Ah... a pity I missed this one. What I used to do is create a shared network folder and attach a network drive. But that means one drive for one parent folder. With virtual drive, we can have files from various sources (some can be on network shares) all in the same "drive". So, I can configure the contents of a "drive" before I start a project - maybe have reference files there too. Of course, you can do this with shortcuts and NTFS junctions but there are limitaions as well as a lot of complexities.

Did not function on Vista 64 bit

It worked fine when I installed it on my XP - SP3, but one day later I when I wanted to use my pc I got the blue screen and my pc restarted again and again and again. Doesn´t work. So I run my pc in safe mode and uninstalled the program. Now my pc works fine again. But defentitly this program will not work on my pc. What a pitty.

Don't know if anyone is still following this thread, but I'm wondering if anyone knows of a freeware counterpart to this program. Like quite a few others here, I'm running 64-bit Vista and so I was unable to install the program....

After installing this,and rebooting my computer...
My VISTA HOME PREMIUM refused to start even in safe mode...
kept on getting BSOD about drivers related to this...
Result: had to restore entire OS ..
Thanks a lot. :P

This is an follow up message to #69.

To developer:
1. Seems like VD don't work well with BeyondSync. Ever since I had installed it, the BeyondSync Scheduler gives me "ReadDirectoryChanges" error every time it start. Currently, my virtual drive is A and changing it to something else do not fix the problem.
2. I can't seem to add new files to my mapped drive via VD volume. Files that already exist can be open/modify/delete via VD, but no new file/folder can be create.

Very annoyed with the number of virtual drives on my computer that this software has created. There is now no way to delete those useless empty drives. Worthless piece of software.

Thanks GOTD and VD. This is an excellent utility. I have my digital photos spread across a number of drives and I've used VD to help organise the photos for printing. Being a UNIX fan, it's somewhat like a soft link for windows. Keep up the good work!

Sorry VD Support, but I must agree with #50. Those of us that have been using computers since the early 80's are completely familiar with the SUBST command and have an excellent grasp on the nature of Explorer. We already organize our files in such a way as to make this software redundant. 1 click/drag to move a folder to a new location is not that big of a hassel, at least not enough to warrant having this. Thank you so much for the offer today, but I will definately uninstall this one. Thumbs down.

software like this is extremely amzing and worth the time... and money, just not in this case ...... like serously its amazing

This looks like a great idea in need of more development.

Things like the lack of drag'n'drop, inability to open files from the main interface, and tedious one-at-a-time file adding, detract from the overall ease of use - not to mention the somewhat obscure and elusive "Purpose" of the program. It took me some time exploring (and reading the comments here) to figure out what to do with it and how it could benefit me.

With some patience and persistence, I'm sure this will be a valuable tool (and one I desperately need!).

Thanks and Kudos to the developer for taking an active interest in the community here, I think you're onto a great idea and look forward to future versions. :)

Installed fine without problems. Only a cuestion: It says I have 100 Gigas free of space. It can´t be, because I have less free space. Thanks for your answer in advanced. See you!

I too am impressed by the developer's interaction. Bravo!

My question concerns external drives. If I map them, can VD keep track of the files as the drives are swapped for other external devices. I'm talking about a laptop with two USB ports which have to support as many as 4 drives and various other devices from time to time.

Becky

This does what it does really well. It corrects a deficiency in Windows whereby you can only remount a directory within the same filing system, and allows you to re-export a mounted filing system which is not possible with most Windows systems.

The limitation on this is that it is only a fileswitch that maps from an already-mounted directory elsewhere. So if you have a lot of drive letters before, you'll have a lot of drive letters plus 1 after.

If you could overlay on an existing drive rather than creating a new one (ie mounting a hierarchy somewhere on C:) that would be really useful.

And perhaps even more useful would be a windows port of FUSE (like Dokan) that supported all the existing unix-written user fs modules, as far as is possible. This developers code looks to be half-way there, having done the hard part of writing a windows filing system.

Got a rare thumbs up from me.

I just do not get the need nor usefulness of virtual drives or virtual folders. This has been done many times in various applications, none of which I find useful. At best its a lazy mans file aggregator but what is really does is allow you to gloss over an unorganized folder/file structure. Not helpful at all when its time to find the REAL location of your stuff. I hate to imagine the performance hit it makes when all your files need to be re-indexed as well. Not only that, but other apps and even XP/Vista itself run other indexing services by default, OMG what system overhead that must create!!

Bad idea from the get go. I wont even try it.

I have no use for this so I won't be down loading but I like the confidence of the developer in turning up on the website to answer any questions.I will surely have a serious look at any of VD products.

