Windows Drive Letters Can Use Non-Alphabetic Characters Beyond A-Z
By
LorenDB
An everything bagel for the brain. Substantive, layered, well-seasoned.
Summary
This technical article explores the lesser-known capability of Windows to use non-alphabetic characters (like +, €, etc.) as drive letters, going beyond the traditional A-Z range. The author demonstrates how to create such drives using the subst command and explains the underlying Windows mechanisms that make this possible. The article delves into the technical details of how Windows handles drive letters, discusses compatibility issues with different Windows tools and applications, and examines the historical and architectural reasons for the A-Z limitation being more conventional than absolute. It serves as both a technical deep dive and practical guide for understanding Windows internals.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledsubst +: C:\foo
However, understanding why it's true elucidates a lot about how Windows works under the hood, and turns up a few curious behaviors.
What is a
If you want €:\, you can have it, sort of
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