I am looking for a windows xp application which will detect when a mass storage device is attached to the computer, transfer a preselected file or files and then eject the drive when transfer is complete.
I just had a quick look through google, but all I found initially was posts about why windows won't eject drives.
Does anybody here know of an application that will do what I need? It will only need to do the transfers when the programme is running (rather than being a service which does it whenever a drive is connected), as I don't want to clog people's drives with files they don't want when they are trying to copy files to me.
Thanks
USB file transfer application
There may be, but it's quite easy to do it by combining a few programs together.
Synctoy - free from Microsoft
and this program I found: http://quick.mixnmojo.com/usb-disk-ejector
The joy of both is they both have command line interfaces, so what this means is you can call both programs in sequence with a batch file.
So:
1. Install SyncToy and set up your drive sync preferences - i.e. the FROM and TO folder. Remember the name you give the sync, ideally keep it short.
2. Download the program linked above and put the USB_Disk_Eject.exe file into a folder.
3. Create a new notepad file and put in the following commands for your batch file
Replace NAME with the name of the sync pair you set up in step 1
Replace X with the drive letter that your USB drive goes to.
Save this text file in the same folder as USB_Disk_Eject.exe, calling it something.BAT (and choose All Files in the Save File Type).
If all goes to plan, you should be able to run that .BAT file, and a command window will pop up and the sync will take place, and finally your drive will be ejected and ready for you to remove when the window closes.
Synctoy - free from Microsoft
and this program I found: http://quick.mixnmojo.com/usb-disk-ejector
The joy of both is they both have command line interfaces, so what this means is you can call both programs in sequence with a batch file.
So:
1. Install SyncToy and set up your drive sync preferences - i.e. the FROM and TO folder. Remember the name you give the sync, ideally keep it short.
2. Download the program linked above and put the USB_Disk_Eject.exe file into a folder.
3. Create a new notepad file and put in the following commands for your batch file
Code: Select all
@echo off
"C:\program files\SyncToy 2.0\SyncToyCmd.exe" -r NAME
USB_Disk_Eject.exe /removeletter XReplace X with the drive letter that your USB drive goes to.
Save this text file in the same folder as USB_Disk_Eject.exe, calling it something.BAT (and choose All Files in the Save File Type).
If all goes to plan, you should be able to run that .BAT file, and a command window will pop up and the sync will take place, and finally your drive will be ejected and ready for you to remove when the window closes.
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Steve in Pudsey
- Posts: 200
- Joined: Fri 02 Jan, 2004 09.45
You could also make it run from the auto-run options that pop up when you insert the drive
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Ebeneezer Scrooge
- Posts: 326
- Joined: Tue 23 Sep, 2003 13.53
- Location: Scrooge Towers
Thanks - it's something I'll look into, but I'm not sure it goes quite as far as I need it to. Ideally, I'd need the process to be entirely automated and require setting up no sync partnership or any auto run files, just simply a programme that looks for a mass storage device, when it sees one appear, automatically copy the files and eject. If it could do that, I could load the programme and leave my computer for people to come, get the latest files simply by plugging their memory stick/mp3 player in and walk away with what they need.
Since the vast majority of files I'd be doing this with are mp3s, I realise Media Player could be used to sync, but once again, I don't want to have to set up that sync initially or have to eject when it is done.
Maybe I'm asking too much!
Since the vast majority of files I'd be doing this with are mp3s, I realise Media Player could be used to sync, but once again, I don't want to have to set up that sync initially or have to eject when it is done.
Maybe I'm asking too much!
Snarky
If you were syncing to a drive letter, it wouldn't matter what or whose device were inserted. There's a sync option in SyncToy that basically says "ignore what's on the USB drive, just make it match the computer folder". That's what you'd set it to. The sync partnership is only set up once, and is valid for any device you insert - it just tells the program what file you want to copy to where. It's nothing to do with pairing the two devices, like with bluetooth or windows media player syncing.
If you don't want there to be any interaction from the user, you could look into setting up an autorun when the drive is inserted. But an easier solution would just be to make a shortcut to the BAT file that says "Click here when you've inserted your drive."
Since what you're after is a rather bespoke solution, I doubt there'd be an actual program that does all that. Second Copy 7.1, which I used before Synctoy, has a feature rather like what you're requesting though, in that it would monitor for a USB drive and run a "copy profile". It wouldn't auto-eject it when done though... so you're a bit stuck on that front!
If you don't want there to be any interaction from the user, you could look into setting up an autorun when the drive is inserted. But an easier solution would just be to make a shortcut to the BAT file that says "Click here when you've inserted your drive."
Since what you're after is a rather bespoke solution, I doubt there'd be an actual program that does all that. Second Copy 7.1, which I used before Synctoy, has a feature rather like what you're requesting though, in that it would monitor for a USB drive and run a "copy profile". It wouldn't auto-eject it when done though... so you're a bit stuck on that front!