Q161300: HOWTO: Determine the Type of Drive Using Win32

Article: Q161300
Product(s): Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows
Version(s): 
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbGrpDSVB
Last Modified: 11-JAN-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual Basic Learning Edition for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Standard Edition, 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition, 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition, 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

There are many types of drives that Windows can detect and the Win32 API
GetDriveType gives the Visual Basic programmer a simple way to differentiate
between them. Below is a code sample showing how to use the API.

MORE INFORMATION
================

1. Start a new Standard EXE project. Form1 is added by default.

2. Add a DriveListBox to Form1.

3. Add the code below to the General Declarations section of Form1:

        Option Explicit

        Private Declare Function GetDriveType Lib "kernel32" Alias _
          "GetDriveTypeA" (ByVal sDrive As String) As Long

        Private Function DriveType(sDrive As String) As String
          Dim sDriveName As String
          Const DRIVE_TYPE_UNDTERMINED = 0
          Const DRIVE_ROOT_NOT_EXIST = 1
          Const DRIVE_REMOVABLE = 2
          Const DRIVE_FIXED = 3
          Const DRIVE_REMOTE = 4
          Const DRIVE_CDROM = 5
          Const DRIVE_RAMDISK = 6
          sDriveName = GetDriveType(sDrive & ":\")
          Select Case sDriveName
            Case DRIVE_TYPE_UNDTERMINED
              DriveType = "has not been recognized"
            Case DRIVE_ROOT_NOT_EXIST
              DriveType = "specified doesn't exist"
            Case DRIVE_CDROM
              DriveType = "is a CD-ROM drive."
            Case DRIVE_FIXED
              DriveType = "cannot be removed I.E. Hard Disk"
            Case DRIVE_RAMDISK
              DriveType = "is a RAM disk."
            Case DRIVE_REMOTE
              DriveType = "is a remote I.E Network drive."
            Case DRIVE_REMOVABLE
              DriveType = "can be removed I.E. Floppy Disk."
          End Select
        End Function

        Private Sub Drive1_Change()
          MsgBox "The Drive Type " & DriveType(Left(Drive1.Drive, 1))
        End Sub

4. Press the F5 key to run the project, and select a drive from the Drive List
  box. A message box will be displayed showing what type of drive it is.

Additional query words: kbVBp500 kbVBp600 kbVBp kbdsd kbDSupport KBWIN32SDK KBAPI

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Keywords          : kbGrpDSVB 
Technology        : kbVBSearch kbAudDeveloper kbZNotKeyword6 kbZNotKeyword2 kbVB500Search kbVB600Search kbVBA500 kbVBA600 kbVB500 kbVB600 kbVB400Search kbVB400
Issue type        : kbhowto

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