>DeviceIoControl()...not one I'm planning to implement in VFP without having a loaded handgun stuck in my ear...

Good call on the Win32 API function. But you're right, that's a mighty large amount of hoops to jump through. Were it something a large amount of people might find useful, I'd be tempted to code it just out of spite. I don't here a whole lot of clamoring for it, though (thankfully).