How to Find an External HD Using a DOS Prompt

The DOS operating system prompt is a text-based interface for interacting with a computer and its files. Many tasks may be accomplished using DOS. Finding the location of an external hard drive on a computer system is possible in DOS, but not as convenient as other operating systems. DOS contains no native function for scanning drive locations and reporting their connections. However, there are workarounds to this problem. Anyone with some patience can find an external hard drive in DOS.

Instructions

Trial and Error

1. Type "vol c:" at the DOS prompt and press "Enter." All computers contain a C: drive, and this command will return information about the internal hard drive. It is possible to search for an external hard drive the same way by cycling through the 22 available drive letters until a drive is found.

2. Type "vol e:" and press Enter. If an external drive is attached to the computer and assigned to this drive letter, the command will return information about the drive. If not, the command will return a message stating that "The device is not ready."

3. Type "vol f:" and press Enter. Continue to cycle through all the letters of the alphabet until an external drive is found. Drive letters E through Z are usually used for external drives.

Batch Script

1. Type "edit script.bat" at the DOS prompt and press "Enter." You may choose to name the script anything other than "script" if desired, such as "drivescan.bat." By creating a quick script to cycle through all the drive letters, you can find an external drive any time in DOS by simply running the script.

2. Type "IF EXIST e:\. echo Drive E: is present". Note that quotation marks are excluded from the actual programming code. Press "Enter." On the next line, type "IF EXIST f:\. echo Drive F: is present".

3. Continue to type one line for all the letters through drive letter Z.

4. Press and hold the "Alt" button on the computer and press the "F" key. The file menu in the DOS editor will be activated. Press "S" to save. Activate the menu again and type "X" to exit the editor.

5. Type "script" or the name you used for the batch file. The program will report all external drives connected to the computer and their drive letter. This script is saved and may be called upon any time to scan for external hard drives.

References

• Computer Hope: How Can I See All Drives Available on My Computer?