I installed on Windows XP SP3, and Windows 7 32 bit and 64 bit RC versions, looks like working on 32 bit only. It did not work on 32 bit and 64 bit Windows 2008 Server.
Issues found on the working OS:
1. Disk space is 100Gb no matter how big my real drive is (even physical drive is less than 100Gb)
2. Can't change the drive letter with folders or files mapped, otherwise the OS will get blue screen

Questions:
Will the virtual drive support the multiple boot installation as it is done with partition?
Can it be used to burn ISO image to the VD and get the true contents?
Can it be managed with defined space size?
Can it be used as Virtual CD and/or DVD (single layer/DL)?

Have to say it is a good tool if mentioned issues being resolved and features and support to other OS enriched.
Thanks a lot.

With "Total Commander" (the ultimate file manager for Windows) on your computer it is easy to monitor and understand the exact operation of Virtual Drive. On your monitor Total Commander can be shown below or above the Virtual Disk Manager. Total Commander has two fixed windows side by side. Use one screen to monitor the original map/file and the other screen to monitor the virtual map/file. Use a simple text file as the original file. Edit the original file with Total Commander and monitor the virtual file and the other way round. Both files are and stay equal, even if you change the file name. The virtual file can only be renamed by the Virtual Disk Manager. Using Total Commander move the original file to another location and watch the red-X alarm in the Virtual Disk Manager (refresh). Move the original file back and the red-X alarm is gone. Notice what happens to the original folder/file if you delete the virtual drive/folder/file. Experimenht with different situations. Activate and Setup have to be executed as Administrator (should have been mentioned!).

Just a suggestion to the developer, and to future developers.. If you do not make it clear that your software is for 32 bit systems only then you run the risk of getting thumbs down ratings based upon your software doing weird things during attempted installations.

Virtual Disk seems like a good idea, but because of the incompatibility issue from vista 64, I wasted quite a bit of time rebooting, running as administrator, redownloading and doing it all again only to find out the next day that I shouldn't have bothered with this offering.

I will echo what the others have said that it is nice to see the developer so active in the forum, and if you offer a 64 bit version in the future I will take a look, and maybe give a thumbs up this time :)

Dear VD Support - if you're not going to add 64-bit until next month - are you going to re-offer VD here ? If not, it's too little too late for me. BTW - We're developers too and seeing more and more Vista64 users - more than 50% now.

- Roj

@Damian J Spooner (#129)

Take a Google search for "file recovery" +freeware. There are a lot of freeware progz to get your data back. One of my favs is HandyRecovery 1.0. Version 1.0 is still freeware, later versions are shareware. The old version 1.0 you can download here:
http://www.chip.de/downloads/Handy-Recovery_13014384.html
It's a German website but the GUI of the prog is English so don't care. Just klick on "Download" and on the next page on "Download" too. The prog runs even from an USB-pen.

To Dev,
There have been a lot of recurring questions about what this app does exactly yet you haven't taken the time to answer.
This seems to be the question that has come up the most.
Any way you could take a moment to clarify all of these questions about why this might be a better choice than what is already available in Windows? I am one of those who doesn't quite understand the benefit of this but, I'd like to have a better understanding before I install it.
Thanks!

Just a serious question

After reading three times the discription I still don't have any idea what's the use of this program (and I'm working with Windows computers since more then 15 years). But a lot of users here are reporting BSOD's (Blue screens of death) when using this program. Is it a random-shutdown software?

Whoops. Correction: doesn't map files for me either. Works perfectly with folders though, and that's enough for my needs.

Works perfectly on XP SP3 for me, and what a nice piece of software it is too. It just does one small thing, but it's a very convenient thing, and it does it exceptionally well.

I don't know that I'd buy a piece of software like this, but if I were Microsoft, I'd definitely buy the code so I could include it in my next release of the OS. As freeware, it would be a 'must install', but I don't know if it does enough to justify a purchase.

Hi, I'm still open to questions if you need them answered.

It is great for my mediashares on the home network.
I will be buying this program when I have to do a reinstall and lose the GAOTD.
Thank you for this. It is very useful to me.

Hi Dev,

Regardless of the merits of the program, you are a great hit with the users because of your openness and real time communication with the community.

>>> As someone said, others Devs please take note.

Now, only if we can have our financial indutsry and govt follow the same example of openness and communication..wouldn't that be nice.

I am going to give the program a try.

Good Luck!

