Disable Mapped Drive Error Message?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ben
  • Start date Start date
B

Ben

Hi,

We have some mobile users who use a VPN connection to connect to our
network. We've set up a mapped drive so once they have connected they can
open their files & folders. However this means that when they 1st logon to
their PCs, they receive the 'can not connected mapped drive' error message.
Is there anyway to disable this message/stop users from being presented with
it (I think XP does this), our concern is that the end users may
accidentally tick the 'do not re-connect to this drive next time' check box.

Cheers

Ben
 
Ben said:
Hi,

We have some mobile users who use a VPN connection to connect to our
network. We've set up a mapped drive so once they have connected they can
open their files & folders. However this means that when they 1st logon to
their PCs, they receive the 'can not connected mapped drive' error message.
Is there anyway to disable this message/stop users from being presented with
it (I think XP does this), our concern is that the end users may
accidentally tick the 'do not re-connect to this drive next time' check box.

Cheers

Ben
Click to expand...

Using the "reconnect" feature is a poor approach to mapping
network drives in a multi-user environment, because it is so
fragile (as you have found out for yourself). A far better way is
to create a logon script like so:

@echo off
net use /persistent:no
net use x: \\SomeServer\SomeShare 2>nul

or even better:

@echo off
net use /persistent:no
ping SomeServer -n 1 | find /i "bytes=" && net use x: \\SomeServer\SomeShare
2>nul

Having a batch file allows you to control the logon process
very tightly. It no longer matters what users do - they get
exactly the same result each time.
 
Pegasus (MVP) said:
Using the "reconnect" feature is a poor approach to mapping
network drives in a multi-user environment, because it is so
fragile (as you have found out for yourself). A far better way is
to create a logon script like so:

@echo off
net use /persistent:no
net use x: \\SomeServer\SomeShare 2>nul

or even better:

@echo off
net use /persistent:no
ping SomeServer -n 1 | find /i "bytes=" && net use x: \\SomeServer\SomeShare
2>nul

Having a batch file allows you to control the logon process
very tightly. It no longer matters what users do - they get
exactly the same result each time.
Click to expand...

Pegasus,

Thanks for the reply.

Wouldn't this mean that the drive will never connect, as the logon script
runs when they 1st logon, before they have initiated the VPN. They would
have to do some kind of manual execution of the script or another batch file
to check for a connection, after they have initiated the VPN.

Ben
 
Ben said:
Pegasus,

Thanks for the reply.

Wouldn't this mean that the drive will never connect, as the logon script
runs when they 1st logon, before they have initiated the VPN. They would
have to do some kind of manual execution of the script or another batch file
to check for a connection, after they have initiated the VPN.

Ben
Click to expand...

How do you connect the drive now?
 
Pegasus (MVP) said:
How do you connect the drive now?
Click to expand...

Currently its a static mapping, so they logon, get the error message, even
though the drive is not mapped, its still there, then they run the VPN
software (dialexpress) and have to enter an RSA token number, once the VPN
has connected they use some bespoke order software which uses the mapped
drive, even though its not connected, when the program uses it, it connects.

Its not the way I'd do it, but my manager wants it done like this.
Personally I'd program the order software to map the drive when it's opened!

Ben
 
Ben said:
Currently its a static mapping, so they logon, get the error message, even
though the drive is not mapped, its still there, then they run the VPN
software (dialexpress) and have to enter an RSA token number, once the VPN
has connected they use some bespoke order software which uses the mapped
drive, even though its not connected, when the program uses it, it connects.

Its not the way I'd do it, but my manager wants it done like this.
Personally I'd program the order software to map the drive when it's opened!

Ben
Click to expand...

I would modify the shortcut that invokes your program: Rather than
calling up that program directly, I would invoke it in a batch file like
so:

@echo off
ping SomeServer -n 1 | find /i "bytes=" > nul || goto Error
net use s: \\SomeServer\SomeShare
c:\SomeFolder\SomeApp.exe
goto :eof

:Error
echo.
echo Please make your VPN connection before invoking this program!
echo.
pause
 
Pegasus (MVP) said:
I would modify the shortcut that invokes your program: Rather than
calling up that program directly, I would invoke it in a batch file like
so:

@echo off
ping SomeServer -n 1 | find /i "bytes=" > nul || goto Error
net use s: \\SomeServer\SomeShare
c:\SomeFolder\SomeApp.exe
goto :eof

:Error
echo.
echo Please make your VPN connection before invoking this program!
echo.
pause
Click to expand...

That's an idea I hadn't thought of, I will give that a try, thanks.

I'll have to ping the ISPs DNS server or something, because they don't seem
to allow pings to pass through the VPN, even when connected you get a
destination address unreachable error when pinging the server.

Cheers

Ben
 
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