Q49739: How ASSIGN Determines True Name of Disk Drive

Article: Q49739
Product(s): Microsoft Disk Operating System
Version(s): MS-DOS:3.x,4.x,5.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 17-DEC-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 3.1, 3.2, 3.21, 3.3, 3.3a, 4.0, 4.01, 5.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

ASSIGN does not check the current name for the disk drive; instead, it retains
the "true", original name of the disk drive for reassignment.

If floppy disk Drive A contains a single file named A.TXT and floppy disk Drive B
contains a single file named B.TXT, the following commands cause the file B.TXT
to be displayed in the directory:

  C> ASSIGN A=B
  C> DIR A:

The syntax documentation for the ASSIGN command can be checked to verify that
this is what should happen. The first drive specified is the drive that MS-DOS
normally reads and writes to. The second is the drive that you want MS-DOS to
read and write to when the first drive is referenced.

It is not quite so intuitive how to restore A to A and B to B. The following
example demonstrates how to ASSIGN the drive back to itself:

  C> ASSIGN A=A

After this command is issued, a DIRectory of Drive A displays the file A.TXT.

Additional query words: 3.20 3.21 3.30 3.30a 4.00 4.01 5.00

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS321 kbMSDOS400 kbMSDOS320 kbMSDOS330a kbMSDOS310 kbMSDOS500 kbMSDOS330 kbMSDOS401
Version           : MS-DOS:3.x,4.x,5.0

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