The average user will not understand the value of this software, but it is very useful and worth trying. There are ways to accomplish the same tasks as this program, but not nearly as easy and clean. You designate drives that contain folders that can have many "mount points" to any local or network folder. For example, you could create a z: drive. On that drive, you put a folder for Music and a folder for Pictures. Then, you can map multiple folders in each of those. So, under the Music folder you could have one that goes to a shared area on your c: drive, another that goes to a USB drive (which has to be mounted to be accessible), another that goes to a share on a server or another computer (if you have multiple computers). This allows all your music from multiple computers, drives or folders to be accessed from the same drive\folder. The benefit over using shortcuts is that when you're navigating the folders using explorer you are not redirected to the new folder you will remain on the V: drive. I'm sorry, it's harder to explain than it is to show. So, if you still don't understand or see the value in this, either find a friend who's a nerd like me or simply miss out on this opportunity. Most people that I've helped fix problems on their computer have files and folders all over there drive and waste a lot of time searching for there files. This can help with that, but those same people may need help with setting this up initially, but will love using it after that. It really is a useful tool that once you start using it, you will like it!

Hi,
Downloaded the programme, which installed immediately and without fuss on XP HOME-SP3. You choose which drive to install the programme on other drive other than the C: drive. When installing the programme it asked that you choose a drive letter for you virtual drive, I chose “Q”.

After it’s create the desktop short cut that I eagerly clicked to access the programme interface, I’m presented with seven large well presented buttons on the Menu Bar. Map a Folder, Map a File, Create a Folder, Create a Drive, Delete, Help and Register button. Digging around a little I found by right clicking on my newly created virtual “Q” drive that it automatically allocates/assume a 100MB as a size limit. I’m unsure if there is a way around this limitation, perhaps the developer can comment on this.

Also, once you have created the drive it is permanent? There does not appear an option to log off. Which think would have been an excellent touch, and while on this point can I suggest a portable USB version that does not need administration rights to run on any machine.

As I see this programme, its wonderfully glorified way to create a new folder albeit, with all its limitations. I tried to access this new virtual drive over the network by creating the “share files and folders”, however as this is a virtual drive it did not recognised this as a device. Basically it did not work.

You cannot rename or format this drive. You cannot access you file from the programmes explorer type window. This only is done by going to the drive itself. So there you have my bit. Hope this helps. Of course if you delete the drive you loose everything inside it! That it from me, hope this helps. Cheers

Ive already downloaded the latest copy from GAOTD but when i run the activation file, it still says that the key cannot be decrypted. I ran the activation file BEFORE the setup on one computer and, in another computer, i ran the activation file AFTER the setup. In both cases, the activation key cannot be decrypted. Ive tried rebooting both but still it says that the key cannot be decrypted.

Any help with the activation?

I wanted to map a folder to a drive instead of just mapping a folder to a folder in a drive. I'm disappointed that I'm unable to do that.

Vista 32bit

And yes, SUBST will do that, but Vista 32 bit doesn't like the path when I try to do stuff. It will show the files in the drive, but when I run an autorun.exe program it says

M:\
The specified path does not exist.

Check the path, and then try again.

Thanks, VD Support!

I love this. Download, activation and install all smooth on XP SP2.

I keep my data files on a removable hard drive. When I want to access them I have to drill down, sometimes many levels, and it's a real pain. With Virtual Disk I very quickly and easily set up one virtual drive for frequently accessed folders, and another for current projects. Now all my data is still safe on its drive, but also right in front of me, a click or two away. I can add and remove things from the virtual drive as my projects and needs change, without ever disturbing the data files themselves. They remain in their neatly organized folders.

It's like your physical office. You have filing cabinets for all your documents, but you don't want to go in there for each little thing. You pull the file(s) that you want to work on out, and put it on your desk. When you're done, you put it back in its place in the filing cabinet. Virtual Disk is just like that, except that you don't have to dig in the filing cabinet to find the file each time you need it, nor do you have to find its spot in the cabinet and return it. Virtual Disk is your personal filing clerk, and takes care of all of that for you, freeing you up to just work.

I agree that the marketing and presentation needs work, especially to appeal to those who most need it, the non-geeks. Once that's fixed so that it's more easily understood what it does and how easily it does it, it will do well.

Thank you, GAOTD, and especially the developer for being here in person; it shows that you back your product and genuinely want to give us a good experience.

Stay away - with windows XP SP3 you will just get blue screen of death! Use the free Virtual CD-ROM Control Panel v2.0.1.1 BY MICROSOFT PRODUCT SUPPORT SERVICES....which works.

lol this is why I wait a while before downloading an offering..after seeing all these crashes and problems and bad uninstalls, no way can I try this. Oh well, it looked promising too.

@142

Thanks for the response to my post #129.

