I have an ubuntu 11.04 machine with a samba share, which I access from a Windows 7 machine. Both have same username and password. The network drive is mapped and remembered on Windows. When I reboot the Windows 7 machine and start 'cmd.exe' and type 'net use' I see the mapped share listed as 'unavailable'. When I try to access it by 'N:' is says ""the system cannot find the drive specified". When I look in Windows explorer there is a red X in it. As soon as I click on it in Windows explorer it becomes available and now works as expected from 'cmd.exe'. I really want to automate the startup instead of having to manually 'initialize' the share with Windows explorer after every reboot ... help !
3 Answers
I would make a startup script and place it in the startup folder (see code below for location). Copy and modify the contents below into a text file, and save as a .bat
::C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
::http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-networking/delay-mounting-network-drive-at-boot/e25538d4-6f85-442c-ac43-3f8ba2e9bf75
@echo off
::make sure you can see the interwebs
set ServerIP=www.google.com
:Loop
ping %ServerIP% -n 2 | find /i "bytes=" > nul && goto Connect
ping localhost -n 180 > nul
goto Loop
::once you can see the interwebs, run your net use batch
:Connect
net use /persistent:no
net use * /del /yes
::here you put your netuse command you want to run
net use w: \192.168.1.55\mascotdata /use:HOME\mtnchkn supersecretpassword /persistent:no
-
The approach of using 'net use' to delete and recreate the share worked (although I used a simpler syntax for 'net use' than that shown). Perhaps that's what Windows Explorer does as well. Commented May 4, 2012 at 21:36
By using "net delete" and "net use" you have to give full information including password in clear text. I do not like this.
My solution is the following batch file, placed into startup (with window mode in the startup-lnk set to "minimized").
You must adjust the drive letters to your needs.
Maybe the connect-waiting loop from Ben#s answer is needed (not in my situation).
@echo off
rem run Explorer minimized
start /min S:\
start /min N:\
rem wait a bit and close/kill both explorer windows (note: reverse order seems to matter)
timeout 2 /nobreak
taskkill /im explorer.exe /fi "WINDOWTITLE eq N:\\"
taskkill /im explorer.exe /fi "WINDOWTITLE eq S:\\"
rem repeat the close if it did not succeed
timeout 1 /nobreak
taskkill /im explorer.exe /fi "WINDOWTITLE eq S:\\"
taskkill /im explorer.exe /fi "WINDOWTITLE eq N:\\"
I had a similar issue and was able to workaround by adding the credentials to Generic Credentials in Credential Manager:
cmdkey /generic:yourIP /user:yourUser /pass:yourPass
net use|find "drive:"|find /v "OK "is true issuesnet use drive: \\sharenamethis changes status to "OK". Has same effect as a opening drive with "disconnected drive" status in Windows explorer. If your part of a Domain use @ben's solution