EXCEPT "my documents" point to the U3 drive no matter what the drive letter is. I would like all the files I create default likewise to a path on the flash drive instead of on an anonymous hard disk. |
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PromptJock
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Joined: 26 Jul 2006
Posts: 741
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| Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 3:14 pm Post subject: Re: Thank You For Helping |
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| mhildebr wrote: | | Thanks for the reply. Your last paragraph ... "Alternately, you COULD try using one of those "U3" self-booting Flash Drives instead," is what I am attempting to do. I have a "U3" self booting drive with the OOo installed on it. All the paths EXCEPT "my documents" point to the U3 drive no matter what the drive letter is. I would like all the files I create default likewise to a path on the flash drive instead of on an anonymous hard disk. |
OK, try this and see what happens:
On the "Options, Paths" setting for the "My Documents" part of the OOo-ed "U3" drive, enter the value "..\<dox dir>\" where "<dox dir>" is the place on the "U3" you want your stuff to go to.
By not specifying an EXPLICIT drive letter, it should force OOo on the "U3" to consider the "U3" drive to be its' "parent" drive and, therefore, default its' document writing to there.
FWIW, this is an old MS-DOS trick used to "fool" floppy install programs to always reference the floppy as the source, regardless of the floppy's designation ("A:\" for single-floppy systems or "B:\" for dual-floppy systems) AND for hard-drive programs to always use the primary hard drive (i.e. "C:\") as its' "reference point".
I hope this helps a little. Please keep us apprised as to the success/failure of my suggestions.
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mhildebr
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| Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 5:06 pm Post subject: Great Idea |
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| Wow! That sounds like a great idea but unfortunately, when I tried it, it did not work. To set the path you must click on a drive and following folder and it does not allow you to type in the path. If there is a way to enter the path, I think your idea would work. |
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PromptJock
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| Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 8:11 pm Post subject: Re: Great Idea |
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| mhildebr wrote: | | Wow! That sounds like a great idea but unfortunately, when I tried it, it did not work. To set the path you must click on a drive and following folder and it does not allow you to type in the path. If there is a way to enter the path, I think your idea would work. |
I vaguely remember a (relatively) recent post about the OOo "configuration" file being a text file that could, possibly, be edited via Notepad. If that's so, it might be possible to locate the applicable "Files" line in it, manually edit the line as suggested, then save it back to the "U3" drive.
I hope one of the Ooo "developer Gurus" here can possibly confirm, deny, shed more light, etc. on this approach....
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enine
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Joined: 12 Mar 2005
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| Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 6:08 am Post subject: |
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| Thats the problem with Windows assigning a different drive letter. What you could do is make the falsh drive have an autorun which runa s small batch file to determine the current drive letter and assign it to a variable then point your OOo Documents to that variable. |
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PromptJock
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| Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 2:20 pm Post subject: |
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| enine wrote: | | Thats the problem with Windows assigning a different drive letter. What you could do is make the falsh drive have an autorun which runa s small batch file to determine the current drive letter and assign it to a variable then point your OOo Documents to that variable. |
Good idea. Unfortunately, many "Window Paners" today have NO IDEA WHATSOEVER on how to create a DOS Batch file, or even know what DOS commands to use. Not only that, I don't know if WinXP will allow creation of "local" DOS environment variables in such situations.
And I'm a Certified DOS (sorta) command-line Guru in these areas! 
Therefore, I look to be educated if at all possible...
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enine
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| Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 5:44 am Post subject: |
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Xp still allows variables. open a cmd prompt and type set to see a bunch
I manage w2k3 swervers with simple batch files. |
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PromptJock
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| Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 5:13 pm Post subject: |
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| enine wrote: | Xp still allows variables. open a cmd prompt and type set to see a bunch
I manage w2k3 swervers with simple batch files. |
I'm quite aware of the "SET" command-line command to view the "global" environment set and using it to set "local session" variables for BATch file processing or (temporarily) modify "global" system ones only under the command prompt. However, I don't know what environment variable(s) OOo uses (if any?) to access directories and such.
I do, however, know you can pass command-line parameters to OOo applications (via the "program" line in the Shortcut or a BATch file), though I've not done it yet with OOo (no need for it, that is! ).
Finally, as I posted above, I don't know if you can set/modify "system-wide" environment variables in XP user accounts that can be accessed by Windows applications after the BATch file that sets them ends its' execution (i.e. "permanent global"). I guess XP "Administrators" could possibly do it, but, again, I've not tried it (nor had the need to do so). This was a "piece of cake" with DOS, no real problem with Windows 98 and previous versions, it was "problematic" at time with ME, and NT/2000 were "nightmares" in this area.
At least, that's my personal experience in this area.
I'd sure like to be educated in such things for OOo, if it's possible.
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