I did not lose anything as I used a test folder with duplicate files - just wanted everyone to be aware that if you delete from the virtual disk created under My Computer that it does in fact delete the original file or folder that's been mapped.

Hopefully you'll be able to fix it so that any deletion does not remove the original files/folders.

Top notch customer service - thanks again - Damian

@132 I really wish I had read that before installing on Windows 7 64 bit and wasting 15 minutes when I could have found a program that works in that time.

Excellent piece of software. Maybe one of the lucky ones but it installed perfectly and does exactly what it's meant to. Great if you have multiple computers with multiple drives/partitions on each, works with UNC paths as well, so no need to map a drive. Brilliant!!

Sorry But it isnt worth trying the "beta" version of this software as it is a bit too dangerous to accidentally delete things from it. If it was the next stable version including all the new features suggested, I would definitely try that out.

I make movies from a lot of video files stored in hards disks. Some are without any interest, some are ok and may be imported to the timeline of my editor.
Before Virtual disk, I used to rename the good ones or to copy them in a working directory;
With virtual disk , a right click on the selected file maps it.

Obviously my video editor can map too. But after a while (cut, delete, move) it difficult to know of which original video file a sequence comes from. Even for the first selection it is more quick and easy to read the video in its directory and possibly map it than reading it in the editor.

Virtual disk is beautiful tool for that. Thumb up

#145, Lu Hulu, you can download Windows Search 4 from Microsoft for XP and higher. The documentation is scattered, some of it's completely wrong, and they don't much document natural language queries, which is a setting which I use. Windows Search 4 is extremely sophisticated, and some settings are needlessly complex and scattered. I talked about various features over time here on GOTD. I recommend enabling natural language queries and just playing with it. There's far too much to Windows Search 4 for me to discuss here.

Vista has a much more sophisticated Windows Explorer than XP, but you should be able to right-click audio and video files, select Properties, Details, and edit most of the fields. As you move your mouse over the Value field for each Property, editable fields will become active. Windows Search indexes in the background, so changes can take a few minutes to become available for searching. When you first install and activate Windows Search, the initial indexing can take hours depending upon how many files you have and what you index, although whatever's indexed so far will show up in searches. In Windows Explorer, right-click the column headings to select which properties to display (I'm reasonably sure that works on XP).

Vista Explorer is more sophisticated, it will scan the corresponding Property Values for all files in the current view when you left-click the drop-down on the column heading, and present you with a list of values, such as user-defined Tags, for filtering. If there are a lot of files in the view and you know what you want, the search box for the current view is much quicker.

thank you for all your answers. BUT : “Failed to load driver” is not solved ( I have tried more than everything ) and the fact that the devellopper has not answered indicates that we have found a serious problem. How about a thankyou for this ?
So you developper out ther : Give me a reason to be positive !
But gaotd : Keep up the good work !

I guess that other than voting we can't support other's comments like #151 above (Jack)...

I am experiencing EXACTLY the same scenario!

Obviously this software is "not quite ready for prime time" and should be considered BETA by all concerned...

In addition, since there are reports of unrecoverable data destruction
by users, I reiterate my comments to avoid this until the bugs are ironed out!

Thanks to both the GAOTD and the developer.I had a really hard time first to download it and then to install it and the last straw was the impossibility to register the program.After all I realised that I don,t need this one.Much ado about nothing.Thanks anyway.

Just what I was looking for! For some days I've been trying to figure out a way to easily access files that I was working on located in several different folders. This program came at my rescue just in time.
Thanks a lot!

I'm also having a burning problem as a result of this VD. Any suggestions? I'd like to share this VD with my friends but don't want to cause them to have burning problems as well. Thanks!

The same crash happened when (with Virtual Disk not running)I right clicked on a folder->map this folder —>got my computer to crash.
Can it have something to do with the fact that I run a Dinamic Drive Overlay for my hard drive?

This would be a super-duper program to organize my genealogy files. Perhaps when the Vista-64bit version is ready, you'll again offer it here? Some of us would greatly appreciate the ability to try it out.

Happy Dae·

First thanks to GAOTD and developer.Good program for easing the work with folders/files.
I encountered a problem. Selected 2 folders->right click->map this folder --->got my computer to crash. Running XP SP2.

10.Fails on XP+SP3: after activate and setup, running it results in “Failed to load driver” error and asks for reboot or re-installation. After either, get the same error immediately followed by “Failed to create empty document” error. (p.s. downloaded 1/2 hour after initially available)

Am interested in having this on my system so this is disappointing.


Looks like I am having the same problems as several other people. Tried it on two different computers!!! Install Fails !!! Something is wrong with the intall portion of this program!!! Needs to fix it!!!