VBScript for Active Directory: Map Network Drive if it hasn't been mapped correctly

Thanks barry, but your last line:
  NET USE Y: \\DC\Data
would generate an error wouldn't it if y: already existed.
what you need is an else statement after your second line.
...but not sure how to do else statements in batch code.

But yes I could use your solution I guess. Let's see if anyone's got a more 'best practise' way because this seems like a workaround, albeit a clever one.

Hmm it might be worth pointing out that if Y exists, and already points to "\\DC\Data" you'll end up with X: pointing to the same thing.

It's why it tends to be best to say Letter goes to Share, and just remove any existing connection sitting on that letter.

Chris

" if Y exists, and already points to "\\DC\Data" you'll end up with X: pointing to the same thing."
That's precisely what I'm trying to avoid, and in barry's example this is avoided by checking if the correct file exists at Y:.

"It's why it tends to be best to say Letter goes to Share, and just remove any existing connection sitting on that letter."
--Surely this isn't best-practise? Let's say the user already had a mapped network drive that they were quite happy with, and now your script disconnects it and replaces it. I won't be very impressed ;) That's why I'm so surprised to see all these script examples doing the exact same thing: replacing mapped network drives.

Sorry, I missed that check in there.

On why...

Ultimately it boils down to figuring out how technically happy your users are. It varies enormously, some will have no problem with it, others will not get that a particular drive letter might be different elsewhere.

It's far less likely to be a problem in a very small organisation. But I've seen instances in a much larger organisation where people have waited days for a restore job because a meaningless / arbitrary drive letter was given instead of a full path (server\share). At least if drive letters are dictated you know what someone will get, then first-level support teams can intervene and fill in the blank.

Everything is configured to make life as easy as possible for the least IT literate member of staff so they can get on with their real jobs.

Chris

Hmm pitty nobody has offered a vbscript for this.
With batch files can I display a note when the user logs in?
And with vbscripts, it isn't running or displaying a note for my users and even when I test it on my Server I get an open file security warning dialog "Do you want to open this file? Unkown Publisher"

Thanks Chris.

Here's how I'm displaying the note now - a test works on the server, but I haven't had it work on any of my clients. To be honest I've only rolled out on 2 clients. So it could just be 2 dud PCs...

WScript.Echo("WELCOME." & vbCr & _
"Your user has been authenticated by the new server in ThisPlace." & vbCr & _
"We hope that this new system will improve security, data redundancy, efficiency, and in some ways make your life easier..." & VbCr & vbCr & _
"Please note:" & vbCr & vbCr & _
"1. Your old user's profile such as your Desktop and My Documents files have been copied / moved to your new user." & vbCr & vbCr & "2. Some of you have their Desktop and My Documents folders 'redirected' to the server. This means any files you put in those locations get automatically backed up onto the server, so your data is easily backed up and accessible from anywhere. To prevent this from happening (for privacy or other reasons), please ask your Domain Administrator." & vbCr & vbCr & _
"3. You should now notice a new drive called 'Y:' inside 'My Computer'. This virtual drive shows you the files on the server. Please note the following folders:" & vbCr & _
" - 'Departments': The various departments in the company, such as Sales, Marketing, Finance, Admin etc. will each have their own folder to share files. Please take advantage of this by organising your files in these locations." & vbCr & _
" - 'Projects': A central place to store documents pertaining to company projects." & vbCr & _
" - 'Scans': A central place to store scanned documents from the printer in Thisplace. You can use '14' on the scanner to scan to this folder on the server." & vbCr & " - 'Shared': A general shared area for standard documents used throughout the organisation." & vbCr _
& vbCr & _
"For any issues, please speak to Jack.") 
                                              

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Odd, it should let you run that as a logon script, nothing odd about it.

Chris

Yeah it's not working. And yet my folder redirection is working on this PC, not on another Pc. It's weird.
I've checked the GPOs about 3 times now.

Looking at the event viewer I get a few error messages:

Event Type:      Error
Event Source:      Userenv
Event Category:      None
Event ID:      1054
Date:            9/06/2009
Time:            6:31:51 PM
User:            NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Computer:      ONE
Description:
Windows cannot obtain the domain controller name for your computer network. (The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted. ). Group Policy processing aborted.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

===

Event Type:      Error
Event Source:      UserInit
Event Category:      None
Event ID:      1000
Date:            9/06/2009
Time:            6:31:51 PM
User:            N/A
Computer:      ONE
Description:
Could not execute the following script MapNetworkDrive.vbs. The system cannot find the file specified.
.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
===

Event Type:      Error
Event Source:      Userenv
Event Category:      None
Event ID:      1054
Date:            9/06/2009
Time:            6:25:27 PM
User:            NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Computer:      ONE
Description:
Windows cannot obtain the domain controller name for your computer network. (The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted. ). Group Policy processing aborted.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Okay, that'd do it.

I saw some of your earlier posts when you were setting this up, but just to confirm... which DNS servers have you given to your client? It should only be Domain Controller because the client needs to able to get information from that about where the DC is and such.

Chris

Chris:
On my LAN's router, I have hardcoded the primary and secondary DNS as follows:
Primary DNS is from the service provider,
Secondary DNS is the Windows Server 2008's IP on the network, i.e. 192.168.0.200
I have verified that the Server is on that address using ipconfig

For my one client I do the exact same on his Local Area Connection, and his GPO doesn't work at all,
whereas on mine -- I'm busy checking (have to log off this user)