DevDrive/README.md

DevDrive

A lightweight virtual drive for Windows built with Dokan. DevDrive mounts a user-defined filesystem at a drive letter (default: A:) and exposes folders from your machine as symlinks. Configuration lives in C:\PhysicalDrive\index.json.

Requirements

• Windows 10/11 x64
• .NET 8 SDK
• Dokan Library (driver/runtime)
  • Install the latest Dokan release (driver + library) from the official site. https://github.com/dokan-dev/dokany

Setup

1. Install Dokan.
2. Create the config folder and file:
   • Folder: C:\PhysicalDrive\
   • File: C:\PhysicalDrive\index.json
3. Populate index.json using the schema below.

About C:\PhysicalDrive

• This path is a remapped physical drive root. It can point to a USB stick or a legacy floppy that you mount to the folder C:\PhysicalDrive\.

• Disk Management: Right-click the device → Change Drive Letter and Paths → Add → Mount in the empty NTFS folder C:\PhysicalDrive\.

• DevDrive just watches C:\PhysicalDrive\index.json; the backing device can be any removable media.

index.json schema

{
  "driveName": "Dev Disk",
  "driveIcon": "%SystemRoot%\\System32\\shell32.dll,6",
  "driveTotalMB": 100,
  "driveFreeMB": 50,
  "paths": [
    { "name": "Projects", "path": "C:\\DEV\\Projects" },
    { "name": "Tools",    "path": "C:\\Tools" }
  ]
}

• driveName: Label shown in Explorer.
• driveIcon: Optional custom icon. Supports file paths (e.g., C:\\Icons\\dev.ico) or resource references (e.g., %SystemRoot%\\System32\\shell32.dll,6).
• driveTotalMB: Total capacity reported to Explorer.
• driveFreeMB: Free space reported to Explorer.
• paths: Symlinks created at the root of the mounted drive. Each entry becomes a folder that points to the real location.

Build

Push-Location "C:\DEV\devDrive"
dotnet build
Pop-Location

• Output: bin\Debug\net8.0-windows\DevDrive.dll and DevDrive.exe.

Run (Console)

Push-Location "C:\DEV\devDrive\bin\Debug\net8.0-windows"
./DevDrive.exe
Pop-Location

• Defaults: Mounts at A:\ and reads config from C:\PhysicalDrive\index.json.
• Arguments: DevDrive.exe <MountPoint> <ConfigPath>
  • Example:

    ./DevDrive.exe Z:\ C:\PhysicalDrive\
    

Run (Windows Service)

DevDrive can run as a Windows service that starts automatically on boot.

Install Service

Right-click install-service.bat and select Run as administrator.

• Creates a service named DevDrive.
• Sets it to start automatically on boot.
• Configures automatic restart on failure.

Uninstall Service

Right-click uninstall-service.bat and select Run as administrator.

• Stops and removes the DevDrive service.

Manual Service Commands

# Start
sc start DevDrive

# Stop
sc stop DevDrive

# Query status
sc query DevDrive

Service Notes

• Service logs go to the Windows Event Log (Application).
• The service mounts to A:\ with config from C:\PhysicalDrive\index.json (no command-line args in service mode).
• To change mount point or config path when running as a service, edit DevDriveService.cs and rebuild.

Behavior

• Mount options: Uses Mount Manager and current session; not flagged as removable.
• Volume label: Taken from driveName.
• Icon: Applied per-user via registry under HKCU\Software\Classes\Applications\Explorer.exe\Drives.
• Space reporting: driveTotalMB and driveFreeMB control what Explorer shows.
• Symlinks: Entries in paths are exposed as directories at the root; contents come from the target paths.

Hotplug and Config Detection

• If ConfigPath is a drive letter (e.g., E:\): WMI Win32_LogicalDisk events detect insert/remove.
• If ConfigPath is a folder (e.g., the remapped physical C:\PhysicalDrive\): WMI Win32_Volume events are used; unplugging the backing device makes the folder inaccessible, which triggers unmount.

Troubleshooting

• Build errors due to locked executable:
  • Stop any running DevDrive.exe before rebuilding.
• Mount fails or requires elevation:
  • Mounting A: may require admin privileges depending on system policies.
• Icon not updating immediately:
  • The app requests a shell refresh; if the icon still doesn’t change, sign out/in or restart Explorer.
• Dokan not installed:
  • Ensure the Dokan driver and library are installed and loaded; reboot after installation if needed.

Notes

• By default, DevDrive mounts to A: with a FAT-style label, but it is not a physical floppy or removable device.
• Registry icon changes are per-user and cleaned up on unmount.