Windows 7 - multiple drives/folders/servers as one share.

xrapidx

xrapidx

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Is it somehow possible to mount multiple drives, folders even on other servers as one share in Windows(yet) 7?

e.g.

MEDIA-SERVER\C:\Media\Series
MEDIA-SERVER\D:\Media\Series
MEDIA-SERVER\E:\Media\Series

STORAGE-SERVER\D:\Media\Series
STORAGE-SERVER\E:\Media\Series
STORAGE-SERVER\F:\Media\Series

... all to one mount point, e.g.
\\MEDIA-SERVER\SERIES
 
No cause how will it distinguish where to put something if you copy to said share.

I'm assuming you want this for media playback(A lot of series above). XBMC/KODI will group different shares into one group eg. TV series can lie where ever, local, network etc.. you add the folder, assign what it is and bobs your uncle.

DFS is for replication eg. two servers with the same content. so one goes down you still can access the content on the same "namespace" for redundancy
 
Last edited:
imranpanji said:
Read up on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distributed_File_System_(Microsoft)

Do you need to use smb? Or an alternate way OK? Am assuming you are using it for your media server?
Click to expand...
Will do. No need to use smb,
psion said:
No cause how will it distinguish where to put something if you copy to said share.

I'm assuming you want this for media playback(A lot of series above). XBMC/KODI will group different shares into one group eg. TV series can lie where ever, local, network etc.. you add the folder, assign what it is and bobs your uncle.

DFS is for replication eg. two servers with the same content. so one goes down you still can access the content on the same "namespace" for redundancy
Click to expand...
The location could be read only?

I know xbmc will group them, but it screws up your watched history when you need to move things around, and you also have to maintain multiple shares, I currently have 18 active drives.
 
I also need this. :( I don't care if it is read only at the central share (I can move files around at the back end).

I just want my central share to be viewable and one huge storage drive.
 
Garyvdh said:
I also need this. :( I don't care if it is read only at the central share (I can move files around at the back end).

I just want my central share to be viewable and one huge storage drive.
Click to expand...

This^



I require this
 
What about creating symbolic links to the different directories.

There is a commandline prog in windows 7 called mklink that you should read up on.

There is also a GUI tool called symlinker if you prefer GUI. I suggest you read up on junction points, mklink and symbolic links. You may be able to achieve what you want

If you want to change the location of the files...just change the symbolic link
 
For drives on the same computer, you can mount them to an additional directory by opening up Computer Management, Go to Storage then Disk Management. From here, right-click on the disk that you want to be available under a different path and select Change Drive Letter and Paths. You can then Add a path which will link it to the directory specified.

Mklink should work as well and is the only available option for remote shares on Windows 7.
 
The problem with the above is you'll still end up with directories (drives) under the root folder, so when you move stuff around, it gets unflagged again (as not watched)
 
imranpanji said:
What about creating symbolic links to the different directories.

There is a commandline prog in windows 7 called mklink that you should read up on.

There is also a GUI tool called symlinker if you prefer GUI. I suggest you read up on junction points, mklink and symbolic links. You may be able to achieve what you want

If you want to change the location of the files...just change the symbolic link
Click to expand...


I think this might be the route... although the apps I've found only allow you to create one link per folder, e.g.
C:\MediaLink\Series will only link to one other series folder D:\Media\Series (and not E:\Media\Series)

I'm going to see if I can write a powershell script that can iterate through directories and create symbolic links for the individual folders, e.g. iterate through E:\Media\Series and create symbolic links under C:\MediaLink\Series, e.g C:\MediaLink\Series\Debbie does the farm vol1.

EDIT
Something like this, just replace the write-host with the cmd to create the link in your link folder, then share the link...

I'll carry on tomorrow....
Code: 
$directories = "C:\Media\Movies\", "F:\Media\Video\Movies\"

foreach ($dir in $directories)
{
    Get-ChildItem $dir | 
    ForEach {
Write-Host $dir$_.Name
}
}
 
Last edited:
Investigate Storage Spaces.

I can't remember what MS OS's it is available on, but it does exactly what you want.

**EDIT** Seems to be Windows 8 and Server 2012
 
Windows 7 does have the option to include multiple folders into libraries.
 
Isn't that only in a HomeGroup?

Can you share it as a normal SMB share? If so, then thats actually pretty cool.... might have to investigate that, after I rebuild my one server.
 
Tried library sharing. It creates an individual share for each if the folders you add... so doesn't work as desired. I think the symlinks will work. If I come right I'll share the script.

Only caveat, you might have to map network drives, haven't tried adding a link to a unc folder
 
xrapidx said:
Tried library sharing. It creates an individual share for each if the folders you add... so doesn't work as desired. I think the symlinks will work. If I come right I'll share the script.

Only caveat, you might have to map network drives, haven't tried adding a link to a unc folder
Click to expand...
Don't forget that symlinks and hard links are a NTFS thing
 
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